RatTrap Are Bringing Chaos, Sweat and Proper Indie Rock to the South West
- 8 hours ago
- 3 min read
If RatTrap have their way, the South West indie scene is about to get a lot louder.
Made up of five musicians from completely different corners of the UK, the rapidly rising band have built a reputation around sweaty live shows, sharp indie rock hooks and enough on-stage energy to leave venues shaking by the end of the night.
And honestly? They wouldn’t want it any other way.
“We are all about playing authentic proper indie rock,” the band told Entertainment Dorset. “Being a bit rough around the edges and causing a bit of disruption to the scene while we’re at it.”
That attitude runs straight through everything RatTrap do.
Formed while studying at university in the South West, the band’s beginnings were anything but polished. Originally starting life as a cover band before evolving into something much bigger, RatTrap came together through what can only be described as a series of wonderfully chaotic coincidences involving singing auditions, broken bands, university rehearsals and even Getty Images connections.
Drummer James eventually joined after spotting the band playing live with drum tracks.
“He noticed we didn’t have a drummer and tried to ask Ed mid-gig if we needed one,” they explained.
The result is a band that feels glued together by chemistry rather than calculation.
Unlike many indie bands formed through school friendships or hometown scenes, RatTrap’s members all come from completely different places across the country, something they believe gives the band a unique edge both on and off stage.
“I think our energy and chemistry, especially live, is what sets us apart.”
The Sound of Sweat, Mosh Pits and Marlboro Reds
Trying to pin RatTrap down sonically isn’t exactly straightforward.
According to the band, their music sits somewhere between “being in the mosh pit of an early 2000s northern indie band about to blow up” and “the smoking area outside that same gig lighting a Marlboro Red.”
Which honestly tells you almost everything you need to know.
There are obvious influences woven throughout their sound too. Arctic Monkeys loom large over the band’s swagger and heaviness, while Oasis-inspired guitar work cuts through many of their tracks.
Then there’s Welsh indie favourites The Royston Club, whose songwriting structures have clearly left their mark.
But RatTrap don’t feel like a copy-and-paste revival act.
There’s a looseness to them. A sense that things could either become brilliant or completely spiral into chaos at any given moment.
That unpredictability is part of the appeal.
RatTrap Live Shows Are Controlled Chaos
If you’re heading to a RatTrap gig expecting everyone to politely nod along with a pint in hand, you’re probably in the wrong room.
“You can expect a lot of energy, dancing and a healthy amount of sweat,” the band said.
Their live reputation is already beginning to grow across the South West, with headline gigs, festival appearances and increasingly packed-out venues becoming the norm.
One of their biggest moments so far came earlier this year during their first headline venue show at The Underground in Plymouth, which also doubled as the release night for latest single All The Same.
But when asked about the band’s most chaotic moment?
“We did have one time in Torquay where a hen party came into the venue and before long Ed had a dildo suctioned to his monitor.”
Grassroots indie rock at its finest.
From Ford Ka Struggles to First Tours
Like many emerging bands, RatTrap’s rise hasn’t exactly been glamorous.
“For the first year as a band we managed to cram all of the kit into a Ford Ka,” they explained. “We eventually had to scrap it because we broke all four shock absorbers.”
Now though, things are moving quickly.
The band recently announced their first ever tour, taking them across the UK with dates spanning Plymouth, Exeter, Bristol, London, Huddersfield and Manchester throughout August.
Dorset crowds will also get two chances to catch RatTrap live later this year.
The band will headline Bear Cave in Bournemouth on 29th August as the closing night of their tour before returning to support Leonian Dream at Bridport Arts Centre on 26th September.
And they’re not slowing down anytime soon.
Alongside the tour, RatTrap are currently working on their debut EP, which will include fan favourites from recent live sets, a brand new track and a re-recording of debut single She Likes You.
“We reckon it could be quite the banger.”
With festival slots, growing crowds and bigger ambitions than ever before, RatTrap already feel like a band with genuine momentum behind them.
“This time last year we’d have called bollocks on all of this,” they admitted.
Now?
They’ve got their sights firmly set on an album and proving they’re here to stay.
And judging by the chaos they’re already causing, they might just pull it off.
