Kendra & The Bunnies are LA's newest music rage and we are loving the ENERGY! Lead singer and songwriter, Kendra Muecke shared a little more insight into what brought this musical project to life and where it's headed now!
What was the last concert you attended that wasn't your own?
Experiencing live music is truly something that moves my soul. The sense of community that arises through shared moments of concert creates understanding amongst us. I really dig that. This family-feeling of a grooving atmosphere is relevant to the Dead & Company concerts I attended at the Hollywood Bowl in June. I enjoy the melodic, bluesy direction that the band is truckin’ towards. It calls for swaying in the breeze and waving a flag of open hearts.
Who are your top 3 new/ modern bands?
Animal Collective is a favorite of mine. They are very influential to my way of hearing music through their usage of experimental transitions in pitch. The song “Chores” into “For Reverend Green” on the album, “Strawberry Jam”, always gets me thinking between the creative lines. I have also met them a couple times, good people. For sonic variation and life-changing live performances, I rely on Phish. The amount of range they provide in their layered jams and “conducive to saying ‘what?’ lyrics” is a spectacle to be seen and heard. I love those boys and travel often to see them. Thirdly, there is Z-Ro, a Houston rapper who came up in the game working closely with DJ Screw. His soulful slap-back way of describing pain is relatable. For days where I feel torrential emotional rain, I pop in my grey cassette, turn up the deck, and listen to his album, “Look at What You Did to Me”. FYI, that album is certainly explicit.
Any dream venues you have yet to play?
For sure! Dreaming big is part of who I am. I envision myself playing magical venues such as Red Rocks Ampitheatre in Colorado, the Hollywood Bowl in LA, The Fillmore and Terrapin Crossroads in San Fran, and big festivals like Arise Music Festival, Bonnaroo, and Lockn’. I also look forward to creating music-centered events that give back to our community and raise awareness on important matters, such as water preservation and indigenous people’s rights.
What is the best part of being a songwriter?
For me, the best part of songwriting is giving poetry a well-rounded life through music. I love transcribing energy into text that becomes sound and then song. There is something about the vocal cadence of certain words placed adjacent to one another that really clicks. It’s like some words are just excited to pieces upon meeting each other. To get what I mean, try saying aloud this phrase from my song “Whoooo Are You?”, which will be on my next album, “of Thank You”. The lyrics read, “Yonder I call from bones that fall, from the rotund conjunction, from the human walking tall”. Those words house so well together. The sounds get up and walk hand-in-hand.
Tell us about your latest video! Where was it filmed?
My latest music video is for the song, “World Peace a Thing”, from my debut album, “of Vinyl”, by Kendra & the Bunnies. It is a chant singing for better days. It reminds that there is a place for peace within each and everyone of us. I believe it begins in our hearts. It then expands to our minds, our thoughts, and our actions. This song brings attention to the day-to-day ridiculousness of common societal struggles. After all, our neighborhoods and families are ultimately structured just like those in other countries. For the video, I placed myself in nature. When it comes to my mission, I draw energetically from the Native American prophecy of the White Buffalo Calf Woman. It is said upon her returning, world peace will brought into this reality. So, I dance for the shaking up of stagnant energy, allowing space for this healing to manifest. I filmed it in the canyon hills behind Hollywood in the valley. I bring my guitar and hula hoops up there often.
What is the greatest part about living in Los Angeles?
There are several things I love about LA. First, the historical facet of ‘old Hollywood’. I have a nostalgic frame of mind on a lot of things. Driving around town, I feel there is so much conceptual history that has been produced here in films. Doubling on that nostalgia is the Sunset Strip where a lot of rock ’n rollers used in hang in the 1970s. I like to go there and soak up that culture. Southern California is beautiful too. In places like Malibu, you can be on top of a mountain that overlooks the ocean. It is powerful.
Any Vinyl plans for your new music?
Yeah! I was recently invited in for a live session at Leesta Vall Sound Recordings in Brooklyn, NY. It is a record label that specializes in cutting tracks directly to vinyl. Basically, I will go in and lay down some songs to be recorded straight onto a 7” lathe cut record. This process makes each track completely unique. It is a snapshot of my sound at the time made specifically with one listener in mind. To pre-order for my October live session, you can visit Leesta Vall’s website here, https://leestavall.com/collections/preorders/products/kendraandthebunnies
Where can our readers follow, share and buy your latest releases?
My debut album, “of Vinyl”, as well as the two books I have written are available for purchase here:
Kendra & the Bunnies’ music is available for listening on all streaming platforms.
You can find links to each platform here: https://songwhip.com/artist/kendra-and-the-bunnies
If you want to get to know more about me & stay in touch with my upcoming albums, books, & other projects,
I recommend following me on Instagram. I am @Kenbunny. Also, My website has all relevant information, show dates, offerings, and more about me too: https://kendraelisabethmuecke.com
To watch the “World Peace a Thing” music video and other performances of mine, you can visit my youtube channel here: http://youtube.com/user/thepoliticsofkendra