Today we’d like to introduce you to King Bunny.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Richard: We started post COVID lock-down as a group of musicians jamming in Pete’s living room. From there we quickly started writing originals. We had members come and go, and so we decided to take a break and to figure out what we wanted to do. It ended up being more than just a break, I honestly thought it was going to be the end. But life has a weird way of showing you what you should be doing sometimes. I was driving into work, and was in a pretty bad car accident, completely totaled my car. Thankfully I walked away with only a broken collar bone and some gnarly bruises. I remember sitting in the hospital as the shock was wearing off and thinking about how easily I could have died. All I wanted in that moment was to play music with my friends again. It took several months to be able to hold a guitar again without sitting down but we jumped right back in like no time had passed.
We started playing together out at open mics as an acoustic trio. Our first time playing on stage together was an open mic at Kick Butt Coffee. We had to fill out the sign up sheet and realized we had never actually created a band name. Our singer, at the time, went by Bunny, and my stage name was King Richard. So, in that moment I mashed the two together, and we became King Bunny. From there we began getting noticed at The Water Tank, Anderson Mill Pub, Opa!, and The Buzz Mill. It began setting in, we knew we had something special, and we wanted to grow past just the trio.
Tommy: Anderson Mill is where I started to catch the itch for joining the band. Pete and I had been playing in a cover band for a year or two already, and he suggested that I come listen to them at the open mic to see if I’d be interested in adding drums to the mix. I very much was, but was in an horrendous relationship, at the time, and was virtually prisoner in my own apartment so a second band was out of the question. That came to a fortunate end on a trip back home, and with the prospect of coming back to Texas, alone, fresh in my mind, I texted Richard on the drive and basically begged for an audition. Luckily, him and Pete were still into the idea.
Richard: I was more than into it, I was ecstatic. We auditioned several drummers but none of them clicked like he did.
Naomi: Shortly after Richard reached out to me via Facebook to audition as their bassist. I was currently in several projects so I was on the fence about adding another. It wasn’t until I listened to the demos that I decided this was a project worthwhile. It was the song Marshmallow Sheets that really stuck out to me. I wrote the bass line knowing that this -me- was what was missing from the band. I walked into that audition feeling like this was where I belonged, and I think that night they knew it too. It was kismet.
Pete: *Nods in approval*
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Richard: Bunny, Unfortunately, had to step away from the band due to a situation at home. It was a daunting moment for me, losing that huge part of what this band had become. She was always so much fun to write and sing with. But we had to keep moving forward. So, I asked Naomi, after getting the news, if she would be interested in taking over Bunny’s parts. She didn’t miss a beat, and jumped in right away. We reworked a lot of our songs to best fit our slight style shift. She is an absolute powerhouse, and I’m so happy she said yes!
Naomi: By the time Richard asked me, I had already been filling in for vocals while our singer was out so it just felt natural to step in. The biggest challenge was, in a way, relearning all the songs. Playing bass by itself was one thing but singing too was another. We virtually had to start over. I would do it all again however, the journey that it catapulted us into only brought us closer and made us stronger as a band and it definitely shows in our live performances. There’s just a certain electricity that pulses when we play. I feel like I am personally reaching new heights playing with these guys and together we will only keep growing.
Pete: *Nods in approval*
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Richard: I have bounced around a lot. When I first moved to Austin, I had just dropped out of college to pursue music. I got a job as a courier delivering to all the hospitals in Austin, I’ll spare you the rather unpleasant details. From there I had a comic book shop I ran with some friends on the east side for a few years. Now, I am thriving with Illuminidol, making/designing celebrity prayer candles, and traveling the country vending at comic cons. Its been a wild ride to say the least.
Pete: I’m a Visual Designer.
Naomi: Currently I am a music instructor. I teach at a performance based school here in Austin that specializes in putting kids in a band setting and getting them ready for live shows. I am most proud of my kids and watching them go from beginners into seasoned musicians. It’s definitely one of the most rewarding jobs I’ve had in my life.
Tommy: I went to school to be an HVAC mechanic, but currently, I am a pump mechanic for a drone window washing company….I don’t get it either. Technically, I’ve been a “professional” drummer for a decade now, but only cause I’ve made enough to pay for my bar tab sometimes.
Pete: *Nods in approval*
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
Richard: So many of my favorite memories are centered around my family, especially my Grandpa, or Pa, as he’s affectionately known. He’s an absolute trickster, and the greatest storyteller to ever live. I hung on his every word, still do, I would even copy his mannerisms. I always wanted to impress him, I wanted to be him.
I grew up in a strict Christian home, so the music I had access to, at the time, was limited. Until, I found Elvis Presley. His voice permeated my soul, and put a fire inside me I couldn’t explain. Little did I know, my Pa, also felt that fire. He would tell me all these amazing stories of Elvis and show me his movies, and concerts. I was obsessed.
When I was in 8th grade I really began falling in love with choir, and we were working on the music for our upcoming show. The theme was Jukebox Classics, and there was a solo, Jailhouse Rock. I never made myself known in choir, I loved it, however, I suffered horrible stage fright. But this, I had to do this. I needed it. The audition was simple, stand in front of the upright piano, with the entire class to your back, and sing the song. So, I lined up with the other boys, and one after the other, we all sang the song, until it was my turn. I was terrified, shaking almost uncontrollably, but as soon as the music hit me, it melted away. I sang my heart out, and then, silence, not a single word. I thought “Well this is it, I blew it!” And then my teacher looked at me from across the piano and said words that changed my life “Where on earth has that voice been?” I thought I was in trouble, until she said in a loud excited voice “That’s it, We have our Elvis!” I got home all I wanted to do was call my Pa, and tell him the news. I can still hear the slight crack in his voice from his excited laugh. He always has this laugh that kicks in when he’s really excited. Thank you, Pa, for being apart of my journey to find my soul.
Pete: I lived in Basel, Switzerland, and collected European beer cans.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kingbunnyatx?igsh=MWkxemFtZGprNndqZQ==
- Youtube: https://youtu.be/KGv-WbNEsow?si=YY6c84gChqBg-Zer
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@kingbunnyatx?_t=ZP-8vM1HXyfaxi&_r=1
Image Credits
Kia Aird @primecontrast (Instgram)
