Dirty Rats new album interview damn these guys rock!!

Dirty Rats were originally a 5 piece rock band that were very active in the Melbourne pub rock scene from the mid to late 1980's. The band released a 4 song EP in 1987 and played extensively throughout Victoria, as well as interstate festivals such as Ponde 88 until internal pressures caused the band to implode and eventually fold in the early 90's. Smashcut forward 25 years and the Rats are back, with a new line up, but still playing “old school” hard rock, trying to stay faithful to the sound the band had in the 80s when we were all fresh faced and optimistic, and had hair and stuff.

This current line up is a leaner and meaner 4 piece with original member, Jamie Beovich on bass along with Wayne (Richie Rat) Rich on vocals, Anthony (Chooka) Chapple on guitar, Andy Thomson on drums and has brought the Dirty Rats kicking and screaming into 2018, while still retaining our hard rock roots and sound. Dirty Rats are a little older and worn around the edges, but still produce some of the best rock coming out of Melbourne today, and always give one of the best live performances you’ll see in this town.

We started seriously writing and arranging for our current album, Rock n Roll, around mid 2016 and recorded later that same year for release in 2017. Jamie and Andy came up with the idea that the album should just be recorded “live”, just go in and play as if we were doing a gig, and I reckon that was the best way to go, as it gave the album that rough and ready feel that we were after. We have always been a tight band musically with a good feel for how we each perform, so most tracks were recorded in just one or two takes. We had to do some overdubs with the guitar parts due to some changes in guitarists, but otherwise we just got stuck in and got it done. We have since been signed to Sliptrick Records who will be releasing the album worldwide on December 4th 2018.

We have always primarily been a working band, so we are still gigging in venues around Melbourne, playing original sets with other original bands. We recorded our performance at the Bendigo Hotel in Collingwood Victoria in February this year and a selection from that set has been put together for a four track EP called Dirty Rats – Live at the Bendigo Hotel (imaginative title eh?) The EP was released on all digital platforms including Spotify, www.dirtyratsband.com, Itunes and Amazon on the 13th of April and will be a nice little treat for fans until our new album is ready to go.

We have been writing new material for probably the last 6 months or so and working a couple of the new songs into our live sets to see if they go over, and so far that hasn’t been too bad. There have been more hits than misses, and we will more than enough to record our new album by the middle of the year. We have been madly arranging to get them to where we want them, and there are some absolute crackers, so we cant wait to get them into the studio in October this year. Hopefully the new album will be out around early 2019 and we can build on the audience we have both here and overseas with maybe a couple of small promotional tours to raise our profile a bit including a tour of the US midwest in 2019. Either way, I think more people are going to hear our music, either live or through their preferred streaming service, and I reckon that’s what makes it all worth it.

*Note from Wes J owner of Metal Coffee and the Grinder. If you are unfamiliar with the rats I hold them not only as friends but also as a major accomplishment for Metal Coffee PR. Not a young hip rap metal band with bass drops and 4 drummers , Not a metal core , death core , djent , melodeath blah blah blah a bunch of old dudes in the middle of nowhere Austraila and as soon as I heard them I said these old F*%#ers ROCK! And I helped them sign a record deal. Who is a badass???! Well I am but The Dirty Rats are what rock n roll should be ugly , dangerous and a big middle finger with hooks that stick in your head I am proud to represent them and I caught up with them to discuss their new album

1.Thanks for taking the time to talk to The Grinder! You have a new album out, Tell us about it!

Our new album is called “End in Tears” and consists of 13 new songs ranging from hard driving rock, drinking anthems and even a bit of old school blues to shake things up a little.  We started writing about 12 months ago, cutting and changing songs as we performed them around the traps in Melbourne, till we had them nice and tight and just how we wanted them. We then went back to Andy Fernandez at Singing Bird Studios in Frankston and got him to work his magic for us again

2.Where was it recorded? Is all the material new?

All the material is new, songs we have been performing for the last 12 months or so, getting them just how we wanted them using audience reaction and trial and error, seeing what worked and what didnt.  Jamie wrote the music and I wrote the lyrics and Chooka and Andy jumped in to help with the arrangements. Once they were right, we popped down to Frankston to the studio and got busy.

3.What is the biggest difference between your last release and the new one?

I loved the last album, it was raw and honest and showed all the blood sweat and tears that had been shed over the last 30 years as a working Melbourne pub band.  We were able to put all the ghosts from the past to rest with Rock n Roll.  This new album is the rebirth of the new and improved Dirty  Rats, all brand new, freshly written songs, blasting into the 21st century with all the sounds and attitude of 80's pub rock, but better. Does that make sense? Who cares, this album is a cracker and is gonna blow your socks off.

4.Are you signed to a label? , If so which one and how did they help or support the process?

Our last album was released by Sliptrick, but we are not sure if we are staying with them for this release or moving on. I guess it all depends what sort of offer we get.  At the moment, End in Tears is an independant release and it is all us. We wrote it, arranged it, produced it and paid for it. So get into it.

5.What has been going on with the band between albums? Did you tour?

We have played shows in and around Melbourne and had plans for a big American tour this year, but alas, the US visa process defeated us to the point where we ran out of time and had to cancel the tour.  Never mind, we will regroup, learn from our mistakes, and try again another time.

6.Do you have any new members?

No, all our members are the same for this album as they were for the last. I even managed to keep my various personalities in line for some consistency for a change

7.Who produced the new album and how did they effect the album?

Andy Fernandez of Singing Bird Studios in Frankston Victoria was the producer of this album because we were really happy with his work on the last album. Jamie and Andy worked very closely with him on the mix and made some final touches before mastering, and the general effect has been that we still have that raw live sound, but the guitar has been brought forward a bit more, as we felt it was a little soft on the last album.  I think the sound on this one is great.

8.Some like to record naked or in the dark with candles , Did you have any strange studio practices?

Nothing that I would call strange. We eat pizza, call each other names, the flatulance would kill a mallee bull, but otherwise it's pretty straight forward. We would all rather be performing in front of an audience than in a studio, so we like to just get in there, record stuff, then get out. Did I mention the flatulance? You really dont want to hang around too long, and no naked flames.

9.Of course tell us where to pick up your album and how to learn more about you.

End in Tears is going to be available for pre-order on the 1st of October and then will be released on Friday the 13th of December on all digital platforms, spotify, iTunes, Apple Music etc.  You can also download the album at our website at www.dirtyratsband.com. We will also have physical CD's available for purchase through the website and at gigs, as well as some really unique USB cards pre-loaded with End in Tears.  Anywhere you usually get your music, you should be able to get our album (but it would be really cool if you got it from www.dirtyratsband.com).

10.What is your plans now that the new album is out?

We plan to hit the road and play some shows around Australia to promote the album. We are really keen to tour overseas next year and have had some interest for tours in Japan and Europe, so we will just have to wait and see.  All in all we just want to get our music out to the world, and Aussie pub rock is enjoying a real re-surgence of late, so give us a go, you might just like us!.