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The Black Rabbits: Orlando's Future
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Jetson Black, the lead singer of "The Black Rabbits"
The day started off with me getting absolutely no sleep. It’s the curse of a writer’s life I guess. But I didn’t mind, because the night before I spent the lonely hours preparing for my interview with
Like most music lovers, I have been depressed by most of the music being released. Today’s music seems to lack everything: good production, substance, and that simple yet hard to pinpoint ‘thing’ that should be top priority over all, talent. I miss the days of strong content, the days of songs like Tom Petty’s “The Waiting,” the Pumpkins “Tonight, Tonight,” or the Wu-Tang Clan’s “Victory.” But as I meditate on past music that defined my childhood, I wondered if I was being like Elvis’ parents who said that Rock and Roll wasn’t music, or my parents that said the same thing about Grunge and Hip-Hop. Was my musical taste lingering on past greatness and subsequently not evolving with the times?
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Bassist; Guitarist; Percussionist of The Black Rabbits
Maybe, but my bleak opinion of today’s music was shown a glimmer of hope. The Black Rabbits, a folk rock group based out of Orlando with members Jetson Black, (Guitar and Vocals) Skyler Black, (Percussion) and Reah Smith (Bass and Backing Vocals) accompany classic chord progression with sensitive lyrics. Their focus, worldly and acute, quietly transcends industry standards and says with a poetic vibe, “I have a conscience, and I’m going to use it.”
I sat down with them on Saturday afternoon. The setting: a coffee shop on the U.C.F campus. It was game day. The Golden Knight football team was playing the Mustangs of Southern Methodist University. The atmosphere: electric and vivacious. The Black Rabbits had just finished playing outside the stadium. We sat down, and I got to know them.
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Skyler Black (Drums) Reah Smith (Bass) Jetson Black (Lead)
The Black Rabbits: Jetson and I started the band when we were sixteen and fifteen. We’re 21 and 22 now. (Skyler)
OME: Obviously, you two are brothers. But how did The Black Rabbits meet?
TBR: Technically, at a coffee shop. We’ve been with Reah for a year now. (Skyler)
OME: Reah, how long have you been playing bass?
TBR: A little over a year. (Reah)
OME: What music inspires you the most?
TBR: Music of the 60’s & 70’s. Our father always was playing music like The Turtles, The Beatles, Neil Diamond, Dylan. (Skyler & Jetson)
OME: Reah, you seem to fit in perfectly with Jetson and Skylar’s retro culture. You say on your personal Myspace page that your favorite movies are the ones of old. Why?
TBR: I don’t know. I just like to watch them. They’re amazing. Jimmy Stewart, Katherine Hepburn…they’re my favorite. (Reah)
OME: As far as the writing process, do you all share equal parts? Or does one of you take the lead?
TBR: Jetson takes the lead in writing the lyrics and melodies, but we all share in arranging and electrifying the songs. (Skyler)
OME: Jetson, your lyrics are very insightful. Where do they come from?
TBR: I don’t know. Everything I come into contact with gives me ideas for songs. (Jetson)
OME: On your solo project, you have a song called, “A Painter, A Poet, A Prophet, A Priest.” One of the lyrics says, “I see but I don’t want to see/I know but I don’t want to know.” What does that mean?
TBR: The song was inspired by my favorite poet, James Kavanaugh. It basically means that I see everything going on in the world, but I don’t want it to be that way. I want it to be a better place. (Jetson)
As Jetson told me this, I sat back and started to notice their chemistry together. My generation, seemingly to me, is full of opinionated kids that have no idea what they mean or how they feel. The Black Rabbits don’t fit that mold. In my short time with them, their inquisitive demeanor seemed to soak in the world’s qualms and simply acknowledge its presence.
OME: Skylar, you keep the bands rhythm together. What keeps the band together…personality wise?
TBR: Well, I’ve always said we are exact opposites, yet we are so much the same. We all want our music to be good, and with that same goal, it drives us to achieve it. (Skyler)
OME: Reah, what made you turn to this direction? I mean, you are 16, but you obviously are taking on a path to connect with people on a deeper level.
TBR: I think that you can’t wake up and say, “I’m going to be different,” you just are. And that’s just us. (Reah)
They went on to tell me about their plans to record a full length album. They told me that they are just waiting for the right producer to come and make their songs perfect.
As I’m writing this article, I am listening to their music. And as I listen to the lyrics, I feel hopeful…hopeful that more bands of my generation will take heed of The Black Rabbits and become an original representation of what we can look back on and say proudly, “That’s the music from my generation.”
On October 18th, they are playing at the BackBooth concert venue in downtown
Check out "The Black Rabbits" Music!!!
Also Check out Jetson Black's Solo Project!!!
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