We’re super-excited to be speaking today with acclaimed rock band, The Rattlebacks; greetings and salutations, gang! Before we dive into the proverbial Q&A mosh-pit, could you each say ‘hi’ and introduce yourselves to our ever-inquisitive readers?

In true rock’n’roll fashion I can confirm that everybody totally missed this question…… However, I (Coxy) am not one to shy away from the limelight *shakes hair in majestic Rock fashion* so I shall be the filler you didn’t know you needed!

We are a bunch of twenty somethings trying our hardest to make the wider rock audience feel excited about their genre once again. We are truly passionate about attempting to deliver just that to the genre that has given us all our induvial and collective identities. I am sure your readers will agree that within our little hard rock niche there is very little to get excited about and it is our job to light the touch paper of rock and restart a movement middle fingers and leather. Was that a Judas Priest album?

Major congratulations on your freshly-minted new single Rattleback which is set to premiere this coming Friday, September 15! Coxy, what inspired this absolute gem of a tune?

Why thank you, you can certainly ask us questions again! Well, the inspiration came from my guitar hero that is Max Horn. He had this idea knocking about since he was 13, I had heard snippets of it through the years before we put the Band together. One day he sends me a very complete, as yet untitled, version of Rattleback and I was BLOWN away. With its three verses it is devilishly hypnotic and that really was a catalyst to inspire the later lyrical content. Of course we all added our own individual charm to it, but really the only input I had was to extend Max’s solo as I simply enjoyed it too much to hear it end! All in all, I think that we got very lucky that a song essentially named after our band is a good one, it worked for Bad Company?

Max, who was the producer on Rattleback and what did the collaboration between band and producer look like in the studio?

The drums were produced by a good friend of the band Chris Allan, a very talented session drummer. The guitars, bass & vocals were all produced by our very own Jack Hollamby! The record came together when it was all handed to Dave Holmes of Lightship 95 Studios who really brought the songs to life at the mix & master stage. It was great having Chris & Jack produce the record, we get on very well as a unit and so the process was seamless. In terms of post-production, Dave is an absolute God of his craft and always a pleasure to work with.

Jack, how is Rattleback different from some of the past music of the band? How is it similar?

Rattleback at it’s essence is the passion that started The Rattlebacks. It is the hard driven attitude that we felt has been missing from rock music. Rattleback has been written for quite a while, but we have waited until we could get it to it’s full potential to release it. It is a true testament to our beginnings while clearly showing where we’re headed.

Seth, what differentiates Rattleback from the Distinguished Competition on the 2023 music landscape?

We have the fire in our bellies to bring rock and roll back to its former glory. The riffs the boys put out are enough to scrunch up faces and makes heads move and Josh makes sure the vocals are delivered on a silver platter for all to hear. And the drummers pretty sick too…..

Josh, you deliver such a fiery and utterly unforgettable vocal tour de force in Rattleback! What about this new single appealed or spoke to you as an artist?

Thank you, I do try my best! There’s just this sense of ferocity about it, paired with a creepy sleaze throughout the verses, it’s a fun one to let loose on and really get into that demented character in live shows. For me it is a fast paced catchy singalong that audiences can pick up with ease!

Coxy, on the heels of the September 15 release of the new single, The Rattlebacks have a brand-spankin’ new EP entitled Kink which is set to debut on Friday, November 17! Can you give fans a hint or three as to what they can expect in this blisteringly hot EP?

You’ve got a concoction of hard rock bangers at your disposal, its groove riddled I tell you! We believe rock fans are crying out for a band to believe in, with the flair, chops, hunger, and attitude that they correctly demand. Kink is an EP that perfectly demonstrates what a hard rock band is supposed to sound like before they get an opportunity in a high-end studio, it’s raw. These tracks, like all Rattlebacks tracks, are us playing live together and the mistakes are worn as badge of honour. If you want pristine production stick to Capital Radio, rock fans can see past that, and I hope they enjoy hearing our band in this era. Rock music has never been about perfection, it is about five musicians fighting to wrestle their instruments into submission and personally I enjoy that rawness of this record, I hope you do too.

Max, with the release of all of this amazing new music, can we look forward to an LP release from The Rattlebacks sometime in 2024?

Damn right you can! It’s all in the works as we speak. Of course we don’t want to reveal too much, but you’ll get a Rattlebacks album in 2024 and it’s going to be a big step up for us both musically and production-wise.

Jack, what does the touring/performing dance card look like for The Rattlebacks in the coming weeks and months?

While we chase this collective dream of ours, we are all needing to put bread on the table. So while running “day jobs” we are dedicating as much time as we can to our passion. We’re looking pretty full for most weekends between the end quarter 2023 and February 2024. Really excited to see places we’ve never seen and play to many new faces!

A question for all of you: Who inspires you musically?

Josh: I got into Rock properly when I was around 11, living with my Grandma, I was listening to an acoustic Bon Jovi CD when she asked me “Josh, have you heard the originals?” 11 year old me didn’t quite understand the concept, but once I put the CD on my life changed forever. Later on there are some key standouts that attribute to my vocal journey, Alter Bridge, A7X, Audioslave & Rival Sons have some of the best modern rock vocals.

Max: Musically I’m personally inspired by a huge variety of not only guitar players but also musicians in general. Guys from Robert Johnson, David Gilmour, BB King all the way through bands like Alice In Chains, & RATM and beyond.

Coxy: A similar journey to Josh really. I was on a bus at 11 years old and three songs from Appetite for Destruction came on Jungle, Sweet Child and Paradise City. It wouldn’t be an understatement to say my life changed from there, I identified with something for the first time. Into my teenage years The Rev’s groove and the way he attacked a beat had a massive influence on me, I take the “Rhythm” part of Rhythm Guitar very seriously because of that. If it makes me bop my head, or I feel that attitude them I’m sold! GROOOOOOOVE BABY.

Jack: My dad really drove my musical passion growing up. With rock music constantly being played in the house. The likes of AC/DC, George Thorogood and Led Zeppelin being spun. This led me down that path yearning for phat riffs and guitar based music. I really got into bass playing when I discovered my all time favourite band Tool!

Seth: My younger self loved rock, metal and the likes of. Thomas Pridgen, The Rev, Nicko McBrain, John Bonham, Gavin Harrison, Tony Royster Jr etc. But now personally I’m a lover of jazz, hip hop, funk and all the in-between.

Seth, at the end of the day what do you hope listeners walk away with after giving many-a spin to the new single Rattleback and the upcoming Kink EP?

Hopefully the bloody CD and a t-shirt!!! Ha! But I will settle for a newfound love of band delivering classic rock attitude into the modern world of music. Personally, I am just thankful that I didn’t blow myself up whilst filming the “Rattleback” music video, so you better watch it!

https://linktr.ee/TheRattlebacks