The Bunny Gang Welcomes New Members, New Album

Tim Wenger | October 1, 2014

by Tim Wenger

Nathen Maxwell’s group The Bunny Gang dropped their new album Thrive at midnight on September 23 at Beauty Bar in Denver, with a party hosted by Denver Vintage Reggae Society. In CMB’s August 2014 issue, we called the album “ the best album we’ve heard this year, and high on our list for best record out of Colorado, ever.” Not bad, considering Maxwell is best known as the bassist for Los Angeles-based Celtic punk rock band Flogging Molly. Having a gig like he does with Flogging Molly often puts a damper on what The Bunny Gang is able to do, but Maxwell hopes that now that this record is out this project will have the ability to gain more local steam. “First and foremost, we want to start playing Denver.

“I’m just so excited to get it out there so people can listen to it,” Maxwell says. “That’s a big part of it.

“We’ve reformed so that it is all Denver-based musicians,” Maxwell says. “They’re all part of the Denver music scene. They all have been, and are in, other Denver bands. Original guitarist Nat Lort Nelson remains in the group, and Maxwell has brought in Joshua Taylor formerly of The Photo Atlas on drums, Levi Smith of Lama Live on keyboards and Synthetic Element’s Kyle Hernandez to play bass.

Hernandez, a long-time friend of Maxwell’s, recently joined the group following the recording of the new album. “Nate hit me up several months ago,” says Hernandez. “They’ve been rearranging because people are growing different directions. Some guys had to move along, so he asked me if I would do it. I’m stoked.”

“It’s an incredible album,” says Hernandez. “I’ve dedicated my full focus on The Bunny Gang, knowing that it’s going to be going forward and touring. I’m 100% focused. (Nate) is a brilliant mind, and the feeling is great.”

As far as Flogging Molly’s often hectic tour schedule and Maxwell’s vision for The Bunny Gang, “They just co-exist,” he says. “That’s the way it’s got to be, hopefully forever. That’s kind of the message of The Bunny Gang- co-exist.”

The other guys in the band, because of their experience, aren’t holding any hard feelings about Mawell’s often unpredictable work schedule with Flogging Molly. “We all understand where Nate comes from,” says Hernandez. “This summer, Nate was over in Europe, and we were going forward and learning the stuff so we could be ready for him.”

Lyrically, along with co-existence, the album speaks much about peaceful revolution (check out the songs “Sirens Through The City” and the title track “Thrive”) and basic human rights. Maxwell is not afraid to talk social issues and politics. “I’m singing about my perspective and how I see the world, and my place in it,” he says. “And all of our place in it. Since we’ve been adults, it’s been a constant state of, America’s at war. That’s a big concern, and a theme of my thinking, and that comes out in the music. It’s unfortunate.”

He wants listeners to know, however, that his music is not intending to preach. The music is art, and is up for interpretation. “I don’t think there’s really much right versus wrong in the music,” says Maxwell. “It’s just perspective. The best I can with putting music together that I like. The music that I like always spoke to me in a certain way, and I just felt intrigued to write this kind of music right now. It’s just for people to have a deeper conversation and to be careful when they polarize themselves. Communicate beyond MSNBC and Fox News.”

“It’s relaxing in some ways because it’s just enjoyably to play the music,” says Maxwell. “Music is about communication, in different ways. Sometimes, I prefer to just dance.” The group hopes to continue lining up gigs around Denver- stay posted at thebunnygang.com.