KITTIE Is 'As Surprised' As Many Other People Are About Resurgence In Band's Popularity

Joshua Toomey of Knotfest.com's "Nu Pod" podcast spoke to Morgan Lander and Mercedes Lander of Canadian metallers KITTIE at last month's Louder Than Life festival in Louisville, Kentucky. Asked about the resurgence in the band's popularity in the recent years, Morgan said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We are as surprised as yourself and as many. There have been a number of years in the past 10 years, I guess, that KITTIE was not an active band. We never broke up, but it was just nothing happening. And we were resolved that the world didn't really care too much. And it's been a really cool couple of years to see people respond to the music and rediscover the band and to be invited to cool stuff like this."

Added Mercedes: "I think the big thing is the rediscovery. We started to notice around when we released the documentary that, you know, we started to notice music going viral on TikTok and we were just kind of, like, 'What's going on here?' And then we started getting offers, which is fantastic."

Two months ago, Mercedes spoke to The New York Times about the band's decision to reunite, initially for a couple of festival appearances before beginning work on new music. She said bookers started calling again in the fall of 2021 because of renewed interest, with KITTIE taking the stage for the first time in five years at the Blue Ridge Rock Festival in September 2022 in Alton, Virginia.

"It did take a little bit of talking into," Mercedes said of the offer to reunite. "When we stepped onstage, I was, like, 'Oh, yeah, this is how it's supposed to be. This is what I'm supposed to be doing.' This is a fantastic feeling."

Mercedes went on to say that it makes sense that the songs she wrote with her older sister, Morgan, when they were teenagers still resonates with people. "It just kind of proves that teenage angst is timeless," she said.

Morgan shared the sentiment, saying: "That's not to say there isn't still a fire and anger in us now — yeah, we're still pissed."

KITTIE's May 13 performance at the Sick New World festival in Las Vegas, Nevada included the live debut of a new track called "Vultures".

Joining Morgan and Mercedes at the band's recent gigs were 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.