Navigating the glass towers of ambition as post-grad working girls for their recently released third album ‘Love On A High Floor’, BUNNY X captured the excitement of entering the workplace and mutated their retrowave sound into what they called “officewave”.
Now comprising of Abigail Gordon and Jenny Bates, BUNNY X presented a fantasy nostalgia that recalled career ambitions, office romances, cocktail bars, late-night taxi rides taxi and penthouse suites. However, set against the backdrop of Wall Street excess, “greed is good” and the New York City real estate boom, ‘Love On A High Floor’ also explored the seductive promise of the American Dream and the disillusionment that often follows its pursuit.
ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK called Ms Gordon and Ms Bates on their Motorola DynaTACs for an interview in the style of the old married couple TV quiz show ‘Mr & Mrs’. The pair answered the same questions on their creative partnership and personal relationship separately without knowing the other’s answers… so here playing ‘Ms & Ms’ are BUNNY X…
What was your first impression of the other?
Abbi: In the iconic words of Kylie Minogue, it was love at first sight. Jenny and I met through a close mutual friend and I was struck with Jenny’s warmth, beauty and intelligence and knew I wanted to be her friend. After some years had passed, we were at another mutual friend’s karaoke themed birthday party in March 2020 just about a week or two before lockdown when Jenny busted out a sick rendition of ALICE IN CHAINS’ ‘Man In The Box’ and my jaw was literally on the floor. I was blown away by Jenny’s incredible pipes and I’m pretty sure I immediately approached and asked her how the heck I was just hearing her sing for the first time.
Jenny: I had the privilege of first seeing Abbi shine on stage in BUNNY X, so my initial impression was “wow” (of course) and how awesome she was as a performer. Little did I know she was going to be the coolest human being ever and eventually, become my best friend.
What song by another artist does the other love that you hate?
Jenny: I truly don’t hate any music that she loves.
Abbi: Jenny loves her 90s music and while I certainly don’t mind listening to PEARL JAM’s ‘Ten’ on occasion, I could also go the rest of my life without. So I’d say that. But I’d also say that Jenny is perfect at all times so there is that.
What was the moment that you knew you could be in a band together?
Jenny: This was a somewhat gradual process born out of so much support. Abbi and I were hosting a monthly salon / evening called ‘Risky Business’ with Andy Diamond (from my other band, DIAMOND FIELD). The idea was that BUNNY X and DIAMOND FIELD would share the first hour of the night to perform. This format, organically, allowed BUNNY X to try new configurations and eventually have me sit in on a few songs towards the end of the set. It soon became clear that having someone to play off of on stage, harmonize with and also having the visual dynamic of two strong women, an image that’s been BUNNY X’s selling point for over 15 years, was the way to move forward.
Abbi: Honestly probably when she busted out some incredible karaoke at what ended up being our last hurrah before Covid, but it really hit me when Jenny stepped in to help out when Mary (one of our best friends and founding BUNNY X member) became ill and could no longer perform with me.
Sometime after that, Jenny and I started to perform together regularly for our ‘Risky Business’ 80s inspired party that we would throw in NYC when the line-up would consist of DIAMOND FIELD, BUNNY X and a guest musician and DJ. Jenny started to join me for part of my set and then over time, it just became clear that the show would be better if she joined me for the entire set. So, we began to perform together in largely an organic way.
What’s the skill or trait which the other has in abundance that you wish you had?
Abbi: Her tenacity and resilience and energy. Phew, my girl has these characteristics in spades while I (especially of late) find myself wanting to spend more and more time on my couch reading a good book. She really helps to energize me and keep the project moving forward when I need a boost. I really value that and I also value her business acumen. Jenny has really played a pivotal role in helping us professionalize our project and I think our last album – which is our most ambitious project to date – really shows that.
Jenny: The ability to write incredible top line melodies with such regularity. Abbi is constantly sending me ideas for new songs.
When Mary left BUNNY X, things could have gone either way… how did you handle the situation?
Abbi: It’s been hard, I’m not going to lie. It’s been an impossible situation for all of us in many ways, especially and most importantly for Mary and her immediate friends, family and long-time partner. Jenny has been nothing but graceful, kind and loving throughout the entire scenario and we have done our very best to honor Mary during every performance and every song we sing. Our new album is dedicated to her and she will always be an integral part of the BUNNY X story and our lives.
Jenny: It was personally important to me to do two things: 1) Honor Mary’s time in the band and celebrate the beauty of her voice. 2) Make sure Abbi had the partner she needed in order to keep BUNNY X going. This was the most important reason for me joining the band. I was a BUNNY X fan first, and I think Abbi is such a huge presence in the synth scene. If I had to give one reason why I joined the band, it was to keep the band going so Abbi could continue writing.
