Life deals us fewer blows as devastating as the loss of a pet. For those who don’t currently have one, or who have never experienced the transformational joy that a pet can bring to a household, they are unfortunate to miss the opportunity of the pet—but fortunate to never have to be saddled with grief on such a monumental, all-consuming level. There’s a case to be made that Americans have grown too fond of their pets and treat them with more dignity than a homeless person camped out in a tent on a city sidewalk.
But at a time in which the epidemics of loneliness and depression continue to spike unabated, and when there still doesn’t appear to be even a twinkle of hope on the horizon for seriously treating psychological dysfunction, people are getting a long leash, so to speak, from their communities. After all, a neighborhood can’t achieve collective happiness, or feel a sense of pride, unless residents (usually ones who live alone) to feel a semblance of peace, comfort, and joy—even if it comes from an animal instead of a human being,
When New Noise launched its Pet Sounds series in October, we politely turned down animal lovers who had recently lost their companion(s) but wanted to participate in the series. We didn’t want to lead off the series with sad tales of animals passing; rather, we wanted to illustrate to our readers just how much love, life, and laughter pets can bring into our lives.
Now that you, dear reader, are presumably quite familiar with Pet Sounds, the time has come to include some stories that might bring tears of sadness, instead of tears of joy, to you. After all, and despite how difficult it might be to acknowledge, pet owners will have to deal with the eventuality of their pet moving on from life to (insert your personal spiritual persuasion here).
We also decided to finally tackle the topic after Jesika von Rabbit reached out to say she enjoys our Pet Sounds series and wanted to pay homage to her recently deceased pet, Buzz (who, for the record, was a cat and not a rabbit). Her name may sound familiar; she was the face of—and sang, and played keyboards, bass and guitars for—indie-rock group Gram Rabbit until they went on hiatus in 2013.
Below is what she shared with us on Wednesday, presented in full.
It sounds like Buzz is no longer with us. My condolences. Did you dedicate two songs on your new record because he passed recently?
Thank you, I appreciate your condolences. Yes I did dedicate two songs on the album to him: “Gotta Keep My Buzz Going” and “Year of the Tiger.” He passed 3 3/4 years ago now …
What was Buzz’s breed and age?
Buzz was a beautiful domestic shorthair cat. He was all white with green eyes and 9 years old. He was such a special cat inside and out.
Was Buzz your only pet?
No, I still have his sister Buggy. She grieved his loss as well. Was really hard on us losing him.
How did Buzz enter your life?
I adopted him and his sister (Buggy) through the Devore shelter in San Bernardino, California. They were both very sick in the beginning and my now ex-boyfriend and I spent a lot of money, time and effort getting them the care they needed to survive coming out of that shelter.
Did you name him after Buzz Aldrin, Buzz Lightyear or Buzz Osborne (who also participated in this series, actually)?
Ha, no. His original name was Beasley and it morphed into Beazleton and then Buzz.
What was Buzz’s most profound effect on you as a human being and perhaps as an artist as well?
Buzz was deep. We had a special bond. When he was a brand new kitten, I was laying on my bed and he crawled up my body and laid across my neck. We loved each other from that moment on.
He used to lay on my chest and stare into my eyes. I suppose the most profound affect he had on me was showing me how close a human-to-animal bond can be.
I describe this in my song “Year of the Tiger” on the new album, Bunnywood Babylon.
Will it be difficult to perform “The Year of the Tiger” and “Gotta Keep My Buzz Going”? (Dynamite play on words with that latter song title, by the way.)
“Gotta Keep My Buzz Going” is easy to play because I can spin it a different metaphorical angle, and it’s a fast electro-rock song. But “Year of the Tiger” can be difficult to get through without getting really emotional. I usually get choked up, and other people are affected by the song similarly.
When I wrote that song, I was singing and staring through my studio window, looking out at his grave lit up with a cross. He helped me write it. Same with “…Buzz Going” and many other songs on this album. His spirit helped me during the writing process.
Is the title “The Year of the Tiger” a reference to Buzz’s passing in 2022, if that’s when he departed?
He actually passed on October 30, 2021. Buzz snuck out of a screen door that I didn’t realize was left open. He wandered out to the street and was hit by a car. I replay this event over and over and beat myself up. It’s a terrible fleeing; I am tearing up even right now, even though it has been a couple years. I had to perform in Los Angeles that same evening for a Halloween show, and couldn’t really cancel. It was so hard to pull that off. Not sure how I got through it.
Advance apologies for this one, as I’m sure you’ve answered it in practically every interview, but what prompted you to name your band Jesika von Rabbit? Did you want your project to have a titular reference to Gram Rabbit, so fans would associate the bands?
Yes, that was my stage name in Gram Rabbit. When I crossed over into my solo project, I thought it would be easier for fans to track me down. Currently, the band includes Lee Joseph on bass, background vocals. I handle lead vocals, keyboards, sampler, occasional guitar, and I write and produce the songs. For our live shows, we have a troupe of stage performers including Lani Johnson, Erin Gurule, and Beautox Rocks.
Silly question, but perhaps apropos given that General Mills cemented the Trix ad phrase “silly rabbit” in our brains for eternity: Have you ever considered getting a rabbit as a pet? If so, what dissuaded you from doing so?
It has crossed my mind. But I’ve heard rabbits are really sensitive to loud noises, and sometimes I have band rehearsal here. I try not to get too loud for my cats either, but they seem to handle it pretty well.
Photos courtesy of Jesika von Rabbit.
Keep tabs on Jesika von Rabbit’s upcoming releases, tours, and adventures on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and Spotify. You can also find her at Dionysus Records.
For the most recent edition of Pet Sounds prior to this one, check out: “Deerhoof Guitarist’s Dog Is Dear to His Heart.”
