{"title":"The Ratboys \"Singin' to an Empty Chair \"","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0628\/6550\/6520\/files\/Screenshot2025-10-27at17.webp?v=1768686444\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIndie rock stalwarts Ratboys release\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eSingin’ to an Empty Chair\u003c\/em\u003e, via New West Records,\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDespite its title,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eSingin’ to an Empty Chair\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eisn’t defined by what’s missing. Rather, it’s the beginning of an important dialogue with a close loved one vocalist\/guitarist Julia Steiner finds herself estranged from. The music on the band’s sixth studio album – its first for New West Records – fills the space that person left behind with 11 songs showcasing Ratboys' twangy, effervescent, as confident as they’ve ever been, and more emotionally interrogative than ever before. If the band’s last record, 2023’s widely-praised\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eThe Window\u003c\/em\u003e, was \"a level-up record,” then\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eSingin’ to an Empty Chair\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eis Ratboys at the peak of their powers. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo craft\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eSingin’ to an Empty Chair,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eJulia Steiner, guitarist Dave Sagan, drummer Marcus Nuccio, and bassist Sean Neumann decamped to a 75-acre plot of land in Wisconsin’s Driftless Area to write and demo the new songs. Months later, the group reconvened back at the same cabin to begin tracking with co-producer Chris Walla, the band’s trusted collaborator who also produced\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Window.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eAfter a one-week cabin session, Ratboys and Walla took the songs to Steve Albini’s famed Electrical Audio studio in Chicago, and later to Rosebud Studio in Evanston, Illinois, to finish recording. “We wanted to approach this record like it was a quilt,” Neumann says. “We recorded the songs in all these different places, so we approached it in a way where different songs had different scenes. Certain parts of songs were recorded in different spaces, and we switch back and forth between them throughout the record to help tell the story of each song.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSteiner is “[a] sharp-eyed lyricist” (Vulture), and nowhere is this more clear than on Singin’ to an Empty Chair. \"A big, overarching theme of this record is my attempt to document my experience being estranged from a close loved one,” she says. “The goal is to update this person on what's been going on in my life and to try to bridge that impasse and reach out a hand into the void.” S\u003cem\u003eingin’ to an Empty Chair\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003emarks the first Ratboys album written since Steiner began therapy. The title references a therapy exercise called “The Empty Chair” technique, during which a person attempts to have a difficult conversation with someone who’s not physically present, by speaking out loud to an empty chair and imagining that the person is really there.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“It's not all doom and gloom,” Steiner adds. Though\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eSingin’ to an Empty Chair\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003enavigates complex family dynamics, the band expertly weaves in candid honesty, chaos, and whimsy along the way. Humor finds its way into the conversation on the caffeinated anxiety anthem “Anywhere,” for which Steiner found inspiration in Sagan’s family dog. “Whenever Dave’s mom leaves the room, oh man, his whole world just falls apart,” she says. “You can see it in his face.  I think a lot of us can relate to that sort of anxious attachment style.” The accompanying video, directed by Bobby Butterscotch, is an amusing visualization of this type of relationship. Footage of the band ripping a performance in a fish store are woven with clips of a pet owner visiting various places across Chicago with his goldfish. \u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"the-ratboys-singin-to-an-empty-chair","title":"The Ratboys \"Singin' to an Empty Chair\"","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDespite its title, Ratboys’ new album Singin’ to an Empty Chair is not defined by what’s missing. Rather, it’s the beginning of an important dialogue with a close loved one, vocalist Julia Steiner finds herself estranged from. The music on the band’s sixth studio album – its first for New West Records – fills the space that person left behind with 11 songs showcasing Ratboys at the peak of their powers — twangy, effervescent, as confident as they’ve ever been, and perhaps more emotionally interrogative than ever before. The four-piece Chicago band followed up 2023’s highly acclaimed The Window by reconvening with co-producer Chris Walla to begin tracking at a rural Wisconsin cabin before taking the songs to Steve Albini’s famed Electrical Audio studios in Chicago and later to Rosebud Studio in Evanston, Illinois. The results veer from bubbly power-pop on “Anywhere” to irresistible post-country on “Penny in the Lake,” along with heart-piercing ballads like “Just Want You to Know the Truth” and an exhilarating detour into the extraterrestrial on “Light Night Mountains All That,” which Steiner dubs the band’s mammoth “wormhole jam.” Singin’ to an Empty Chair also marks the first Ratboys album written since Steiner began therapy, which the singer\/lyricist credits for the clarity found across the album’s unflinching examinations of relationship and self. Fittingly, as the album begins by extending a hand into the void, it concludes with a scene of serenity – all while weaving candid honesty, humor, chaos, and whimsy along the way. “It's not all doom and gloom,” Steiner says. “The experience of making this record definitely gives me hope for whatever happens next.