How would you describe your songwriting dynamic?
Abbi: In a nutshell, Jenny puts up with me when I send her random demos at random intervals, sometimes very late at night. We tend to do it this way, work on demos on our own and then present them to each other and tweak as or if needed. Then, we head into the studio to record once we feel the demo is in good enough shape to move forward into production. Plenty of stuff winds up on the cutting room floor as it were and that’s okay as sometimes these ideas can be revisited for future tracks. We tend to do the most tweaking during the recording and production process in the studio. I will say that our demos generally don’t change a whole lot once we have an idea down. I think we both kind of know when a demo has that “it” factor that should be moved into production and others that didn’t quite hit the mark for whatever reason.
Jenny: Every band has to have a leader, and Abbi is BUNNY X’s. But she is absolutely open to my ideas whenever we’re in the studio together. Both melodically and lyrically. I’ve also written full songs (top-to-bottom) for the project and they may have a bit more of a rock edge to them, like a bit more 80s, Pat Benatar or HEART flare). For example, ‘Take Me Away’ on ‘Love On A High Floor’; what I would say my number one contribution while we recording is mapping out all of the harmonies. That’s my forte. We also work with our producer GOSTEFFECTS who really helps take what we have in our heads to create the final tracks.
Is there a fashion item that is owned by the other that you covet?
Jenny: We practically share each other’s closet so what’s mine is hers and what’s hers is mine! But she does have the best low-cut V-neck halter dress that she looks amazing in!
Abbi: Well, given that we tend to twin it for the vast majority of our shows, we tend to have and wear a lot of the same things. Jenny did just recently get an incredible custom leather jacket that I’ve been eyeing though… 😉
When was the last time you walked out angry after a disagreement between you and how did you resolve it?
Abbi: Well, we are basically head over heels for each other, so this honestly doesn’t ever happen! There are times we may have slightly different visions as we’re finessing a track under production but it’s always very minor (eg should the ending of song X have a hard stop or fade out, should we tweak a word or phrase in the lyrics etc.). If she feels very strongly about something and really has a vision for it, I am happy to defer and vice versa.
Jenny: It’s literally never happened. We are adults and know how to manage disagreements.
How do you look back on the making and subsequent reception of ‘Love On A High Floor’?
Abbi: It was a ton of work as we really wanted to up the ante but honestly for us it has all been worth it. People seem to like it and I think they got a kick out of the “Officewave” aesthetic and our silly antics on Instagram as we told this story and attempted to create this universe. It’s been a lot of fun and it gives us both great pride to see the final product make its way out in the world.
Jenny: I still don’t think it’s truly hit me how awesome everything was / is. ‘Love On A High Floor’ has been out into the world for just about a month now and hearing feedback like… it will be known as “one of best synthwave albums” of the year is truly humbling. The community surrounding the genre is incredibly supportive and we cannot thank everyone enough for their energies in celebrating the album and buying the physical copies! They say everything tastes better when you cook with love, well this album was cooked with a lot of love, laughter and great times in the studio. It also took a lot of diligent hard work, and we are extremely proud of it. Abbi and I miss our regular morning to midnight sessions with GOSTEFFECTS each weekend. But, those will start again soon. We are already planning album #4!
There’s a new BUNNY X collab coming with Johan Agebjörn called ‘Filled Me Up’ that’s on his new album ‘Casablanca Nights 2’ how did that come about?
Abbi: Yes! We’re really excited about it. I’ve been a fan of Johan’s longtime project Sally Shapiro since probably around 2007 so it’s been a true honor to be able to work with him. The collab came together really quickly and easily and I’ve really enjoyed messaging with Johan off and on over the past few months. We are very pleased to be included and are big fans of the other artists on the album.
Jenny: Johan Agebjörn wrote to Abbi and asked us to collab and sent us the track he wanted us on. Abbi and I split up the writing and singing duties. Our vocals were recorded by Grammy winner Tony Lake. The compilation album is the “who’s who” of the synth world so I’m very honored that we are going to be part of it. And I think the track is gorgeous.
What’s your favourite BUNNY X song?
Jenny: I’ve been a longtime fan of ‘Unknown Places’, it’s one of my favorite tracks to sing and is incredibly haunting. Choosing from ‘Love On A High Floor’, I think ‘Believe In You’ and ‘Business Trip’ are running neck-in-neck for first place right now. But it’s so hard to pick just one. BUNNY X has so many genres within their catalogue so it depends on what mood you’re in when choosing your favorite track!
Abbi: Hmm I am really partial to ‘Still On My Mind’, one of the many collaborations we’ve done with the incredible SELLOREKT / LA DREAMS that was on our first album ‘Young & In Love’. I remember how nervous I was to reach out to Kevin (SLA DREAMS) about a potential collab and he couldn’t have been nicer. His music is so special and I really wanted to add a vocal topline to his original instrumental track and lucky for us he was up for it. I think the track also really captures the essence of the nostalgic vibe we have been trying to go for as well.
