Rat Utopia Experiment Ready to Infest and ‘Lobotomize’ Boise Tonight at the Shredder
The Rat Utopia Experiment, a female-fronted “circus” punk-rock band from Tacoma, Washington, are storming into Boise this evening with a vengeance. They’ll be holing up at The Shredder for what is sure to be an overstimulating performance, and it’s basically a given that the band will bust out performances of the two songs from their June 7-inch, “Lobotomize Me” and “Three-Banded Armadillo.”
Fronted by lead vocalist Phia Lane, the outlandish outfit – which paints their faces to aptly resemble clowns – also features bassist/vocalist Francis Green, guitarists Maddox Mullins and Drix Drixolle, and drummer Christian Montemayor. The Bad Penny checked in with the band on Thursday as they drove en route to Boise.
Congrats on the release of your Lobotomize Me / Three-Banded Armadillo 7-inch. How long was it in the making?
The songs on the 7-inch were actually recorded rather hastily, as “Lobotomize Me” went viral via Instagram after a DIY performance in Bellingham [Washington] before we had even gotten the chance to track the song. We wanted to pair “Lobotomize Me” with another song, and so we worked for a couple weeks on the ideas that would soon become “Three-Banded Armadillo.” Altogether, the process of recording both songs took about a month or so, and only about a month after that “Armadillo” re-released under our label and we got our first vinyls!
It seems to me that the 7-inch speaks to discrimination against women, which from all indications is on the rise in the U.S. Are a lot of your fans reaching out to tell you they appreciate you addressing the scourge of toxic masculinity?
We’ve had many fans tell us that they resonated with our newest singles deeply and felt their own experiences of misogyny and manipulation reflected in Phia’s lyrics of “Lobotomize Me” and “Three-Banded Armadillo.”
How do you feel you’ve grown as a band – both as a recording entity and a live organism – since you started out?
We have grown in just about every way since the band’s inception. Obviously, over the years, our members have grown up, and with that comes refining our sound and creative abilities, our image and style, our interpersonal dynamics, and our overall mission and message to the world.
What are the pros and cons of being a band from Washington these days?
Being a band in Washington means that there’s already a pretty wide network of musicians and bands and venues that can support a scene and enable artists to be better seen and supported. As to the cons of being a performing band in Washington, we would [cite] the cost of living: gear, space for rehearsing and living, and gas to get between shows.
How has your tour gone so far? Any highlights and/or lowlights?
So far, our tour has kept us on the West Coast, which still feels being pretty familiar to us, yet the experience has been chock-full of beautiful sights, super nice and sweet people, and lots of shenanigans. We all missed being on the road pretty quickly after we got back for the week we were off. Safe to say, we’re loving it!
Will this be your first time in Boise or have you been here before?
This is actually going to be our third time in Boise as a band! We’ve played Treefort Fest twice now and enjoyed both times immensely.
What’s the best show you’ve ever performed?
It differs depending on who you ask within the band, although some highlights include The South Sound Block Party, The Neverender Festival, or one of many super-energetic DIY shows.
For more on Rat Utopia Experiment, check out their Bandcamp page.
Rat Utopia Experiment will perform at The Shredder tonight, with local bands Mall Goth Moths and Cryshadow opening. Doors open at 6:30. Tickets for the all-ages show cost $19.65 and are available for purchase here.
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