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Ratboys","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51311412281560,"sku":"607396595914","price":29.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0628\/6550\/6520\/files\/Screenshot2025-10-27at17.webp?v=1772486529"},{"product_id":"the-ratboys-singin-to-an-empty-chair-repress","title":"The Ratboys \"Singin' to an Empty Chair\" (2026 Reissue)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDespite its title, Ratboys’ new album Singin’ to an Empty Chair is not defined by what’s missing. Rather, it’s the beginning of an important dialogue with a close loved one, vocalist Julia Steiner finds herself estranged from. The music on the band’s sixth studio album – its first for New West Records – fills the space that person left behind with 11 songs showcasing Ratboys at the peak of their powers — twangy, effervescent, as confident as they’ve ever been, and perhaps more emotionally interrogative than ever before. The four-piece Chicago band followed up 2023’s highly acclaimed The Window by reconvening with co-producer Chris Walla to begin tracking at a rural Wisconsin cabin before taking the songs to Steve Albini’s famed Electrical Audio studios in Chicago and later to Rosebud Studio in Evanston, Illinois. The results veer from bubbly power-pop on “Anywhere” to irresistible post-country on “Penny in the Lake,” along with heart-piercing ballads like “Just Want You to Know the Truth” and an exhilarating detour into the extraterrestrial on “Light Night Mountains All That,” which Steiner dubs the band’s mammoth “wormhole jam.” Singin’ to an Empty Chair also marks the first Ratboys album written since Steiner began therapy, which the singer\/lyricist credits for the clarity found across the album’s unflinching examinations of relationship and self. Fittingly, as the album begins by extending a hand into the void, it concludes with a scene of serenity – all while weaving candid honesty, humor, chaos, and whimsy along the way. “It's not all doom and gloom,” Steiner says. “The experience of making this record definitely gives me hope for whatever happens next.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Ratboys","offers":[{"title":"2xLP GREEN AND BROWN MARBLE w\/ ETCHING","offer_id":51434882531544,"sku":"607396706617","price":29.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0628\/6550\/6520\/files\/RB-STAEC-NEWVARIANT.jpg?v=1772486529"},{"product_id":"the-ratboys-singin-to-an-empty-chair-cs-1","title":"The Ratboys \"Singin' to an Empty Chair\" CS","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDespite its title, Ratboys’ new album Singin’ to an Empty Chair is not defined by what’s missing. Rather, it’s the beginning of an important dialogue with a close loved one, vocalist Julia Steiner finds herself estranged from. The music on the band’s sixth studio album – its first for New West Records – fills the space that person left behind with 11 songs showcasing Ratboys at the peak of their powers — twangy, effervescent, as confident as they’ve ever been, and perhaps more emotionally interrogative than ever before. The four-piece Chicago band followed up 2023’s highly acclaimed The Window by reconvening with co-producer Chris Walla to begin tracking at a rural Wisconsin cabin before taking the songs to Steve Albini’s famed Electrical Audio studios in Chicago and later to Rosebud Studio in Evanston, Illinois. The results veer from bubbly power-pop on “Anywhere” to irresistible post-country on “Penny in the Lake,” along with heart-piercing ballads like “Just Want You to Know the Truth” and an exhilarating detour into the extraterrestrial on “Light Night Mountains All That,” which Steiner dubs the band’s mammoth “wormhole jam.” Singin’ to an Empty Chair also marks the first Ratboys album written since Steiner began therapy, which the singer\/lyricist credits for the clarity found across the album’s unflinching examinations of relationship and self. Fittingly, as the album begins by extending a hand into the void, it concludes with a scene of serenity – all while weaving candid honesty, humor, chaos, and whimsy along the way. “It's not all doom and gloom,” Steiner says. “The experience of making this record definitely gives me hope for whatever happens next.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Ratboys","offers":[{"title":"GREEN","offer_id":51599530787032,"sku":"607396902910","price":13.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0628\/6550\/6520\/files\/CB8CDBD5-8FA2-4321-ADD2-573A15095263.jpg?v=1778185779"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0628\/6550\/6520\/collections\/Screenshot2025-10-27at17.webp?v=1768686450","url":"https:\/\/loudpizza.com\/collections\/the-ratboys-singin-to-an-empty-chair.oembed","provider":"LOUD PIZZA RECORDS","version":"1.0","type":"link"}