Dutch indie quartet Rats on Rafts formed in 2005, taking influence from new wave and post-punk bands like Echo & the Bunnymen, the Teardrop Explodes, and fellow countrymen the Ex. The Rotterdam-based group consists of members David Fagan (vocals, guitar), Arnoud Verheul (guitar), Florian Veenhuis (bass), and Joris Frowein (drums). A self-released EP called So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish arrived in 2008, but it was a 2010 cover of Dutch new wave band Kiem’s single “The Moneyman” that gave them their first break. Rats on Rafts signed with indie Subroutine Records to release their debut album, The Moon Is Big, in 2011 and were eventually picked up by Universal-affiliated TopNotch Records, which reissued it nationwide the following year. Their more experimental follow-up, Tape Hiss, arrived in 2015 and received international exposure thanks to British indie Fire Records. ~ Timothy Monger
Loués par leurs aînés de Franz Ferdinand à Echo & The Bunnymen, Rats on Rafts, de Rotterdam, n’a pas usurpé sa belle réputation. Un pied dans le garage psyché et l’autre dans la new wave, le groupe a récemment injecté une bonne dose de post punk dans son cocktail imparable.
