Video: Ratboys – “Have A Heart”

Chicago’s Ratboys have a soothing sound quite opposite of the kind of music their name might suggest. A little bit folk, a little bit indie rock, the foursome merges genres with seamless ease. Julia Steiner and Dave Sagan began the band as an acoustic duo but more recently formed into a full four-piece with bassist Will Lange and drummer Jordan Parel. “Have A Heart,” a song cut from their debut album AOID, uniquely showcases the band’s duality in genre and sound. Steiner’s lilting vocals tether the song’s delicate melody to its core as the surrounding instrumentation rises from fingerpicked acoustic guitar to a wall of gently raging electric guitar. In the video shot by Jake Karlson and Mike Giannoni, Steiner is convinced, while busking, to participate in a ritual of sorts that escalates with the growing frenzy of the song. The first single off of AOID, “Tixis,” can be heard below. AOID is out June 9th on Topshelf Records.

Ratboys are coming to Philly quite soon. They’ll be playing at Everybody Hits on May 27th with Sundials, MARGE, and Pocket. Find more info here.