JACKRABBIT BAND

By Jonah van Bemmelen

Jonah: Since you’re playing together as brothers, what’s that dynamic like creatively? Are you harder on each other or more understanding because you’re family?

Kieran: We’ve been doing this brother thing for decades now, so it’s really been a journey. When I was 14 and Dermot was 16, we never would’ve been able to do this. In our 20s, we actually lived together while we were both coming up as actors. We stopped fighting after the high school years, and now this has become the easiest collaboration you can imagine. It’s completely simpatico.

We have very similar musical instincts. We sing together in that Everly Brothers style, harmony on almost every note we play. Having the same musical upbringing and instincts makes everything easy. We barely even have to talk about what we’re going to do. We just do it, and it comes out fully formed.

Dermot: In a snapshot our process is that Kieran brings us a fully formed song, that song is missing a band so we add to it, Kieran’s lyrics are already written he knows them already he’s not cribbing off a sheet or anything. 

The rest of us have a very clear assignment: make this a country song. For me, getting to add harmonies that instinctively land where they’re supposed to is incredibly gratifying. I get to fit into the song and help it become what it’s meant to be, which is this blended baritone harmony country duo sound.

We’re really proud of our sound, because it’s been part of our lives for so long. And it makes for a great live show too, so come on out to the Sellersville show.

Jonah: You kind of answered my next question but what does the songwriting process usually look like for Jackrabbit? Is there one primary songwriter, or is it collaborative?

Kieran: I do the songwriting mostly because I’ve got time on my hands. My day job is writing movies for people, so I’m already in that creative zone where things are constantly coming out of my head. Writing songs feels like a natural extension of that.

And honestly, this is a bit of a shoutout to the public school system in Northern Virginia, because that’s where we both came up playing music. Dermot started on the cello, and I played violin. We learned music through orchestra class from fifth grade all the way through high school and into college.

So we were classical musicians long before we plugged in and started playing loud for people. That foundation is incredibly solid because we had great teachers.

Dermot: Sure did.

Jonah: Kieran, do you ever set out to write for a movie and then it turns into a song?

Kieran: You know, here’s how the process usually goes: I’m typically writing something about a dire threat against humanity that has to be stopped one way or another. My wife and I write action-adventure stories, so the country stuff doesn’t exactly fit into The Avengers; not that I wrote The Avengers, but I’ve written similar kinds of projects.

When I burn out on a movie idea, my instinct is to pick up my baritone ukulele and wander into another room. A lot of times, a phrase or chord progression turns itself into a song. It feels more like receiving something than making something up.

Jonah: What are you most looking forward to about being on the road and touring together?

Dermot: Part of what I’m looking forward to is just spending time together like this. I imagine we’re going to have more downtime than I do in my regular life. I won’t have to drive or look at a map. I’ll just get to sit on a bus, maybe take a nap.

I’ve got a stack of comics I want to catch up on; you know how that gets away from you after a while. I really can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to this part of the year.

Kieran:

Yeah, the other guys in the band are stellar. They’re great people and incredible musicians who know how to put on a great show.

I have a feeling we’re going to get a little tired along the way, Jonah, but there’s a tiny little flat mattress on the bus for each of us, so we’ll survive with naps.

Jonah: Every touring musician seems to have a favorite snack or comfort food; what are your go-to road snacks?

Kieran: I’m jumping right in on this one. I found this thing at a 7-Eleven the other day; it’s their own brand. It’s called a chocolate hand pie. It’s got this delicious crust with glazed frosting, and inside it’s basically chocolate pudding.

I don’t know if it’s just an L.A. thing or if they have them nationwide, but if we find them on the road, I’m buying every single one they have so we can stock up.

Dermot: I’m all about tuna. I get one sandwich to eat now and one for later. You know how some people are always thinking about their next meal? That’s me.

Jonah: Do you at least keep it cold? That sounds so gross.

Dermot: Those things don’t even have expiration dates. You know the little triangle sandwiches in the box? They last forever.

Jonah: Who would you say are some of the biggest musical influences behind Jackrabbit’s sound?

Kieran: I think our sound draws from the American songwriting tradition. We grew up listening to Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, June Carter Cash, and the Carter Family.

Then there was Lynyrd Skynyrd and all the Southern rock stuff that was huge in Virginia;  definitely the Allman Brothers too. R.E.M. and Tom Petty are big influences for me, both songwriting-wise and as a sound..

Then you get into Randy Travis and that era of ’90s country, before country became heavily pop-oriented. I love modern country too, but we lean a little more traditional. It’s not classic country exactly, because we’re louder and more guitar-driven.

Our lead guitarist doesn’t play traditional Nashville-style leads either — he brings something different to it. So while we pull from roots country, it doesn’t sound exactly like a traditional roots country band.

Dermot: Since we’re such a vocal-forward band, we’d definitely point to the Everly Brothers as a huge influence because of the way their voices blended so naturally.

Vocally, we also pull from people like Frank Sinatra as a crooner, Bruce Springsteen as an arena singer, and Tom Waits because we both have deeper, bass-heavy voices. We’re kind of a smaller, hand-sized version of those styles.

Kieran: And we have to include the women too; Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt were huge influences growing up, especially during Linda’s country phase. That’s a really important sound for me.

Jonah: Are there any current artists or bands you’ve been listening to a lot lately?

Kieran: No, I don’t listen to music. I’m kidding. Here’s what happens, Jonah: both of us have kids in their 20s now. Dermot has younger kids too, but when your kids are in middle school and high school, you know everything that’s happening in music because you’re in the car listening to it with them all the time.

You’re completely up to date every week. Then they grow up and move away, and suddenly you realize you’re still stuck in 2012. You end up drifting back to your old favorites.

Dermot: As far as current country singers go, of course Chris Stapleton is incredible. There are a few others too. Lyle Lovett actually followed us on Instagram, which was pretty exciting.

And Dwight Yoakam; that whole era of ’90s country was huge for us. Kieran and I drove across the country twice listening to Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. nonstop. We absolutely wore out that cassette tape.

Then, two years later, we upgraded to CDs. Big technology leap.

Kieran: There was definitely some Slim Whitman on those trips too, I remember.

Dermot: Right, and that’s actually a vocal influence you can hear on “Bastard Out of Carolina,” one of the singles we already have out. We’ve also got four more songs coming soon.

Jonah: Oh, so more music is on the way?

Kieran: Yeah, we’re finishing the final mixes this week, so hopefully those songs will be out in the next couple of weeks.

Kieran: Unfortunately we’re going to have to wrap up but come on out to the show, we’d love to see as many folks as we can the bigger the better it’s a fun show, it’s loud, it’s foot stompin’

Dermot: It’s close and personal, come on out and hang out.