We spoke to the London-via-Suffolk newcomers ahead of their set at our Great Escape showcase.
Photos: Elinor Haskew | Words: Lloyd Bolton
Though they haven't got any music out so far, Rabbitfoot are picking up a great many fans by word-of-mouth, particularly through their breathtaking live performances, which to date have predominantly taken place at the Windmill. We hosted the band at The Great Escape as part of our showcase, and the band electrified with their unconventional arrangements and instrumentation and, perhaps most definingly, the sheer joy they emit throughout their performance. While it's a little too soon for the band promise when we might be able to hear any recorded material, we got a chance to sit down with the London-via-Suffolk-via-Italy five-piece for a bit of an introduction.
So how did the band meet?
Liv (Synth): The band met in two situations. The four of us who are English met in Suffolk doing music as kids… and then we acquired our European correspondent [gestures to guitarist Paulo] because we met at uni… we went to Trinity Laban.
Paulo: What I like to say is I got adopted by the Suffolk crew.
Liv: He loves Ipswich, we love Ipswich don't we? Luke [the drummer] is from Ipswich.
Laura (Violin): He doesn't like to say that.
Liv: But our spiritual home in Suffolk is Aldeburgh, by the beach! [Check name!]
Paulo: You know how some people have in their Instagram bio like London/the place they're from? We are like a Suffolk/Italy band.
Can you describe the ideal setting to listen to your music?
Luke: The windmill!
River (Lead vocalist): In the bath!
Laura: We have a song that we're really excited to play on the beach, because we specifically imagined it being heard on the beach in the evening.
Liv: By water is the common thing, right?
Laura: Maybe that's a general life thing as well…
What is the biggest animal you reckon you could beat in a fight?
Luke: This is so us!
Paulo: I'm gonna go two options, first one is a bear, like a grizzly. And the second one is a horse.
What's the strategy with a horse?!?
Paulo: To be fair there's no strategy, it's kind of all improvised.
Liv: It's all in the arms with horses.
Laura: I think a rat would be the most ferocious opponent [I could take]… I could understand how a rat brain works, a bit.
I would like to say, I don't think it's about fighting with animals for us. We would all be much more likely to lie on the floor and wait for it to not be a threat anymore… or make pspspsps noises at it.
If you could make one food illegal, what would you choose?
River: Um, meat and dairy products, fuck the animal abuse industry!
Liv: Fois gras, fois gras is crazy! I can't believe what the French are allowed to get away with.
Paulo: Any version of carbonara that is not Italian.
Luke: I like all food. I would say, I think bad smelling fish should only be allowed to be consumed outdoors.
What is the best way to arrive on stage?
Laura: Play 'BRAT' in the background!
Liv: I do feel that having a Charli XCX song as a walk on is the most ideal way to do it.
Laura: Instant confidence boost.
Liv: But the best way to arrive to the venue would be Vespas.
Laura: Or horseback!
What's your favourite thing to do at the seaside?
Laura: Swim.
Liv: I do not swim in the sea, it is too cold – but I do like to sit on the beach and have a nice lie down.
Luke: Eat chips, walk along the beach, and stare into the horizon longingly.
River: Kiss someone!
If you could erase one mode of transport, which one would you get rid of?
River: Liv has an objectively calculated answer for this…
Liv: [Gets out Notes app] Shoutout to my friends, we created this transport index together. We ranked eighteen methods of transport across the categories of Speed, Affordability, Sustainability, Accessibility, Comfortability, Cool Factor, Atmosphere and Activity Potential. They are not equally weighted and it's a score out of 57 overall… I love this index.
Basically if we're eliminating one, the one that comes out worst is submarine. Submarine only scores 21…
Laura: What's the worst one that we'd actually use?
Liv: Running – running sucks! But walking comes in really strong, walking is tied for third. Joint first, cycling and train. Both fantastic modes of transport. It's something I've put a lot of thought into.
If you could have an extra limb, what would you choose and where would you put it?
Laura: Octopus sucker, belly button. Like an octopus arm. Makes sense.
Luke: I'm currently innovating a method of carrying around cymbals, where you put a soft cymbal case with two shoulder straps onto a trolley… and it's basically perfect, the only problem with it is going up stairs because you have to hold the trolley and the case. So I would get an extra arm underneath my right arm so that those two can both carry the trolley. It also means I could smoke while playing the drums.
Paulo: I think for me it would just be a couple of extra fingers. Like to play guitar, I could play some crazy shapes.
River: I'd have a monkey tail, climbing trees, picking fruits and nuts…
Would you rather be 9ft or 1ft tall?
Luke: 1ft definitely. If you were 9ft, imagine how much time you'd have to be crouched over, you'd have back pains.
River: But what about playing drums?
Luke: You could have a really small drum kit.
Paulo: I think I would pick 9ft just for having a really nice view all the time.
Liv: I think if you were lying down in grass and you were 1ft tall I reckon that would be amazing.
Laura: I think it would bring me a lot of perspective being 1ft tall.
Yay or nay?
Laura: Yay! Completely seriously, yay.
Paulo: Always yay.
What is coming out next from Rabbitfoot?
River: For now you've gotta come to our gigs, but something smells good and it's in the air.
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