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The Black Rabbits formed on a hot winters night in Orlando by brothers Jetson & Skyler Black. Little did they know at the time that what they were creating would take on the essence of that warm winter night. “Our music is a bit of an oxymoron,” says lead vocalist Jetson. “It’s loud yet soft, edgy yet pure, it has retro elements and modern ones, it’s both serious and playful at the same time.” Consisting of the two brothers along with bassist Yuki Tong and organist Kim Drake the group accompanies a mix of classic and alternative indie rock elements with influences such as The Who, The Pixies, The White Stripes, and The Doors.

In early 2010, still virtually unknown, the band released their first debut EP produced by Billy Chapin and Stan Lynch of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. The EP peaked at #96 on the CMJ TOP 200 and stayed around for over two months along side huge bands such as The Flaming Lips. As their EP climbed the college radio charts The Black Rabbits scrapped together what cash they could and toured the east coast. “It seemed like every show we played was accompanied by a huge thunder storm; like there was a black cloud following us the whole time,” remarks drummer Skyler Black. Still, that didn’t stop people from showing up and soon after the blogs and indie zines were buzzing. The Miami New Times writes, “There’s a feel-good, timeless bounce to the songs that should appeal to Boomer parents as much as twentysomethings in Converse.” OurStage writes, “Like a train that chugs along and suddenly threatens to go off the tracks, The Black Rabbits brooding, theatrical garage rock makes for an exciting ride.”

During this time The Black Rabbits garnered some mainstream attention that led them to being invited to play the Grammy Showcase during the Florida Music Fest, interviewed by MTV as an up and coming band, featured on Fox News,as well as being placed in television shows across the networks such as Keeping Up With The Kardashians and Bad Girls. The Black Rabbits recently signed with Rock Ridge Music and are currently gearing up to release their debut full-length album with producers Stan & Billy.

I recently had a chance to ask Jetson Black, the singer, what they have been listening to, and what they recommend: