Ratboys - Singin’ to an Empty Chair

Pitchfork: Best New Music (8.4) / Feature 

Ratboys Present New Single/Video, “Penny in the Lake”

New Album, Singin’ to an Empty Chair, out now via New West Records

“[Singin’ to an Empty Chair is] their sixth and best album… These songs have the clarified rush of an emotional pressure change, like the sensation of removing foam earplugs.” – Pitchfork  

“A hyper-catchy pop-rock record with some seriously dark overtones.” – Uproxx

“Infectious indie-pop-folk-punk.” – Vice

“Chicago indie rock heroes.” – The Last Donut of the Night

“Few indie bands are doing it better right now” (Stereogum) than Chicago’s Ratboys. This Friday, they’ll release their highly-anticipated new record, Singin’ to an Empty Chair, via New West Records. All of the singles thus far have received resounding support from critics and fans alike, and today, the band continues to tease the album with today’s “Penny in the Lake,” an irresistible post-country tune with a charming video directed by Bobby Butterscotch to match. Ratboys tracked the song live in a room together, while Julia Steiner later overdubbed incisive vocals with a smile: “Today’s gonna change my life / What’s for breakfast, Jesus Christ?”

“I wrote this song on a sunny summer day while sitting outside in my backyard, and then we recorded the album version up at the Driftless Cabin in Wisconsin, about as close to nature as we could get,” says Steiner. “We wanted everything to feel live and loose, and we chose to leave the final recording as unadorned as possible. Chris [Walla] dubbed this approach ‘photographic realism,’ and I love to think of the song that way, as a snapshot of our band in a room playing a song together, living in the moment and having a great time.”

In conjunction with their new track, Ratboys announce a surprise record release day show at Chicago’s Beat Kitchen this Friday, with 100% of the proceeds benefitting the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights and Albany Park Mutual Aid. Tickets are on sale now tomorrow, February 4th at 9am CST and will be gone in a flash.

For those not in Chicago, the band will play across the rest of North America, kicking off later this month. Dates are starting to sell out or have low tickets. Following, they’ll head to the UK and Europe for a newly-announced tour. A full list of dates can be found HERE (contact us with any requests)!