Davey Michelle is a musician from Massachusetts that under the moniker Bunny Boy successfully recreated a sonic world of his own, creating an ethereal kind of folk that encapsulates innocence and an enchanting kind of grimness. Influenced by his love for fairy tales, folk tales and other mystical or mythical creatures, Bunny Boy moves between the naivety of childhood imagination and the cryptic shadows of adulthood with genuine ease and sincerity, incorporating a dark and very unique sense of humor.
His latest record, Did the Angels Come to Kiss You, is a long voyage composed of 22 songs that create an ethereal environment of a distinct type of magical folk.
"In relation to your first statement, a world riddled with less than charming qualities, and how I intermingle fantasy and cute creatures: I do this because I’m a bit of a pessimistic realist, but I really enjoy creatures, cute and scary. I don’t want to deny the true nature of the world, so I add things that I at least enjoy. I’m a very big fan of horror and fantasy, and through out most of the hours of my day I am thinking in this dream world. I sort of started incorporating more and more of it until it ultimately became quite an endeavor."
- In a world that is somewhat riddled with violence, greed and other less than charming qualities, your music paves its way through and creates a micro-universe of wonder and fantasy. Angels, butterflies, little fluffy creatures like stuffed ponies, cohabit in a world where there is peril but a whole lot of magic. You created your own imaginary through music under the name Bunny Boy, is it a reference to the character from Gummo? And if so, how do you identify with that young boy?
- My Bunny Boy moniker totally comes from Gummo. About 8 years ago, I started Bunny Boy and I had a few other ideas for band names with “bunny” being part of the name. But I was and still am a big fan of Gummo so i decided to go with that. If I had given it a little more thought and had I known what I eventually would create I probably would have done something that wasn’t a reference to another body of work. However, the idea of the “bunny” was the most important aspect of the name for me. Bunnies are one of the first animals that a lot of us connect with as children because of books like Goodnight Moon, The Velveteen Rabbit, and so on.
I eventually went on to connect with rabbits in high school with Watership Down, which has gone on to become my favorite book. Watership Down is sort of a bridge from childhood to reality. These animals we’ve grown up with and identified with are still personified, but they are done so in a way that feels true to the reality, the nature, of a rabbit. It’s sobering and extremely heart breaking.
In relation to your first statement, a world riddled with less than charming qualities, and how I intermingle fantasy and cute creatures: I do this because I’m a bit of a pessimistic realist, but I really enjoy creatures, cute and scary. I don’t want to deny the true nature of the world, so I add things that I at least enjoy. I’m a very big fan of horror and fantasy, and through out most of the hours of my day I am thinking in this dream world. I sort of started incorporating more and more of it until it ultimately became quite an endeavor.
"I felt the urge to say that the most important thing when performing in front of a crowd would be that they all have their heads. However, I wouldn’t be opposed to performing in front of a bunch of headless corpses. It might actually prove to be quite invigorating. I do often play small venues, house shows, and the like because I do indeed love it. There’s also not much of a demand for me to play at bigger venues, which might be an understatement. I sometimes play with a band but am mostly known for playing shows with just myself and a guitar. I sing very very quietly so I really appreciate it when people are quiet and attentive."
- In your latest record, Did the angels come to kiss you, there is a very strong element of fantasy and magic but also some sinister elements, a bit like the thematic structure from Grimm’s fairy tales or other old children’s stories. Are those imaginaries relevant to you in any way when creating music?
- Those imaginaries are indeed very relevant. When I write lyrics I often have a handful of books on fairy tales, nursery rhymes, lullabies, and folk tales to reference. I’m quite obsessed with these things. My next album is going to be riddled with lots of fairy tale and nursery rhyme references, as well as new creatures, but going back to a little more of the folkier sound of my music.
- Those imaginaries are indeed very relevant. When I write lyrics I often have a handful of books on fairy tales, nursery rhymes, lullabies, and folk tales to reference. I’m quite obsessed with these things. My next album is going to be riddled with lots of fairy tale and nursery rhyme references, as well as new creatures, but going back to a little more of the folkier sound of my music.
- You have performed live in some small venues, what attracts you the most when performing for/to a crowd?
- I felt the urge to say that the most important thing when performing in front of a crowd would be that they all have their heads. However, I wouldn’t be opposed to performing in front of a bunch of headless corpses. It might actually prove to be quite invigorating. I do often play small venues, house shows, and the like because I do indeed love it. There’s also not much of a demand for me to play at bigger venues, which might be an understatement.I sometimes play with a band but am mostly known for playing shows with just myself and a guitar. I sing very very quietly so I really appreciate it when people are quiet and attentive. People are often very quiet and attentive, especially in the DIY community, because they tend to have a great respect when going to shows, especially when the person running it actually cares about the music. So that’s the most important thing to me.I’d imagine headless corpses would give them a run for their money though.
- I felt the urge to say that the most important thing when performing in front of a crowd would be that they all have their heads. However, I wouldn’t be opposed to performing in front of a bunch of headless corpses. It might actually prove to be quite invigorating. I do often play small venues, house shows, and the like because I do indeed love it. There’s also not much of a demand for me to play at bigger venues, which might be an understatement.I sometimes play with a band but am mostly known for playing shows with just myself and a guitar. I sing very very quietly so I really appreciate it when people are quiet and attentive. People are often very quiet and attentive, especially in the DIY community, because they tend to have a great respect when going to shows, especially when the person running it actually cares about the music. So that’s the most important thing to me.I’d imagine headless corpses would give them a run for their money though.
