Ratboys

10 years ago this April, Chicago’s Ratboys put out their first collection of songs. The RATBOY EP, consisting of five indie-folk dorm room recordings, was free to download on Bandcamp and humbly passed around to friends on social media. 

Cut to 2021, and Ratboys would normally be celebrating their 10-year anniversary on the road, playing a mix of songs from their very first release to their most recent, last year’s critically-acclaimed Printer’s Devil. Instead, just two weeks after the album’s February 2020 release and mere days before heading out on their first headline tour, the COVID-19 pandemic forced all touring to a halt. Despite not being able to play in-person shows for the past year, Ratboys has managed to stay busy by performing their music online via their own Virtual Tour series and by finding a different way to celebrate their first decade of being a band.

@ratboysband

0 seconds ago

Talks

Best of 2023: Sufjan Stevens’s Javelin Blew Ratboys Away

By Ratboys | January 2, 2024

Best of 2023: Sufjan Stevens’s Javelin Blew Ratboys Away

Julia Steiner on her favorite record of the year.

El Kempner Loves That Ratboy Shit

By Ratboys | August 24, 2023

El Kempner Loves That Ratboy Shit

The Palehound frontperson catches up with Julia Steiner about their new records.

A Guide to Ratboys’ Happy Birthday, Ratboy

By Ratboys | April 12, 2021

A Guide to Ratboys’ Happy Birthday, Ratboy

The Chicago band takes us track-by-track through their new album.