White Rabbit Tales

When we finally got around to checking out the White Rabbits recently in New York, we were pleasantly reminded what a well-rehearsed band sounds and looks like. Regardless of the possibility they were exhausted after months on the road in support of their fetching debut full-length "Fort Nightly" (Say Hey), the six-piece was dance-happy, energetic and 100% on-cue. (You can hear the record in its entirety through their site.) They played much of the album and even debuted a pair of new songs, "Take a Walk Around the Table" and "Cotillion Blues," both jangly from pianist/vocalist Steve Patterson's caberet-style melody lines.

The band is about to take off on a short stint with rock troupe the Walkmen in the middle of this month (check out the MySpace page for detes) and, according to a spokesperson, the new songs will have a home on a new limited 7" forthcoming within the next month or so. We decided to catch up with Patterson and guitarist/vocalist Greg Roberts to spill about attaining a tight sound.

How did you initially form?

Patterson: We started as a five piece, for a while at least, and most of us met in or around Columbia, Mo. [home of the University of Missouri]. We all decided to move to New York together in 2005, in the same apartment and everything. We kinda fell in sync with the music stuff then -- it's hard to avoid being that tight when you live together. We lived in a loft and ate, slept and fought together in the same space.

Roberts: But we're all grown up now, we even have our own places...

It's rare to find a band that has two drummers and kits that don't overwhelm the arrangements.

Roberts: We didn't set out to have two kits, it just felt like a natural progression. We're really interested in layering our music and having specific parts. Making the record, we just wanted to sound bigger and bigger. To sound the biggest it was like, "Of course we're going to have two kits."

Is rehearsing a big deal to you?

Patterson: We prepared a lot for recording and we've toured healthily since June. When we first got together it was a priority, but now we've been playing the songs a while.  We're striving to have a lot of material, maybe one record a year. This is our job, so we we have to act like it.

Is that why you guys dress so dapper?

Patterson: Of course! We have to look nice to go to work.