Despite its title, Ratboys’ new album Singin’ to an Empty Chair is not defined by what’s missing. Rather, it’s the beginning of an important dialogue with a close loved one vocalist Julia Steiner finds herself estranged from. The music on the band’s sixth studio album – its first for New West Records – fills the space that person left behind with 11 songs showcasing Ratboys at the peak of their powers — twangy, effervescent, as confident as they’ve ever been, and perhaps more emotionally interrogative than ever before. The four-piece Chicago band followed up 2023’s highly acclaimed The Window by reconvening with co-producer Chris Walla to begin tracking at a rural Wisconsin cabin before taking the songs to Steve Albini’s famed Electrical Audio studios in Chicago and later to Rosebud Studio in Evanston, Illinois. The results veer from bubbly power-pop on “Anywhere” to irresistible post-country on “Penny in the Lake,” along with heart-piercing ballads like “Just Want You to Know the Truth” and an exhilarating detour into the extraterrestrial on “Light Night Mountains All That,” which Steiner dubs the band’s mammoth “wormhole jam.” Singin’ to an Empty Chair also marks the first Ratboys album written since Steiner began therapy, which the singer/lyricist credits for the clarity found across the album’s unflinching examinations of relationship and self. Fittingly, as the album begins by extending a hand into the void, it concludes with a scene of serenity – all while weaving candid honesty, humor, chaos, and whimsy along the way. “It's not all doom and gloom,” Steiner says. “The experience of making this record definitely gives me hope for whatever happens next.”

/// Words by Patrick Hosken

• All valid tickets are sold via 24tix.com at the official ticketing link or 24tix Fan Marketplace. Any tickets resold through a third party platform such as StubHub, SeatGeek, Vivid Seats, and others are subject to being void without a refund.
• All patrons must be 21 or older with a valid ID to enter the venue.
• No weapons of any kind.
• No outside beverages.
• No drugs or illicit substances.
• No smoking inside the venue.
• No unauthorized/unlicensed vending, soliciting, handbills, sampling, or giveaways.
• All served beverages must remain inside the venue and back patio area.
• No flash photography. Non-professional, point & shoot cameras are allowed (attached lenses must be smaller than 2 inches) unless otherwise stated. Professional cameras must be approved by venue and artist management before the show.
• No moshing, crowd-surfing, or stage diving.
• No pets allowed.
• No backpacks or large bags. Small purses and fanny packs allowed but subject to search.
• Security reserves the right to search bags, perform pat-down checks, and refuse/revoke entry at their discretion. These reasons include intoxication, disturbing hygiene, engaging in hate speech, belligerent or noncompliant behavior, acts or threats of violence, disturbing other guests, etc.