The members of Houston rock trio, JunkBunny – Mac Johnson (lead vocals & guitar, 18), Cayden Diebold (vocals & bass, 17) and Jake Douglas (drums, 17) – have been playing music practically since they were born, and just last month, they released their major label debut long before any other them can legally buy booze. With songwriting well ahead of their years and a desire to write music that means something to them, the members of JunkBunny might be young, but they’re certainly on the right track.
JunkBunny’s debut EP, Junk Rock, released just last month, is the product of hard work, determination and a passion for their craft. Produced by Howard Benson (My Chemical Romance, P.O.D.), the EP is filled to the brim with diverse songwriting and lyrically, four songs that listeners are sure to connect with. With their sights set on 2020 and goals to tour within the new year, it’s safe to say that Junk Rock is just a starting point for JunkBunny, and there’s no saying what they’ll do next.
We recently caught up with the band to talk about their debut EP and plans for the future – read the full interview and listen to Junk Rock now below.
Can you tell us a little bit about JunkBunny for anyone who might be hearing you for the first time?
We are a rock band from Houston, Texas, made up of three strapping young men who like to play live and have fun.
You guys have known each other or have been playing music together in some capacity since you were kids. How do you feel that has affected this project today?
We would say that we’re all pretty tight whether it comes to playing live shows or writing new music. The years of experience we have together allowed us to be pretty much all on the same wavelength as one another.
Were there any specific bands or musicians that influenced you guys when you were younger?
We find ourselves being attracted to a lot of alternative and grunge rock from the 90’s/early 2000’s. Bands like Alice in Chains and Foo Fighters are huge inspirations.
When you first started writing music as JunkBunny, did you have anything you really wanted to accomplish or any sounds you wanted to chase?
Not really, we basically just played whatever came to mind and sung about whatever was on our minds. As you could probably guess, a lot of the early stuff wasn’t so great, but as we evolved we got a better understanding of what we wanted to sound like.
You guys just released your debut EP, Junk Rock last month! Now that it’s out and you’ve had the time to reflect on it a little bit, what are some of your favorite things about the EP?
One thing we love about the EP is that is a good representation of what we’re all about, and each song has its own characteristics and identity that mean different things to us.
As your debut EP, Junk Rock will likely be the first music that many people hear from JunkBunny. What would you like for new listeners to take away from it?
Some of the things we had in mind while making these songs was problems people deal with everyday, like having issues with confidence in yourself or having a fear of being alone, so we hope people can identify with the songs.
What was the most exciting or rewarding part of working on the EP?
Working with such an awesome guy like Howard Benson was a super rewarding experience, and also getting to hear the songs as professionally recorded tracks is really cool.
How do you feel you guys have grown with the writing and recording of the EP?
We’ve had some of these songs for a really long time, so getting to finally record them and put them out feels like we’re almost growing up and starting to work towards something seriously huge.
With Junk Rock out now, do you have any other big plans for the rest of 2019 and beginning of the new year?
We hope to play some more shows throughout the rest of the year, and hopefully hit the road on a tour early next year.
Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with us! Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Just go check out the EP and our music video for “Sedona,” and if you like it make sure to keep up with us! Cool stuff is coming!
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