KITTIE‘s first new song in 13 years, “Eyes Wide Open”, just dropped. The track, which is expected to be part of an upcoming full-length album, will receivee its world premiere last night at midnight EST on SiriusXM‘s “Liquid Metal” channel and will continue to be played every hour throughout the day today.
Last November, it was revealed that KITTIE was working on a new studio LP with acclaimed hard rock and heavy metal producer Nick Raskulinecz at Nashville’s Sienna Studios.
Raskulinecz, who moved to Nashville from Los Angeles around 16 years ago, has previously worked with such acts as RUSH, ALICE IN CHAINS, KORN, RISE AGAINST, HALESTORM, EVANESCENCE, SKID ROW and the DEFTONES.
In a recent interview with Knotfest‘s “She’s With The Band” podcast, KITTIE drummer Mercedes Lander and guitarist/vocalist Morgan Lander spoke about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the long-awaited follow-up to the Canadian metallers’ 2011 album “I’ve Failed You”. Mercedes said about the musical direction of the new KITTIE material: “I’m gonna say that we are just really stoked to write 1,200 percent bangers. I think that’s just where we’re at now. We want people to feel good. We want people to feel what we’re feeling. I feel like bangers, that’s what we’re good at.”
Asked by host Tori Kravitz about the possibility of KITTIE combining some of the old-school sound from the band’s early days and mixing it up with a fresh approach, Morgan said: “I think marrying some of the ideas, ’cause I don’t think we’re ever going to put our JNCOs [jeans] on again. But, yeah, the idea of marrying some of those ideas — like who we are now with the ideas of who maybe we used to be and kind of being able to meet somewhere in the middle, but in a way that will just create something brand new again. I’m excited for it to be unleashed upon the world.”
As for whether KITTIE is planning to release singles or a full-length album in the near future, Morgan said: “Things are happening, wheels are in motion, but we are just not able to announce anything yet. But I guess the blanket statement could be, like, people who are excited about KITTIE will continue to be excited for the next year. Things are happening. And I think it will be a really good year for us.” Mercedes added: “I think people are gonna be really excited when they find out what we’ve been up to.”
At some of its recent shows, KITTIE has been performing a brand new song called “Vultures”.
KITTIE played its first concert in five years in September 2022 at the Blue Ridge Rock Festival at the Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia.
Joining Morgan and Mercedes in KITTIE‘s current lineup guitarist Tara McLeod and bassist Ivana “Ivy” Vujic.
Prior to Blue Ridge, KITTIE had not performed since its reunion show at London Music Hall in the band’s native London, Ontario in 2017, celebrating the group’s documentary “Kittie: Origins/Evolutions”.
Vujic joined KITTIE in 2008 and appeared on the band’s fifth studio CD, 2009’s “In The Black”. She also wrote and recorded bass for KITTIE‘s sixth album, 2011’s “I’ve Failed You”.
In January 2022, the original lineup of KITTIE — Morgan, Mercedes, Fallon Bowman (guitar) and Tanya Candler (bass) — reunited for an online chat to celebrate the 22nd anniversary of its gold-certified 2000 debut album, “Spit”.
Candler left KITTIE after the release of “Spit” in order to finish high school and was replaced by Talena Atfield.
Bowman exited KITTIE in 2001 and started her own industrial/electronic project, AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT.
After KITTIE completed the touring cycle for 2011’s “I’ve Failed You” album, the band entered a long period of inactivity during which Morgan focused on a marketing job for a chain of fitness clubs while Mercedes worked in real estate and more recently at a software company. The group also began work on a career-spanning documentary, “Origins/Evolutions”, which finally saw the light of day in 2018 via Lightyear Entertainment in North America.
“I’ve Failed You” sold 3,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 178 on The Billboard 200 chart.
Photo credit: Whitney South
