The charming Chicago band Ratboys do Midwestern rock and roll in a timeless style. There is no question that they have put in the work: over the course of six records and more than a decade of playing, they have honed a rootsy band of indie that goes down great with a dipped Italian beef or shot of Malört. We went way back with the band, which is made up of Julia Steiner, David Sagan, Marcus Nuccio, and Sean Neumann, to their Chicago roots, sure, but also to some pre-Ratboys history; they dropped the kind of factoids that help to flesh out a band’s lore. Was one of their members' entryway to indie rock the legendary Fox television program The O.C.? You are just going to have to keep reading to find out (the answer is in the first question). It’s the newest edition of Web of Influences. Read it below.

Can you remember your first brush with indie or underground music? How old were you? 

Ratboys: It's hard to say for sure, but I think my earliest exposure to indie music came via a very un-indie show called The O.C. One of the characters on the show would constantly name drop his favorite bands. I must have been 12 years old. 

When the band first started, who were some of your major influences? 

When Dave and I first met in 2010, we burned each other a bunch of CDs. I remember I was really into Wilco, Gorillaz, and Silversun Pickups, and he was super into Yes, Tera Melos, and The Dodos. We found lots of overlap and new discoveries right away, it was really exciting.

 

What Midwest bands were you playing with early on? Did those shows help shape your band’s sound? 

We got to play a lot with our friend NNAMDI early on, with his solo project plus the many bands he played in, like Nervous Passenger, The Para-Medics, and Monobody. Nnamdi would throw shows in his parents' house while they were out of town and serve everybody pancakes. Those shows and his music taught us early on that the coolest thing you can do is to be yourself and have fun making whatever kind of music you want.

You’ve had an extended working relationship with Chris Walla. How did you meet? What is special about making records with him? 

We first met Chris in 2018 when we were on tour opening for Foxing. They had made an awesome album together called Nearer My God, and Chris came to the show in Montreal. Chris is without a doubt one of the most salt-of-the-earth, creative people we've ever met. He has a great ear, a keen sense of humor, and a huge heart. He's the best. 

Your lyrics seem to often veer towards the personal. Are there any songwriting peers that inspire you to push into certain thematic places that might be uncomfortable? 

I'm a big fan of S.G. Goodman, I love how grounded and clear-eyed her songs feel. I also really appreciate the freedom of Adrianne Lenker's songwriting, how she sounds totally uninhibited and willing to go wherever the songs and stories take her, while still maintaining a consistent level of intimacy. Also, I hesitate to call him a peer, but Sufjan Stevens will always be my "radically vulnerable songwriting" north star.   

Are there any international shows you’ve played that have stuck with you as being particularly memorable? 

We did a DIY tour in Europe with Wild Pink in 2018 that had some pretty magical shows, like when we got to play a house show on top of a forested hill in Croatia or a show on a vineyard near Verona in Italy. We also got to play a show inside a rugby team's locker room, like within the stadium, in Genova on that same tour. All the super-jacked Italian rugby players helped us load in our amps down the stadium stairs, it was amazing.

What does the dream Ratboys concert situation look like?

A sweet sounding stage, easy parking for the van, a spacious merch zone, in-house super yummy dairy-free food, kind wizened venue staff with lots of stories to tell, a hyped crowd, a nicely-paced setlist, everyone has fun and gets home safe, we crash upstairs in the venue apartment, which has beds for everyone, pinball machines, and massive library of DVDs from which to choose the perfect end-of-night movie. 

Do you have any major non-musical influences at the moment? 

For a couple years now I've been super into these Brick of Chicago walking tours that local architecture historian Will Quam offers here in the non-winter months. I love learning tiny details and stories about the city we live in and about what it's made of, literally. 

Early on in the band, what was your go-to bar or restaurant to hit after practice? And how has that developed over the years? 

Back when we used to practice in Oak Forest in the south suburbs, we would go to this Tex-Mex place called Pepe's after every practice and drink huge frozen margaritas, without fail. Eventually, when we moved into the house where we practice now, we transitioned to doing mostly evening practices, so we'll often cook dinner separately beforehand. But, every so often, a little Portillos or Johnnie's Beef after practice hits the spot just right.