L.A. Punk Outfit Kills Birds Break Free From An Abusive Relationship With New Single “Rabbit” From Upcoming LP
LA-based incendiary rock band Kills Birds, lead by Windsor-raised vocalist Nina Ljeti and rounded out guitarist Jacob Loeb and bassist Fielder Thomas, have shared their first single since their 2019 debut LP with the ferocious tune “Rabbit”. It will be the opening track from their upcoming sophomore album Married, out on Royal Mountain Records and KRO Records on November 12th, and was recorded at Dave Grohl’s Studio 606 – invited by the man himself. Despite the quiet nature of a rabbit, the song itself is a storming and incendiary track that dives into the power struggle in an abusive relationship, something that is personal to Ljeti, resulting in a beautiful and cathartic release.
On the track, she explains, “Lyrically, “Rabbit” is about the experience of being in an abusive relationship with a powerful person. To be with someone who was praised by the public, but hurt you (and others) in private really eviscerates your self-worth. There’s nowhere to turn for help. Like many people who share this experience, this particular relationship defined the majority of my young adulthood, and I’m still dealing with the emotional consequences of it.“
Guitarist Jacob Loeb continues, “‘Rabbit” was the first song written for the new album. Despite being one of the harder-hitting songs on the record, it was originally written on an acoustic guitar at Nina’s house. The goal was for the chorus to have an almost disorienting quiet/loud dynamic which really came to life when we plugged in and all practiced it for the first time. We tried to make the chorus start so quietly that the listener feels like something went wrong with their speaker and has to kind of lean in to hear Nina singing before the repetition of “how could I?” abruptly and violently re-enters, startling them and making the emotion visceral.”
Clocking in just under two minutes, the track is a boisterous and resilient piece that combines the tenacity of the LA underground rock world with the raw spirit of Kills Birds. The band adds, “For Rabbit, we wanted to depart from the lo-fi aesthetic of our first record and come back with something that was super vivid, bold and direct. The idea was to capture the raw energy of our live performance, particularly from Nina, in the sterile and stilted setting of a film set, with the camera itself becoming this kind of ominous force that manipulates and distorts what it captures.”
Watch the music video below and check out tour dates below.
Tour Dates
10/05 – Raleigh, NC – Lincoln Theater *
10/06 – Richmond, VA – The Broadberry *
10/08 – Nashville, TN – Mercy Lounge *
10/09 – Charlotte, NC – The Underground *
10/10 – Atlanta, GA – Center Stage *
10/12 – Houston, TX – Warehouse Live *
10/13 – Austin, TX – Mohawk *
10/15 – Dallas, TX – Granada Theater *
10/17 – Denver, CO – Gothic *
10/18 – Salt Lake City, UT – Metro Music Hall *
10/20 – Phoenix, AZ – Crescent Ballroom *
10/21 – Los Angeles, CA – Teragram Ballroom *
10/23 – Oakland, CA – The New Parish *
10/26 – Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom *
10/27 – Vancouver, BC – Venue Nightclub *
10/28 – Seattle, WA – The Showbox *
11/10 – Mexico City, MX – Foro Sol W/ Foo Fighters
11/13 – Monterrey, Mexico – Pal Norte Festival
12/02 – San Diego, CA – Soda Bar
12/03 – Joshua Tree, CA – Pappy’s (indoors)
12/07 – Chicago, IL – Schuba’s
12/09 – Toronto, ON – Garrison
12/10 – Ottawa, ON – Dominion Tavern
12/11 – Montreal, QC – Ritz
12/14 – Brooklyn, NY – Elsewhere (Zone One)
* Dates with Sleigh Bells
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