KITTIE: 'We Enjoyed' Live Concerts 'More Before' Advent Of Smartphones

Drummer Mercedes Lander and bassist Ivana "Ivy" Jenkins of KITTIE joined Oran O'Beirne at this year's edition of the U.K.'s Bloodstock Open Air festival to talk about the band's return, new music and what comes next. Following the release of the "Fire" album in 2024, Mercedes and Ivy discussed the possibility of more new KITTIE music and how it feels to be writing and performing together again. They also talked about returning to the road following the band's reunion, getting back in front of the fans and where KITTIE goes from here.

Asked if they feel the audiences at their shows are more " vibrant and present today" than they were back in KITTIE's earlier days, Mercedes said: "I don't know. I feel like people are a little more self-aware... And not as — this is gonna sound a little funny, but not as macho, like 'roid rage', I feel like. I feel like the mosh pits are a little more inclusive, maybe a little more 'helpy'. Like, if somebody falls down, they get picked back up instead of — I'm sure back then you were trampling over people and stuff like that. I feel like I've seen some really brutal pits back then. And I've seen a lot of people get hurt. And I don't see that as much now, which is kind of nice. So I would prefer it that people don't get hurt. So, yeah, I don't know. I think it's a little different. I think people are just more self-aware, maybe a little more aware of their surroundings and aware of how their actions can have consequences, maybe."

Ivy chimed in: "That's some people. And then there's lots of people who are definitely just staring at their phones instead of at the show. And that's also a bummer."

Added Mercedes: "We were, like, 'Oh, maybe we should ban phones from our headliners [headlining gigs].' That would be nice."

Ivy continued: "I don't care if people take pictures or whatever. But I feel like you don't get the same experience when you're just staring behind your phone. You need to be present in the moment. And I don't know. I think that we enjoyed shows more before phones."

KITTIE recently completed its first full North American headlining tour in over 10 years. The 16-date trek, dubbed "Legacy Of Fire Tour: 30 Years Of Kittie", celebrated three decades of uncompromising metal and marked a milestone moment for the band, honoring 30 years since KITTIE's formation in 1996 while riding the momentum of the band's recent triumphs, including 2024's critically acclaimed comeback album "Fire" and 2025's "Spit XXV" re-recorded and reimagined anniversary EP. Support on the tour came from KINGDOM OF GIANTS and GORE.

Jenkins sat out the "Legacy Of Fire Tour: 30 Years Of Kittie" tour due to a family commitment. Filling in for her was Rachel Gonzales of the Las Vegas band NEON KNIGHTS, who previously played with KITTIE on this year's ShipRocked cruise in February.

"Fire", KITTIE's first new material in 13 years, reached No. 13 on U.K. Rock & Metal Albums charts and No. 20 on Billboard Top Album Sales, while single "We Are Shadows" became the band's highest-charting song on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart at No. 20. The album earned the band a 2025 Juno Award nomination for "Metal/Hard Music Album Of The Year".