Andy Walker has, in his own words, “been living the rock ‘n’ roll
lifestyle for 20 years or so”. But when his friends began to have
children, and he eventually had a sprog of his own, things changed
a bit. “My band would go on tour, and a lot of other bands would
stay with us in this big, hippie rock ‘n’ roll house just outside of
Byron Bay. And along with them came their kids.” This sparked an
idea in the stonemason-cum-musician: a denim jacket-clad, rock
music-playing rabbit named King Bunny, specifically.
King Bunny is the frontman for Bunny Racket, a band on a mission
to inspire and educate kids with a little vitamin rock. Think AC/DC
meetsThe Cat in the Hat– or a hard-rock alternative to The
Wiggles. Pairing up with Kyuss drummer Brant Bjork, Andy set
about creating the Bunny Racket world, which includes an album,
Rock ‘n’ Roll Animals; a tour schedule; and an upcoming web series
(which sees King Bunny roaming the Californian desert in an old
van, seeking “adventure, inspiration and collaboration”). Andy says
Bunny Racket is about encouraging musical creativity and passing
the joy of rock ‘n’ roll onto the next generation: “My friends and
I have a lot of kids around us, and this whole thing came about from
wanting to involve them in what we do. Being inclusive and sharing
something really fun with them, you know?”
Andy is passionate about rock ‘n’ roll and the life he’s lived
because of it. He’s deeply in love with music – a love that’spalpable whenever he speaks. “Rock ‘n’ roll is creation; freedom;
a DIY ethic; community and having a go – all the good things!”
he says. “It’s a real privilege to play a positive part in a kid’s
development; to fill their heads with something that’s done you
the world of good, and been a really fun thing.”
He certainly has had some fun since starting Bunny Racket.
The project has led him to work with musical heroes, including
Sam Cutler, former tour manager for The Rolling Stones and
Grateful Dead, and Robby Krieger, legendary guitarist for
The Doors. Andy can hardly believe it – he explains how his engineer
passed their music over to Krieger, who not only wanted to play on
the record, but offered the use of his recording studio in exchange
for Andy’s skills as a stonemason. “He asked, ‘How do you make
your living?’ and I said, ‘I play music and build stone walls. I’m a
stonemason.’ He said, ‘Well, I need some stonework done at my
house in Beverly Hills.’ So four of us went over and bunked at
Robby’s place and built a lot of stone walls, and he gave us the
keys to his studio, where we laid down tracks.”
Asked if other parents are keen on having their kids watch a
metalhead bunny run around a desert and rock out to hardcore
tunes, Andy says they’re actually pretty grateful for it. “We’re trying
to create a shared experience, so the parents are as much a part
of Bunny Racket as the kids. For the children, it’s this fresh, new,
exciting, fun thing that everyone’s having a good time with, and for
the older folks, it’s like a rock ‘n’ roll time-travelling nostalgia trip.
Our shows give parents something to do on the weekend with their
kids that they miss. ‘Oh, I miss going to see bands’ – well, come
see this band at midday!”
So, how else can rock-loving parents introduce their offspring
to musical genres like metal and punk? “The Ramones!” Andy says
with absolutely no hesitation. “They started playing before they
learnt their instruments, you know – it’s punk rock, rock ‘n’ roll
done for everyone’s sake. You don’t have to be really, really good
at something. It’s just rock ‘n’ roll!” And therein lies King Bunny’s
message. Rock on.bunny racket
ROCKING OUT WITH TINY TOTS
IS WHAT ANDY WALKER DOES BEST.
Wor d s Rebecca Varcoemy project