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For similarly-named groups and people, see Ratboy (disambiguation)
Ratboys
Ratboys performing in Chicago, Illinois in 2020
Background information
OriginChicago, Illinois
GenresIndie rock, post-country, indie folk, emo
Years active2010 (2010)–present
LabelsTopshelf, Friend of Mine Records
Members
  • Julia Steiner
  • David Sagan
  • Marcus Nuccio
  • Sean Neumann
Past membersWill Lange
WebsiteOfficial website

Ratboys are an American indie rock band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 2010 by Julia Steiner and Dave Sagan. The band consists of Julia Steiner (guitar, vocals), Dave Sagan (guitar), Marcus Nuccio (drums) and Sean Neumann (bass, vocals).

Founded by songwriters Julia Steiner and Dave Sagan during their time studying at Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, the band relocated back to Sagan's hometown of Chicago in 2015 and released its debut album AOID that same year on Topshelf Records. Neumann joined the band as full-time member in 2016 and Nuccio joined shortly thereafter in 2017. The band released its second album, GN, in 2017 and began gaining acclaim while touring with other rising acts like PUP, Soccer Mommy, Diet Cig, Wild Pink, and more. Rolling Stone named GN one of the "15 Great Albums You Probably Didn't Hear in 2017", while Uproxx rock critic Steven Hyden named the album one of the best albums of the year.[1][2]

Ratboys released their third studio album, Printer's Devil, in 2020 to more critical praise. MTV called Printer's Devil "the best album of their career," while Pitchfork hailed the album's depth as "comforting and sobering all at once."[3][4] A year later in 2021, they released their fourth studio album, Happy Birthday, Ratboy, named to celebrate the band's 10 year anniversary. This album featured the band's top track, "Go Outside", which was featured in a Walmart ad campaign.

Their fifth studio album, The Window, was released on August 25, 2023 through Topshelf Records. It was recorded in Seattle, Washington with Chris Walla of Death Cab for Cutie. Chicago Tribune called the album, "[T]he most confident, assured version of the Chicago band's music."[5]

History

[edit]

Ratboys was formed in the fall of 2010 when Steiner and Sagan met each other at freshman orientation while studying at Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. The pair released their first piece of music together, putting out a cover of "Spiderweb," a song originally written by Champaign, Illinois band Easter. Two years later, Ratboys released their first EP titled Ratboy.[6][7]

In May 2014, Ratboys released two songs, Space Blows and Collected and embarked on their first small tour with future bassist Sean Neumann's band Single Player (later known as Jupiter Styles) that summer in a few cities around the Midwest.[8]

On June 9, 2015, Ratboys released their debut studio album via Topshelf Records titled AOID.[9][10][11] The band embarked on their first full United States tours in support of the album, touring the United States and Europe with American bands like Pinegrove, Sorority Noise, Free Throw, Dowsing, and others.[citation needed]

In late 2016, Neumann officially joined the band. Sagan and Neumann knew each other from growing up in Chicago's southern suburbs and have played music together since their teens.[12]

In June 2017, Ratboys released their second full-length album titled GN on Topshelf Records, which began to earn the band widespread media attention from outlets like NPR, Fader, MTV, and others.[13][14][15] Rolling Stone named GN one of the "15 Great Albums You Probably Didn't Hear in 2017", writing that the "songs are full of shakily proud unburdenings and fun imagination."[16]

Shortly after the release of GN, the band solidified its lineup by adding drummer Marcus Nuccio after he filled in for the band on drums during Ratboys' tour with his band Pet Symmetry.

Ratboys toured heavily in support of GN, touring for two years across the United States, Canada, Europe, and Japan. During that time, Ratboys toured with bands such as Soccer Mommy, Pup, Diet Cig, Vundabar, Wild Pink, Slingshot Dakota, Pet Symmetry, and more.[17][18][19]

On November 12, 2019, Ratboys announced their third full-length album, Printer's Devil, which was released on February 28, 2020. Along with the announcement, the band released a new song titled "Alien With A Sleep Mask On", as well as a US tour in support of the album.[20][21]

Steiner and Sagan wrote the bulk of Printer's Devil while staying in Louisville, Kentucky at Steiner's empty childhood home, which her parents were in the process of selling at the time, which heavily influenced the album's lyricism. The band recorded the album in Chicago, Illinois in the winter of 2018 at Decade Music Studios with producer and engineer Erik Rasmussen. It was also the first time the band's current lineup wrote and recorded new music all together.[22]

Printer's Devil received critical praise upon its release. Pitchfork gave the album a 7.7 rating and wrote that Steiner's lyrics give "a wistful metaphor for growing up" that fill the listener with "innocuous signifiers of the passage of time that carry weight only in the rare moments we pause to consider them." MTV said Ratboys made "the best album of their career" and credited the band's newly found "big" sound to be credit to their experience playing in front of larger crowds with bands like PUP, while noting the addition of Neumann and Nuccio, who grew up with extensive backgrounds in Midwestern punk scenes alongside Sagan.[23][24]

