Michael Weatherburn: main songwriter/vocals/guitar
Chris Rant: guitar
Alice Watanabe: bass/backing vocals
Sally Pelling: drums

Born of the idea that being different is a thing to be proud of, the 2 girl/2 boy Half Rabbits play literate music with honesty, passion and substance. Having been likened to the bleak, dark pop of Smashing Pumpkins, Pixies and Joy Division, and the intelligent art-rock of Muse and Shellac, the band’s musical scope is wider than that of many of their contemporaries. It is not unusual for people to remark that ’there just isn’t another band in the UK that sounds like The Half Rabbits’.

Songwriter Michael says that ’what interests me is how people often pay attention to the small, transient things in life, without noticing profound changes taking place around them. Final Days is about this feeling of detachment. The songs may sound dark or perhaps even a little sinister sometimes, but it’s what we do best.’

Gigging has earned The Half Rabbits a reputation as a fierce and commanding live act. Recent highlights include two blinding sets at Truck Festival and a sold out headline show at the Oxford Zodiac: no mean feat for an unsigned band. The Half Rabbits have gigged with more bands than you can think of, including Editors, We Are Scientists, The Enemy, The Young Knives, The Paddingtons, Tapes n Tapes, The Duke Spirit, The Cribs, Glasvegas, Shout Out Louds, Cazals, House of Love, The Stands, Fell City Girl, 10,000 Things, Komakino and Eastern Lane.

The Half Rabbits’ debut release ’Disclaimer’ was on Quickfix, also home of Youthmovies’ first release. The band recently featured on Exercise 1 Record’s compilation, ’50 minutes’, which received rave reviews and Radio 1 airplay. The Half Rabbits also feature on Jetplane Landing’s legendary Smalltown America compilations both 4 and 6. The band’s 2006 release, ’Tiny Knives for Tiny Minds’ saw the band’s profile increase further and, the exciting 2007 follow-up, ’The Final Days Of Rome’ received airplay on Phill Jupitus’ show on BBC 6 Music. 2007 was topped off with a split CD and sold-out gig with fellow Oxford band, The Winchell Riots.

2008 has been an exciting year so far, with interviews and live footage of the band screened on MTV2 and TMF throughout spring. Tom Robinson personally selected the band for inclusion on one of his famous BBC6 podcasts. The song 'Man Down' will feature on Smalltown America's Public Service Broadcast #10. The band will be recording their debut album over the course of the summer, scheduled for release in November with a headline gig at the Zodiac stage of the Carling Academy in Oxford. Watch this space for more details.