Rats On Rafts

Rotterdam’s Rats On Rafts—David Fagan, Arnoud Verheul, Natasha van Waardenburg, and Guus van Tiem—released their second album Tape Hiss in 2015, followed by the single “Some Velvet Morning” in 2016. That year, they collaborated with Dutch punk/brass ensemble De Kift, creating a fully analogue album by reimagining each other’s music. Known for explosive live shows, they’ve toured Europe and played festivals like Glastonbury, Eurosonic, and Le Guess Who, supporting Pere Ubu along the way. In 2019, they joined Franz Ferdinand on tour in Japan, playing to large arenas. Their 2021 release, Excerpts From Chapter 3, was a concept album that explored fragmented, rhythmic journeys through mood swings, thunderstorms, and digital reminders of time’s passage—all recorded analog. Now, in 2024, the band returns with Deep Below, set to release on February 7, 2025, through Fire Records. This darker, slower album sees them diving into brooding, barren soundscapes, evoking echoes of The Cure, Cocteau Twins, and Slowdive, yet maintaining their unique voice. Deep Below explores the depths of human psyche, questioning relationships with nature, religion, and each other, as Rats on Rafts come of age while emerging from the underground.