Current and former members of The Jimi Austin, Arliss Nancy and Stella
Luce recently joined musical forces to create something new — a band
that goes by the name of Fierce Bad Rabbit.
With guitarist Chris Anderson, formerly of The Jimi Austin, Arliss
Nancy bassist Dayton Hicks, Stella Luce’s Alana Rolfe and original
Tickle Me Pink drummer Adam Pitner, Fierce Bad Rabbit has quickly
stirred up the local music scene.
“We all have played here and there, and together we’ve created
something more than we knew could or would sound this cool,” said
Anderson. “We all met and re-met, and have seen this and have seen
that, and then one day, boom — we all were in the same room and playing
in the same key.”
After years of playing at the same venues and on stage with the same
bands, it was only a matter of time before the foursome came together.
“We all met through the local music scene,” explained Anderson.
“Everyone had met each other before at different shows and bars, and we
all had a mutual respect for what each person had done in the past. ...
We’ve all seen each other individually play in different projects on
different stages, and so when we came together it had a very
professional vibe.”
Anderson admits that things have come a long way since playing with their previous bands.
“I think that with The Jimi Austin, I was an absolute amateur when the
band began. The four of us started in a room not knowing what we were
capable of and not sure what we were going to become. ... I learned a
lot from that band.”
Bringing their past experiences together, Anderson, Hicks, Rolfe and Pitner have found common ground in both music and life.
“We hope that we can bring to Fort Collins what it has brought to us — a great place, with some great music,” said Anderson.
Formed this past spring, Fierce Bad Rabbit has released a self-titled
debut album, and the group continues to gain quite a following.
“It’s really inspiring to see people who seek you out because of music
that you once played,” said Anderson. “People have been more than
complimentary about both now and then, and it always makes me blush.”
With a roster of upcoming shows and ongoing plans to tour and record,
Fierce Bad Rabbit continues to look forward, move ahead and do what
they love.
“We are very interested in finding management and tour support, and we
think label support would also be grand. ... But we’re all musicians,
so at the end of the day we just want to make more music.”