How do you decide what songs to perform, do have an individual power of veto?
Abbi: We do tend to perform a lot of the same ones as people seem to enjoy certain ones during our live shows such as ‘We Demand Fun’, ‘Perfect Paradise’ and ‘Daydreaming’. Since we have a lot of material now, we try to do at least one track on each album and lately we’ve been performing a lot of the new material. We’ve been performing lately with our longtime close friend and collaborator Conrad “Connie” Kaneshiro who has been joining us on stage for some Italo disco medleys. We call this part of the set the “Connie Rock Block” (CRB).
Jenny: Abbi and I are usually on the same wavelength when choosing our set lists. But I usually defer to her final decision. As Abbi and I split singing lead on a lot of tracks, we also want to make sure we each have equitable time to shine during a set. Recently, as one might assume, we’ve been slowly rolling out and concentrating on the new songs from ‘Love On A High Floor’.
What is your favourite city to perform in?
Abbi: Well we typically play the most in Brooklyn which is my home base personally, so I prefer to play at the local venues in and around Brooklyn. It’s great to play in Manhattan as well as it’s more central and easier for some friends and fans to get to. We hope to expand our reach a bit and do an East and West Coast mini-tour at a point and we have always wanted to play in the UK so fingers crossed we can find a way to set that up before long… 🙂
Jenny: NYC has always been so supportive of the band. But we are excited to start visiting more cities soon here in the states and hopefully across the pond!
What is the essential thing that you can’t do without?
Jenny: Empathy. And a soda after a performance 😉
Abbi: Synthwave of course! Also Jenny, Daniel, sparkling water and my Romantasy / Sci-Fi books.
What’s the most annoying habit that the other has?
Jenny: Not believing in herself 100% of the time! Other than that, Abbi is my perfect Bunny!
Abbi: Honestly, she’s too perfect – I’m like save some for the rest of us! Who can compete??
Which do you think is the other’s “go to” karaoke song?P
Abbi: My girl loves her 90s so definitely ‘Man in the Box’ and songs in that general wheelhouse. She also does a killer rendition of ‘White Rabbit’.
Jenny: One of the songs I love hearing her sing at karaoke is ‘Rush Hour’ by Jane Wiedlin.
What’s your favourite concert by another artist?
Jenny: I had an amazing time seeing GHOST this year. They had everyone put their phones in Yondr pouches so it was a truly enjoyable experience without little screens glowing everywhere.
Abbi: So many but I recently caught PETER HOOK & THE LIGHT and they put on a fantastic show.
If you had been Andi in ‘Pretty In Pink’, would you have chosen Blane or Duckie?
Jenny: Probably Duckie. Funny enough, I worked with Jon Cryer’s dad, David Cryer, when he was in the national tour of ‘The Phantom of the Opera’. I’ve been the press and marketing manager on that tour for the past 25 years.
Abbi: I think I would have been enamored by Blane at first but ultimately would have chosen Duckie as he was the real ride or die partner.
‘Two Broke Girls’ or ‘Romy & Michele’s High School Reunion’?
Abbi: Romy & Michele all the way.
Jenny: I think we would have more fun playing off of ‘Romy & Michele’s…’ though someone just noted that BUNNY X is very ‘Practical Magic’ coded, so I think that’s the true winner.
Which female actress pairing, past or present is most like BUNNY X?
Abbi: I’m gonna go with ‘Practical Magic’ as I think Jenny is the more Sandra Bullock-esque grounded of the two of us and is the glue that keeps everything and everyone together in so many aspects of her life to include her family, work and our project. I think I share some of those same qualities too, but I can also be a bit more in the clouds at times like Nicole Kidman’s free spirit character was in the movie. I am also slightly more morally grey like Kidman’s character while Jenny is more likely to give people the benefit of the doubt and take the high road. Also, have you seen our hair lately? Jenny’s our beautiful brunette and I am back to a strawberry / red tone. Amirite?!
Jenny: I think we may need to stick with the ‘Practical Magic’ theme here. Abbi is Nicole Kidman and I’m Sandra Bullock in this equation. Abbi absolutely brings the wistful playfulness to the band and every room she enters. People adore her. I feel I bring a bit of the bookish practicality (with an edge) to the band. Together – we are magic!
ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK gives its warmest thanks to BUNNY X
‘Love On A High Floor’ is released by Aztec Records, available as a CD, vinyl LP, cassette and download from https://bunnyx.bandcamp.com/
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Text and Interview by Chi Ming Lai
5th October 2026
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