Introducing…. The Riptide Rats
Click Roll Boom: Tell me about how you got started T
he Riptide Rats: I think we started in 2022. Gus knew Fredrik from way back, and somehow Jocke from Chuck Norris Experiment turned out to be the neighbor. The plan was to jam ZZ Top riffs and drink beers… But we fell into surf instead. Gus is a surf freak, suddenly we had songs, and a band.
CRB: How would you describe your sound, and how it has evolved since you first started?
TRR: It’s simple but loud. Fender Jaguar or whatever Fender single coil guitar Gus feels for that day, reverb tank, Showman amp 15” JBL speakers, a little tremolo, a little fuzz, and drums with punch. It has a kind of vintage feel, modern punch. Bass that glues it all together. It’s gotten tighter, and more powerful since we started. We also have Erik, our 2nd guitar player that helps us out too.
CRB: Who or what have been some of your biggest influences, musically and beyond?
TRR: Too many to list, but in surf: Dick Dale, Slacktone, Los Straitjackets, Jon & The Nightriders, Link Wray. Then throw in Morricone, old horror flicks, punk, rock’n’roll.
CRB: What does your songwriting process typically look like – is it a more individual or collaborative effort?
TRR: Mostly individual. We all write. Sometimes someone brings a full song, sometimes it starts as a verse, or another part and we beat it into shape together. No big songwriting sessions, but maybe that would be fun to try out sometime.
CRB: How do you approach experimenting with new sounds or ideas when creating music?
TRR: We’ve got our own studio, so we mess around constantly. Usually, we lay down the core track first — drums, bass, main guitar — then we are messing around with more guitar parts or other instruments, other amps, pedals, until it’s wild and good enough. The mixing part is also a creative part where you shape the sound.
CRB: What’s been one of the most memorable moments in your journey so far?
TRR: This new album drops on November 22. We wrote it, recorded it, mixed it and now it’s coming out through Ghost Highway Recordings and Green Cookie Records. Doing it all ourselves and still landing great labels? Feels damn good.
CRB: How do you prepare for live shows, and what do you aim to bring to your performances?
TRR: Keep it raw, tight, and surf. We rehearse loud (too loud), show up ready, and play like it matters as it should.
CRB: How do you balance creative expressions with staying connected to your audience?
TRR: We play live as much as possible and put our music everywhere we can. As long as it’s honest and authentic, people connect.
CRB: What do you hope listeners take away from your work?
TRR: Ringing ears — hah! A good feeling, and a reminder that instrumental music can kick just as hard as anything with vocals. And hopefully more people, younger generation, get into instrumentals so the scene keeps growing and alive.
CRB: What does the future hold for you – any plans or goals you’re excited about?
TRR: Release party coming up. Then Helsinki, Finland for the Helsinki Must Be Destroyed Festival, more Swedish shows, and shows in Spain after that. Also working on our 2nd album and other collaborations etc. We are just getting started!
Thanks for having us!
The Rats
Gustav Wilhelmsson – Guitars
Fredrik Wallgren – Drums
Jocke Olsson – Bass
Official Webpage: www.riptiderats.com
Official web shop merch/audio: https://theriptiderats.bandcamp.com
AUDIO
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1H4GD3RldeXXGmkiayJrGm?si=E86Jn9TvRe6CT10A1Uj5zQ
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/riptiderats
VIDEO
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RiptideRats
Vimeo: www.vimeo.com/riptiderats
SOCIAL
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theriptiderats
Instagram: https://instagram.com/theriptiderats
