Liverpool’s socio-political five-piece Rats have shared their first new music since 2022 with the new track Section 60. The track documents the brutal reality of the British stop-and-search laws.
Active since the latter stages of the last decade, the band, led by singer and lyricist, Joe Maddocks, have developed no small reputation for uncompromising social statements coupled with no little humour.
Maddocks says of the single:
”Section 60 means a form of policing where a whole neighbourhood is persecuted because of the actions of a few. I was riding home from the studio one night and was stopped by the police, leading to my anatomy being violated for no reason other than riding a bicycle. In the cycle lane too. This song isn’t having a go at the police, but the legislation. “Liverpool has more stop and searches, in an area that covers less than 550k people, than Greater Manchester, which is upwards of five million people. It’s a nationwide issue but has more of an impact on Liverpool youth than anywhere else and is set to one side as being ‘just part of growing up’. The song highlights what’s happening nationwide, especially to minority communities.”
Rats are becoming more and more an important band in the music industry, not just for their stark, humourous take on modern society but also for their ability to craft catchy tunes with an infectious storytelling talent.
Check it out, here
Find out more via the bands Facebook or here
Remaining 2024 live dates for RATS are as follows:
- Tue17 Dec–Glasgow, Audio
- Thu 19 Dec–Newcastle, Zerox
- Fri 20 Dec–Grimsby, Docks Academy
