A Chat with Flying Rabbit (24.01.21)
Fusing elements of jazz, garage rock, surf rock and global music, with undertones of psychedelia, Flying Rabbit has an eclecticism that eclipses a lot of artists I review nowadays. With members from Wales, Norway, England and Sweden, the Oslo-based group is a melting pot of culture and life experiences. We speak with guitarist Jacob Kronen about their new EP Eclectic Playground, phobias and future plans.
OSR: How did Flying Rabbit form and how did you come up with the band name?
Kronen: Me and my girlfriend Emily who sings started creating music a few years back. We wrote some songs here and there and slowly got better at songwriting. After a while, we had enough songs that we thought were special to us and we decided to make a band, so we got some of our musician friends together.
The name Flying Rabbit is a bit of a homage to ‘White Rabbit’ by Jefferson Airplane, which probably is the one song that we are most influenced by.
OSR: What can you tell us about your EP Eclectic Playground?
Kronen: The EP is quite wide-ranging when it comes to genres and inspirations. We like to explore and we’re not afraid to go a little bit crazy here and there, just as long as the groove glues everything together.
OSR: Can you tell us about the writing and recording process?
Kronen: I usually make the riffs and chord progressions on guitar first and then Emily improvises a vocal melody and lyrics over it. When we have a rough sketch we get the gang together and jam, drink and have a jolly good time. Our jam sessions are usually the highlight of our week! We’re a group of friends and the guys are really versatile as musicians, so that gives a lot of room for playfulness in the process.
OSR: Which is more difficult to create – the lyrics or the melody?
Kronen: It depends on the song, but usually the melody is easier to create than the lyrics. The melody just comes naturally when you’re in the zone while writing the lyrics takes a bit more time and effort.
OSR: What do you hope people will take from Eclectic Playground?
Kronen: We hope to challenge the listeners’ music taste a little bit and introduce something new to explore. We try to make music that is not too unfamiliar, but can still introduce an element of something new to the listener.
OSR: Do you have a favourite track on the EP?
Kronen: My favourite song on the EP is ‘Don’t Oppress Me’. It’s really fun to play live because it makes people dance like lunatics!
OSR: If you could change anything about Eclectic Playground what would it be?
Kronen: Looking back, there’s always gonna be a few things that you would do differently, but I think it’s better to look ahead. We’re creating a lot of new music these days so we’re really focused on that now.
OSR: Do you have any phobias?
Kronen: I don’t mind blood, but I hate seeing TV shows where they do surgery and cut in bodies. There’s no need for it and it’s gross.
OSR: If you were reincarnated as a flower which flower would that be?
Kronen: I would be an orange tulip because I’m ginger and I have roots from The Netherlands.
OSR: Do you have any future plans?
Kronen: Later this year we’re releasing our first full-length album. Before that, we’re releasing a few singles and a music video for ‘Don’t Oppress Me’. We’re hoping we’ll be able to do a few gigs in the summer.
OSR: Do you have a message for our readers?
Kronen: As music lovers, we’re eagerly waiting for it to be possible to experience live music again and to create memories with new and old friends. Until then, we should support our favourite bands and artists in any way possible. There’s so much incredible new music coming out these days just waiting to be explored. Bandcamp is a great place to buy music and merch since most of the money goes to the artists!
Thanks to Jacob Kronen for chatting with us. For more from Flying Rabbits check out their Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
