Dune Rats Are Starting A Record Label, Meet Their First Signing

Earlier this month, Brisbane garage lords Dune Rats teased a new venture on their Facebook page, Ratbag Records. While details were scant at the time, the trio have now confirmed they are launching their own label and have even announced their first signing.

“Ratbag Records is the Dunies way of giving the bands they love a leg up. They want pull the bands they love out of bedrooms or pubs, take them on the road and show them to the world,” reads a missive to the press announcing the group’s latest project.

The label’s first signing is Byron Bay trio Skegss. According to Dunies vocalist/guitarist Danny Beusa, Skegss were chosen to christen the label “Because we froth the music and the dudes are real as fuck. They love doing the same shit that we do too.”

For those unfamiliar with Skegss, the East Coast three-piece have been generating some serious steam for a while, playing sold-out Aussie shows, gigs at Canadian Music Week, travelling back and forth across the USA, and they were recently selected by Triple J Unearthed to play Splendour In The Grass 2015.

Their forthcoming single is called ‘Fun’, taken from their forthcoming debut EP, 50 Push Ups For A Dollar, out later this year. “Fun is the only reason we do this. We just want get pissed with our friends and play shows,” says Skegss bassist Toby Cregan.

“Everything else is just cream. Sounds cliché but fuck it, it’s true. The only reason we are a band is to try to get Johnny a root. And as you can see from this picture above we might be kidding ourselves but dream big!!!” ‘Fun’ will be available Friday, 17th July.

“It was the easiest decision ever. We have all been friends for years it’s just going to be ratbag squad!!!! We feel the label is representing the reason we are a band….. Just mates making tunes and having fun together. Ratbag,” the band said about their choice to go with Ratbag Records.

According to Triple J, Dune Rats have had their own label since signing with Warner Music Australia last year, but touring and other commitments distracted them from expanding Ratbag.

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“We didn’t just want to do a record label and do it half-assed, so we wanted to have that time and have someone in control of it,” the band told the station. They’re hoping on expanding rapidly and even have their eye on a band from Denmark they’d like to sign.

“I think a lot of the DIY bands like Skeggs — little surfie coastal dudes — they don’t really care that much about that whole [business] side of it,” says Dune Rats bassist Brett Jansch.

“They just want to write shows and play shows… We want to be sick about making sure they get through those mainstream avenues and they can go and do what they want.”

“At the end of the day, they [Warner] are awesome with the whole back-end of it and the way they’re trying to service the acts and they’re fully getting our DIY aesthetic with Ratbag and giving bands like Skegss, and the other bands that we’re going to be putting out, making sure they can put out what they want and do what they want.”

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