KITTIE's MORGAN LANDER: 'We Aren't Working On Any New Music Right Now'

Morgan Lander has confirmed that KITTIE hasn't written any new music in more than six years.

After the London, Ontario, Canada-based band completed the touring cycle for 2011's "I've Failed You" album, KITTIE entered a long period of inactivity during which the guitarist/vocalist focused on a marketing job for a chain of fitness clubs, while her sister, drummer Mercedes Lander, worked in real estate. The group also began work on a career-spanning documentary, "Origins/Evolutions", which will finally see the light of day on March 30 via Lightyear Entertainment in North America. The three-disc set, which was directed by Rob McCallum, includes a Blu-ray and DVD of the documentary as well as a new live album on CD.

Asked by Hablas ROCKas in an interview if KITTIE is composing any new material at the moment, Morgan said (hear audio below): "We aren't working on any new music as it is right now, but the documentary, I think, served the purpose in that it sort of allows us to sort of get back into things and maybe open the door and see what kinds of potential there may be. But we aren't working on anything new at this point in time. The documentary and the live album has been something that we've been working on pretty much non-stop for the last few years, so it's kind of been the main focus."

Morgan also talked about KITTIE's decision to take a break after a nearly 20-year career that saw the band release six full-length albums. "We were touring off of 'I've Failed You' up until, I guess, 2013," she said. "We finished the main tours in 2012 and then we had a few shows in 2013. And it was… I don't know… It was just sort of a conscious effort to slow things down. It's no secret that the music industry is not necessarily as lucrative as it once has been, and I think our main focus became more, 'Let's just try to do this because we really want to do it,' as opposed to having to continue to be on tour for nine months out of the year type thing. And we've been doing it for a long time; we deserved a rest as well, I think."

Last October, KITTIE celebrated the "Origins/Evolutions" premiere by bringing together some of its former members for a special concert at Rum Runners in London, Ontario. The event marked the band's first live appearance since the death of KITTIE bassist Trish Doan (a.k.a. Trisha Jai-Mee Doan),who passed away a year ago at the age of 31.

Asked by Hablas ROCKas if Ivana "Ivy" Vujic, who played bass for KITTIE from 2007 until 2012, would return to the group for any future touring activities, Morgan said: "Well, as it stands right now, we have not employed or hired anybody new or gotten a new bass player. It's a tough thing when you lose someone that is your best friend as well as your bandmate; it's a hard place to fill. And when we did the 20th-anniversary show, Ivy did play with us, and I'm sure that if there was any opportunity to maybe do some more shows and that sort of thing that Ivy would definitely be probably the person that we would go to. But she lives in America now, she lives in the States — she's not in Canada anymore — so… I don't know. I guess I think that would have to be something that we would discuss, but she would obviously be my first choice."

"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.