"I am a bit of a shut in and obsessed with old books, children’s books, horror movies, and TV shows and in that I would say it’s part of my personality. In life I’m a pretty happy-go-lucky kinda person, but all those ideas I write into my music are part of me and all of my interests tend to reflect that."
- Lyrically, we felt that there is a very subtle balance between what is innocent and what becomes decayed or spoiled in some way. There is a transition from the state of innocence of childhood to a more complex state of being, one that is adult but also a bit disturbing in some ways. Is it a reflexion of your own personality or is it just a creative “escape” through an alter-ego?
- This balance of decay and innocence is very much part of my own thoughts and feelings. You’d have to ask a friend if it’s part of my personality however. Not sure if I can really say one way or the other. I am a bit of a shut in and obsessed with old books, children’s books, horror movies, and TV shows and in that I would say it’s part of my personality. In life I’m a pretty happy-go-lucky kinda person, but all those ideas I write into my music are part of me and all of my interests tend to reflect that.
- This balance of decay and innocence is very much part of my own thoughts and feelings. You’d have to ask a friend if it’s part of my personality however. Not sure if I can really say one way or the other. I am a bit of a shut in and obsessed with old books, children’s books, horror movies, and TV shows and in that I would say it’s part of my personality. In life I’m a pretty happy-go-lucky kinda person, but all those ideas I write into my music are part of me and all of my interests tend to reflect that.
- Did the angels come to kiss you is a very long album, it has 22 songs and each of them tells a story but together they result on a very wholesome album that should be listened fully like when we watch a film. There is a moment on the last song, Patches of blue, when you repeat some chords from the song Your Blue Sky, and that somehow brings us back to the start of the album, like in a dream haze. What do you feel was your intention by creating that tiny loop?
- Well, Patches of Blue, the final song on the album, very much has always felt like a sequel to Your Blue Sky. It also seemed like a good song to wrap up the album because it has aspects of hopelessness and hopefulness, which are two things that I particularly like to toy around with. And I am a fan of a good ol’ fashioned reprise. In my sets I often play Dirt Nap, the first Bunny Boy song I wrote, and end with Beautiful Smile, which brings back the Dirt Nap melody. Those songs are on two different albums though so I just did the same thing with Patches Of Blue and Your Blue Sky on this album.
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| Artwork by Robyn Violet |
- The artwork for Did the angels come to kiss you, is a photograph of a young lady that exudes apparent innocence but can be read in quite a different subtext. Robyn Violet is the artist responsible for the portrait, her work seems to wander around the mix of grimness and innocence. Do you believe that is accurate and how do you feel that it connects with your own art?
- I forget how I discovered Robyn’s art. I think it was on Tumblr. There’s a great community of Nicole Dollanganger fans that I follow and I think that’s how I found Robyn and I just fell in love with her artwork. The picture I used as the cover of the album helped guide me in the direction that I wanted to take the album. I wanted to use that picture before I even wrote half the songs on the album. I wanted to make something suitably disturbing and beautiful like her art. She also has illustrated every song on the album as well, which I have not released yet, and I’m hoping to compile it into a little lyrical/art booklet type thing.
- What other artists/bands have you been listening to recently that have piqued your interest?
- Pynkie from New Jersey is one of my favorite songwriters. Her music makes you feel real good but really emotional at the same time, which is a hard thing to do. My dear friend Xavia has a project called Rosie Diamond. Creepy and surreal. Her art is also one of my favorite things ever and she's in some Nicole Dollanganger music videos as well.
- There is quite an element of subtle dark humor along your songs. Do you consider that to be a part of your personality?
- Dark humor is definitely part of my personality. Don’t ever invite me to a funeral (wink)
- Did the angels come to kiss you is available on bandcamp as a digital album, when can we expect a compact disc release?
- I would say within a year or ten. It was supposed to be released by a small label when I first put it out but then they didn’t want to I guess. So now I’m just having trouble thinking of how I’m going to put it out, and where I’m going to get it made. I also have to make that lyric booklet that Robyn did art for. So it just might be a lot of work for something no one might even buy. Right now I’m just working on finishing writing my next album and hoping to record it this summer, and it might be cool to try to get Did the Angels Come To Kiss You out physically around that time. Especially if some label wanted to put it out. But that’s unlikely.
- You had some collaborations from other musicians in the latest record, but you played all the instruments and recorded the songs yourself. What was the first musical instrument you ever played and when?
- Yeah there were a few songs on the album that I played with my band when Bunny boy was playing as a full band. I actually got a new band together as well so we will be doing some full band shows and hopefully that will last. I really want my live sets to be a bit of a creepy experience. My first musical instrument I learned to play was the drums. Started when I was in 4th or 5th grade. Almost took it very seriously in college but then decided not to go. Biggest regret of my life.
Text & Interview: Cláudia Zafre
Band: Bunny Boy