Ratboys is an American indie rock band formed in Notre Dame, Indiana in 2010 around Julia Steiner and Dave Sagan, now based in Chicago and blending indie rock with Americana and alt-country. The Window (2023) is the one that made critics sit up — start there or with Printer's Devil (2020). Explore Ratboys vinyl, CDs, and reissues at Wax Trax Records.
Ratboys formed in Notre Dame, Indiana in 2010 around Julia Steiner and Dave Sagan, who met while attending the University of Notre Dame. They subsequently relocated to Chicago. They have been associated with the contemporary American indie rock and Americana revival scenes alongside contemporaries like Saintseneca, Lomelda, and Ovlov. Their 2023 album The Window received critical attention and established them as one of the most distinctive contemporary indie rock acts. They have continued releasing material across multiple decades.
Ratboys's sound combines indie rock, Americana, alt-country, indie folk, alternative rock, and emo with Steiner's distinctive vocal delivery, intricate dual guitar arrangements, and lyrical content addressing relationships, mortality, family, and personal experience drawing on confessional songwriting traditions alongside contemporary indie rock and Americana influences.
Topshelf Records pressings of the Ratboys catalog have been issued in color variant editions and limited deluxe pressings.
Listeners new to Ratboys typically start with The Window (2023) or Printer's Devil (2020).
