Francesco Amoroso per TRISTE©

1000 Rabbits is a London-based art-pop/indie rock band originally from Aldeburgh, Suffolk. The band consists of River (vocals), Laura (violin), Liv (synthesizer), Luke (drums), and Paolo (guitar). They released their debut EP, Are We Friends Yet?, on the Young label.
It is a lively, vibrant record that preserves the urgency of the live dimension from which it emerged. Six taut, electrifying tracks distill two years of growth, shaped in rehearsal rooms and on stage. Drawing close to the path forged by the reinvented Black Country, New Road, 1000 Rabbits blend restless minimalism with abrasive violin and sudden melodic surges, moving between folk, art pop and post-punk tension with remarkable naturalness. The songs retain a collective, intricate character without sacrificing immediacy, while showcasing River’s fragile, heartfelt voice, leading to the closing question that gives the album its title: an effective summation of an identity still taking shape, yet already unmistakably its own.

Are We Friends Yet? track-by-track (by Paolo)*

White Horse

A gallery of twisted images (just like the lyrics suggest). A limbo between two dreamlike realities, one internal and one external. It’s one of the songs that has benefited the most from being played live, evolving over time with the addition of UK garage-inspired drum sections.
(Una galleria di immagini contorte (come si sente nelle lyrics). Un oblio tra due realtà di sogno, interna ed esterna. È una delle canzoni che più ha vantaggiato dei live per come si è evoluta, aggiungendo up di UK garage nei drums.)

Virgin Soil

The first song we ever wrote together as a band. Here too, as with most of our songs, there’s always some kind of contrast, whether it’s through images or emotions. In this case it’s the contrast between the natural world of the soil and the playful nature of the lyrics, alongside the synthetic electronic sounds of the violin and the Moog, which seem to have a conversation about hypersexuality and virginity.

(Il primo pezzo che abbiamo scritto assieme come band. Anche qua (come si nota nella maggior parte dei nostri pezzi) c’è sempre un qualche tipo di contrasto, che sia immagini o emozioni. In questo caso il contrasto tra il terreno (Soil) naturale e la giocosità dei versi e l’elettronica sintetica del violino e del moog che conversano di hypersexuality e verginità.)

Bear Hunt

Intimacy, closeness, innocence, vulnerability, and something shimmering.

(Intimità, vicinanza, innocenza, vulnerabilità e luccicante.)

Cinema Aisle

Donna Lee is an imaginary, mysterious woman whose presence has a magnetic quality. She feels completely free, never worrying about what other people think of her, and somehow manages to capture and preserve that feeling of ecstasy.

(Donna Lee, una donna immaginaria e misteriosa che alla sua presenza catalizza. Si sente libera e non si preoccupa di ciò che la gente pensa di lei, e riesce ad immortalare questa estasi.) 

Rubik’s Cube

In terms of structure, it’s the opposite of Virgin Soil: tension throughout the verses and release in the chorus. The reason the song is called Rubik’s Cube is mainly because of the guitar part, which is in constant motion without ever fully resolving. It’s a bit like a Rubik’s Cube itself — the colour patterns keep shifting and changing while the overall shape always stays the same.

(L’opposto di Virgin Soil riguardo la struttura del pezzo, tensione nei versi e rilascio nei ritornello della canzone. La ragione per cui il pezzo ha preso il nome Rubik’s Cube è perché sopratutto nella parte della chitarra c’è sempre un movimento constante che non si risolve mai, più o meno come il cubo di Rubik, i patterns di colori in movimento cambiano pur restando nella stessa forma e figura.)

Spring Cleaning

The closing track of the EP, while also feeling like a new beginning. Spring cleaning means exactly that: it’s like being in the middle of moving house and coming across old newspaper clippings you kept for some forgotten reason years ago, or souvenirs from a holiday after finishing school that never really found a place on your bedroom shelf.
Are We Friends Yet?, for River, our frontman, is a very special moment. Spring Cleaning isn’t just the final track on the record; it’s also the song we usually end our live shows with. During it, River asks the audience, Are we friends yet? It’s a question that reveals a sense of fragility and awkwardness, almost a kind of desperation in asking something so personal to a crowd that’s simply there to watch a show. It became such an important moment for us that it ended up giving our EP its title.

(Il pezzo finale del EP, contemporaneamente un nuovo inizio. Spring Cleaning vuol dire proprio quello, come quando sei nel mezzo di un trasloco e ritrovi degli articoli di giornale ritagliati per qualche motivo anni prima o dei souvenir presi in in vacanza dopo la maturità che non hanno mai trovato un posto sul ripiano in camera. Are we friends yet?,  per River, il nostro frontman, è un momento speciale. Spring Cleaning oltre ad essere l’ultimo pezzo del disco è anche il pezzo con cui di solito terminiamo i nostri concerti. River chiede al pubblico, “Are we friends yet?” Siamo amici adesso? È una domanda che dimostra fragilità e imbarazzo, quasi disperato nel chiedere una cosa del genere ad un pubblico che è lì solo per quello. Un momento così importante che ha definito il nome del nostro Ep.

*(The original Italian text was written by Paolo, the English translation is by TRISTE©!)

Are We Friends Yet? is out now via YOUNG. Look HERE for more information on 1000 Rabbits.