Local Rabbits

Background

Based in Montreal, the band consisted of vocalists and guitarists Peter Elkas and Ben Gunning, bassist Ryan Myshrall and drummer Jay Tustin. They released two albums on Murderecords before signing to Halifax indie label Brobdingnagian for their third and final album.

Their second album, Basic Concept, reached No. 1 on the Canadian campus radio charts in 1998.

The band toured with The Super Friendz, The Inbreds, Thrush Hermit, Kelley Deal 6000, and Sloan, and performed as Neko Case's backing band on several Lilith Fair dates.

The band broke up following 2001's This Is It Here We Go, although they reunited in 2007 to record a track for the Rheostatics tribute album The Secret Sessions. Elkas and Gunning have each pursued solo careers, Myshrall has been a member of Clark, Tricky Woo and is currently in the band Sister with Carla and Lynette Gillis of Plumtree, and Tustin was in Soft Canyon and worked as a carpenter on Debbie Travis' Facelift.

Reunification

Gunning, Elkas, and Myshrall reunite on an occasional basis as "Oldies 990" in Toronto.

"In a strange turn of events stemming (I think) from a sentence I uttered many moons ago to Ryan while I was feeling submerged in my own project and having recently enjoyed the song "Charlie Brown" by the Coasters - "Everything I do is so artistically calculated - I want to play songs that I can perform drunk and just have fun" - we find ourselves playing together once again in a cover band called Oldies 990 with Gavin Maguire on the drums. Due to Ryan's idea to follow through and form the band on that premise with Peter, we have actually begun performing in Toronto, armed with a repertoire of tunes from 1955-65 (roughly), none of which contain any minor chords. It is not only a cathartic experience as my quote foreshadowed but it has been a real treat playing with these great friends again." - Ben Gunning

Discography