On March 1, 2021, Ratboys released a new single titled "Go Outside" on Topshelf Records, which was then included on their studio album Happy Birthday, Ratboy later that year.[25]

The band spent much of 2024 opening for The Decemberists on a U.S. Tour.[26]

Band members

[edit]
  • Julia Steiner – vocals / lyrics, guitar
  • David Sagan – guitar
  • Sean Neumann – bass, vocals
  • Marcus Nuccio – drums

Other live members

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  • Ian Paine-Jesam – drums
  • Evan Loritsch – drums
  • Nnamdi Ogbonnaya – drums
  • Danny Lyons – drums
  • Cody Owens – trumpet

Discography

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Studio albums

EPs

  • Ratboy (2011, Swerp)
  • GL (2018, Topshelf)
  • GL (8-Bit Version) (2018, Topshelf)

Other songs

  • Covers Compilation for AFSP (2018, Comp For AFSP) – "I Don't Want To Live On The Moon (Sesame Street)"

References

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  1. ^ "15 Great Albums You Probably Didn't Hear in 2017". rollingstone.com. Rolling Stone. December 19, 2017. Archived from the original on January 23, 2021. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  2. ^ "Steven Hyden's Favorite Albums of 2017". Uproxx. December 5, 2017. Archived from the original on January 25, 2021. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  3. ^ "SpongeBob Memes and Childhood Artifacts Inspired Ratboys's Best Album Yet". MTV News. Archived from the original on February 25, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  4. ^ "Ratboys: Printer's Devil". Pitchfork.com. Pitchfork. Archived from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  5. ^ "Chicago band Ratboys new album 'The Window'". Chicago Tribune. August 24, 2023. Archived from the original on August 26, 2023. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  6. ^ Sacher, Andrew (May 14, 2015). "Ratboys releasing debut LP on Topshelf, touring". Brooklyn Vegan. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  7. ^ "Ratboys Grow up | Newcity Music". New City Music. February 21, 2020. Archived from the original on September 22, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  8. ^ Lemanski, Mary (May 22, 2015). "Live Review: Ratboys at Beat Kitchen". Music Connection. Archived from the original on October 6, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  9. ^ Caruso, Drew. "Ratboys Stream Debut LP, 'AOID'". Under the Gun Review. Archived from the original on May 28, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  10. ^ Davidson, Eric. "Listen: Ratboys – AOID Album Stream, Plus Tour Dates". CMJ. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  11. ^ "Chicago's Ratboys Streaming Debut 'AOID' LP On Culture Collide". Top40-charts.com. Archived from the original on July 13, 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  12. ^ "Jupiter Styles | Sean Neumann (Ratboys) Brings Heartfelt Grit-Rock to Your Earbuds with "Be Good"". WGN Radio. February 27, 2019. Archived from the original on February 28, 2019. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  13. ^ Helman, Peter (June 27, 2017). "Stream Ratboys GN". Stereogum. Archived from the original on July 1, 2017. Retrieved June 29, 2017.
  14. ^ Bloss, Joseph (June 28, 2017). "Ratboys' new album GN proves the world needs more "post-country"". WXPN. Archived from the original on June 28, 2017. Retrieved June 29, 2017.
  15. ^ "Ratboys Tells a Gorgeous Childhood Story on "Control"". Fader. Archived from the original on June 21, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  16. ^ "15 Great Albums You Probably Didn't Hear in 2017". Rolling Stone. December 19, 2017. Archived from the original on January 23, 2021. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  17. ^ "Diet Cig at Bowery Ballroom (September 8, 2017)". weallwantsomeone.org. November 4, 2017. Archived from the original on October 7, 2023. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  18. ^ "Soccer Mommy and Ratboys live at Brighton Music Hall in Allston". Vanyaland. December 10, 2018. Archived from the original on August 8, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  19. ^ "Ratboys // US Tour with PUP". Topshelf Records. January 18, 2019. Archived from the original on June 3, 2019. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  20. ^ Gersten, Amanda (November 12, 2019). "Ratboys Share Lost-in-Space Video for "Alien with a Sleep Mask On"". Paste. Archived from the original on July 13, 2024. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
  21. ^ Sacher, Andrew (November 13, 2019). "Ratboys announce new album 'Printer's Devil' & tour, share new song/video". BrooklynVegan. Archived from the original on December 14, 2019. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
  22. ^ "Ratboys Grow up | Newcity Music". New City Music. February 21, 2020. Archived from the original on September 22, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  23. ^ "Ratboys: Printer's Devil". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  24. ^ "SpongeBob Memes and Childhood Artifacts Inspired Ratboys's Best Album Yet". MTV News. Archived from the original on February 25, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  25. ^ "Ratboys - "Go Outside"". March 2021. Archived from the original on February 24, 2022. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  26. ^ Corcoran, Nina (February 6, 2024). "The Decemberists Announce Tour, Share First New Song in Six Years". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on February 26, 2024. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
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