The Half Rabbits were in the studio a few months ago, and the fruits of this labour are now about to be unleashed into the public domain. New EP, ‘Optimists’, is released on 19 March.

The EP features four tracks – ‘Gasoline’, ‘Poor Me/Poor You’, ‘How The West Was Won’ and ‘Extremadura’ – and sees the band, in their own words, “exploring different ways in which people experience and express optimism”. Recorded with Jesus & Mary Chain and Primal Scream (and, well, Katrina & The Waves) producer/engineer extraordinaire Pat Collier, the new recordings are richer in texture and instrumentation than previous Half Rabbits work, and thematically represent a break from the band’s former moody and foreboding sound. They are still, however, somewhat moody and foreboding. Which is nice.

As a sneak preview, there’s a live recording of ‘How The West Was Won’ now available on SoundCloud. The EP will be launched with a gig at the Jericho Tavern, Oxford on Saturday 19 March, where the Half Rabbits will be supported by The Scholars and Fuzzy Logic.

The ‘Optimists’ EP will be available to purchase for a minimal cost on the same day, Saturday 19 March, from the band’s BandCamp page. In the meantime, keep your eye on the Half Rabbits website for the latest news.