In anticipation of the release of their new album "CRASH!", which was digitally released on Friday, June 26, RAT BOY has released the video for their latest single "HIGH LIFE". The new track combines the band's indie rock roots with the two-step/ska-punk energy that characterizes "CRASH!", conveying a sense of urgency through rapid bass lines and metronomic vocals. It addresses how far people will go in the pursuit of status and wealth – to the point of life and death.
"'HIGH LIFE' has everything we want to show," says Cardy, "pure energy when the four of us play in sync, and with Tim Armstrong on lead guitar. The song was created in about an hour, a mix of storytelling, crazy drumming, and fighting bass lines; it has become a blueprint for where we are going next."
The link to HIGH LIFE is as follows:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSo0cWKfa1c
The four-member band from Essex – Jordan Cardy (vocals & guitar), Harry Todd (guitar), Liam Haygarth (bass), and Noah Booth (drums) – collaborated with punk icon Tim Armstrong from Rancid for "CRASH!", merging the band's indie rock beginnings with their two-step/ska-punk evolution, which can be heard on "Internationally Unknown" (2019) and "SUBURBIA CALLING" (2024).
RAT BOY lifts the curtain behind their typically humorous lyrics and presents themselves on "CRASH!" as determined as ever. The 18-track album was recorded in the garden of singer-songwriter Suzi Quatro and co-produced by band members Cardy and Booth along with Tim Armstrong. With a DIY approach, the band set up two sheds in Quatro's garden and had Booth run back and forth between them to record and play drums – sometimes just barely making it in time.
"The room was not soundproof; it was a single, thin wooden room without insulation, so the drums sounded insane and live," explains Cardy. "We didn't have to put triggers on the drums; it's all real! We all shared a headphone mix over a splitter, and we could hardly hear what we were playing. I think it might have only been audible in one ear, so we had to trust that we were playing tight."
"CRASH!" summarizes the band's recent years of touring, inspired by audiences across Europe, a raw energy, and pure passion not seen in decades. With an eye on live performances, the band rehearsed the recorded pieces, determined to create something that evokes this relentless liveliness. Songs like "MAKE ME STAY" and "NO STARS" capture that raw aesthetic of the mid-90s, catchy hooks, and the rebellious spirit that defined an entire era. Between the bright, crisp guitar riffs and the deep, rumbling bass lines, there is no doubt that RAT BOY has hit the sweet spot.
The artwork for CRASH! was just as thoughtful and DIY as the album's approach. Cardy explains: "I wanted the process to be as close as possible to how it would have been done before the computer age, so that the artwork feels authentic and remains rooted in a physical, handcrafted tradition. Just as the album itself relies on rawness and immediacy, I didn't want the artwork to feel overly polished or digitally constructed."
RAT BOY celebrated a spectacular comeback in 2024, blending ska, punk, hip-hop, and hardcore on their third album "SUBURBIA CALLING". They also delivered energetic live shows, filling venues with performances that featured both new songs and fan favorites from their debut album "SCUM" – which reached the UK Top 15 – and the album "INTERNATIONALLY UNKNOWN" co-created with Tim Armstrong.
RAT BOY LIVE 2026
30.10.2026 Nuremberg - Löwensaal
31.10.2026 Erfurt - HSD
19.11.2026 AT-Salzburg - Rockouse
20.11.2026 AT-Vienna - Szene
