An Interview With The Rat Utopia Experiment

An addicting and thrashing new single from The Rat Utopia Experiment delivers a classic sort of grunge-oriented garage pop-rock and punk soiree complete with gritty fuzz tone guitars, rambunctious and animated vocals, and a story to follow to boot.

This is a track that reminds me of a slew of classic riot-rock and garage rock bands that I grew up loving and it's amazing how this youthful band captures this wild energy so damn well that it becomes something that wraps itself around you and keeps you right where it wants to.

Track is called "Creature Comfort", and wastes very little time getting straight to the point with not only the story and premise but also the drive that the band delivers.

One of my absolute favorite aspects about this entire track is the fact that the energy is so raw and through the roof the entire time.

It feels almost like this entire band recorded this song live on the floor and everyone involved was just feeding off of each other's energies the entire time.

You have this alive and breathing, clothes fisted and edgy classic punk energy thriving throughout the veins of this song, but it actually has as much theatrical color as it does edginess and punch.

This is the kind of song that draws your attention. You get pulled into it because it tells a great story and does it as if you're reading it right out of a book.

It can also be taken in different ways depending on who's listening. Too many, this could be taken completely politically. But to others, it can be taken a little bit more personally as well. It depends on who's listening, and for me, it was this vibrant and sort of vivacious but almost dirty aesthetic that really grabbed me.

These guys bring in elements of grunge in the guitar tones, garage pop and the songwriting, punk rock in the songwriting as well, and just create their own thing while still clinging to the music that they thrived off of. The music and bands that each band member feeds off of and made them want to become a musician are all sort of rolled into this one track, and you can hear it.

You can hear those different influences coming in. You have the bass guitar tone that's rolling but rattling, thick but with that vintage punk high-end as well.

This is something that hits like a sucker punch to the gut and I mean that in the best way humanly possible.

I grew up listening to all kinds of grunge, garage, riot-rock, and more, and this band certainly thrived off those classic mid to late '80s and early '90s underground heavy rock genres for this track.

They nailed that feel and vibe super well to the point where I got a little hints of nostalgia as I was listening.

They have that youthful, closed-fisted, trashy looseness, but the song is actually tight.

The looseness is in the tone.

I feel like this band puts a lot of attention into the tones of their instruments and that's why they're able to bring out this classic grunge punk garage and riot-rock approach and soundscape so damn well.

But, as I mentioned earlier, you have to have the right energy to pull that off. This entire band, not just the vocalist, but the entire band, crushes every aspect of bringing on that high-end fiery kind of energy that basically slaps you in the face to get your attention.

That's what I want from bands like this, and they definitely deliver.

You even get that sort of wobbly non-complicated riot-rock guitar solo in there. The kind that you'd hear from bands like seven year bitch, for example.

This was endlessly fun, and for someone who grew up listening to bands like that during that time, I absolutely want to hold on to the song Forever.

Now, upon listening to this track, I took a bit of a deep dive into the band's back catalog and came across a record released earlier this year called No Hit Wonders.

This record was amazing. The riffs, the guitar approach, that live performance feel, and almost theatrical punk rock underbelly, it's all there and right in your face.

There are definitely some surprises around its corners, but if you like "Creature Comfort", you're going to love this record as well.

This brings us back to real bands. It brings us back to the bands where you show it to your friends, and they either hate it or love it. There's no in between. No one listens to a band like this and goes " yeah, it's pretty cool". 

They either go "this is SICK", or "what the hell are you listening to?", and even the latter is a compliment coming from the right people.

I loved every second of this and cannot wait to hear what this band puts out next, but in the meantime, we got to speak to the band to find out more about where things are headed.

Here's what went down.

Buzz Slayers: I'm hearing a few different approaches to this song! Who are some of your biggest musical influences?

For this song specifically, we took a lot of inspiration from riot grrrl bands like Bikini Kill and Jack Off Jill for both structure, chords and production. The anti-establishment ideas for the lyrics and the production on tone of the vox and drums!

Buzz Slayers: When did this all start for you as a band?

We started about three years ago after Phia, Evan and Maddox met during a music summer camp in Tacoma called Live It Out Loud. We’ve been through a lot of member changes since then, and at the beginning of this year, Francis and Casey auditioned to be in the band as our bassist and guitarist, respectively. Ever since then we’ve been pumping out a lot more music and performing better than we ever have :)

Buzz Slayers: Are you performing live right now? Any touring in support of this release?

We are performing live all around Washington!! We play up in Seattle often, as well as in our hometown, Tacoma, and lately as far up as Bellingham or down south as Olympia. Unfortunately we are not touring yet because a couple of us are still in high school or college, but we would love to next summer—at least soon.

Buzz Slayers: Did you record this in a home studio setup, or did you go to a big studio for this?

We went to Pacific Studios in Downtown Tacoma. It’s not a huge studio, but definitely not a home studio—it’s got a professional set-up and we love working in there. 

Buzz Slayers: Now that this is out, what's next for you as a band?

We’re working on getting out possibly a small EP, but our biggest goal is an album, the 14-track kind. We’ve started demoing and discussing the tone and flow of the album, but it’s still in a loose conceptual stage. 

Buzz Slayers: Who's in all your headphones right now?

Phia: Bob Dylan, Stone Temple Pilots

Evan: Scars on Broadway, Ornette Coleman, Billy Woods

Casey: My Chemical Romance, The Black Dahlia Murder, Sleeping With Sirens, Sleep Token

Maddox: Dark Moor, The Sword, Hellripper, also MCR, Avenged Sevenfold, Savatage, Flotsam & Jetsam

Francis: The Strokes

Buzz Slayers: This was a pretty big track! Was it a big undertaking? How long did it take to finish this?

It took a while to put out, mostly because of last-minute changes and vocal takes (blame Phia). After recording the instrumentals, the guitars and bass went back in about a month later to re-record their tracks. It wasn’t until two months after the initial recording session that the final vocal take was done. So, about two months total. Really proud of the final product!!!!

Buzz Slayers: What would you tell people they can expect on this release?

A lot of excessive swearing, but it’s a fun, danceable song that people can get angry to.

Buzz Slayers: Before we go, what would you like to express to fans of the music? 

Thank you guys for sticking with us through our trials and tribulations!!! We love you!!!

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