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Won’t Say Rabbit Challenges the Social Norm with “Just a Prisoner”

Won't Say Rabbit "Just a Prisoner" artwork

Won’t Say Rabbit and their over 100 k streams only on Spotify “Just a Prisoner”

ORDER “JUST A PRISIONER” ON BANDCAMP NOW!

Legends live on forever. I don’t say that lightly. In my mind, there is a countless amount of music that could be considered “legendary.” I believe such an intangible connection to be immeasurable according to the status quo. Sure, the industry will insist that things like sales equate to that status in an attempt to quantify. And don’t get me wrong, it’s an indication, but from an industry standpoint that correlation is largely manufactured.

In other words, a significant amount of bias is overlooked. Kate Bush is a prime example of that recenty. One song of hers finally made it on to the right show and connected with the right ears. Now she is arguably receiving the praise that she should have been the whole time she had been making music for years. Alas, my opinion of the world is that it’s always about the music. Great music will always transcend time and resonate with people when the opportunity is presented.

Case and point, today’s review of “Just a Prisoner” by Won’t Say Rabbit. A tune that you can easily connect with, sing along to, and is culturally relevant to our sensiblities. And fun fact about it, the song posesses a rich history, mixed and mastered at the legendary Sugar Hill Studios before it burned down in 2002.

A “proto punk” band from New Jersey, their sound is a modern age time capsule of punk rock roots. Think of bands like the Buzzcocks, Blondie, The Ramones, and The Damned. “Just a Prisoner,” taps into an angst towards what feels like a deteriorating society around us and principally holding true to one’s integrity, begging the question, “What do you do when you’re the last of a dying breed?” Talk about transcending time! When it comes to describing the lyrical prowess of the song, arguably my favorite aspect of it, I don’t think I could put it any better than the band does. The track is intended to resonate with:

…listeners who know life can be a lot better, but who are told ad nauseum that things “could be worse.”

Won’t Say Rabbit

The track kicks off with a heavy grooving bass (that carries on throughout the whole track) admist thunderous crashes from the drums and as swelling distorted guitars ring out in the intro. The composition kicks in and comes together beautifully, transforming into a driving, surf-punk, garage rock inertia. Front woman Beth delivers fantastic vocal melodies and engergy behind her performance. You hear it all in the voice: defiance, attitude, and emotion.

“Just A Prisoner” also has some interesting lore behind the tracking of the song as well. I can relate to the recount of it by the band quite a bit. Back when when networking wasn’t heavily infused with fast and furious DMs, alerts, notifications, and social media tags, getting involved was centralized around going to shows, meeting people, and asking if they “knew a guy,” when a lot of us didn’t have big time “studio” money to get something on wax.

‘Just A Prisoner’ was recorded at the home studio of someone named “Sammy” in Bergen County, New Jersey. You had to remove your shoes upon entering his house and were not allowed to put your instruments or amplifiers down until you were past the marble floor entryway. Once inside the studio, there was a pyramid where you could sit and meditate (or nap during sound checks.)

Won’t Say Rabbit

The current Won’t Say Rabbit lineup is:

  • Brian – Guitar & Artwork (drawings)
  • Tom – Bass and Keys
  • Beth – Vocals

The band has featured an array of drummers over the years that have contributed to the catalog, credited as simply “Frank, John, Billy, and Juan.”

Make sure to keep up with Won’t Say Rabbit on their socials, they are actively releasing and supporting independent music as well as posting cool videos of past gigs and previously unreleased material. Based off a previous article I’ve read about them, there’s a goal in mind for an album to be released in conjunction with the band’s 35th year anniversary and I am very anxious to hear about any updates on that!

I have been a fan of Won’t Say Rabbit for a couple of years now, you can catch a number of their tunes on AMS Radio at various showtimes, but we’ve added “Just A Prisoner” specifically to the LT1KF Indie Hour lineup on Tuesdays at 6pm Pacific. Tune in to catch them along with many more independent artists featured right here on the Less Than 1000 Followers blog!


Don’t forget to support this project and follow Won’t Say Rabbit on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok,YouTube, Apple Music, and Spotify. If you enjoy their music and can provide monetary support, you might consider downloading it on Bandcamp.

It also helps to stream and share their music; you can find it in the following Playlists: Indie Only, Alterindie State Of Mind, Sickest & Dopest, Unknown But Essentials!, and Only Punk.

Remember that you can always find me here AMS Radio for all my social media and collaborations. 

P.S. If you enjoy discovering new artists and brand-new music, subscribe to this blog Less Than 1,000 Followers, and follow the Playlist with all the artists we have presented here!

If you enjoy this track don’t forget to give it a green heart when you’re on Spotify and add it to your favorite playlist. This little action not only saves the track on your music library but also will help the artist, you know that the game’s name for us is “support”. Thank you!!!

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