The'll be launching their anticipated sophomore album, South Locust, with a bash at the Cactus Room.
Swallow The Rat are set to deliver four rock-solid performances this August and September in some of Melbourne’s favourite bandrooms.
Quickly gaining traction in their hometown and beyond, the rising Auckland three-piece will be coming across the water for a jam-packed week of music.
Swallow The Rat Melbourne shows
- Aug 31 – Old Bar, Fitzroy
- Sep 1 – Cactus Room, Thornbury
- Sept 2 – Oh! Jean Records, Fitzroy (free afternoon show)
- Sept 2 – Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood
Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around Melbourne here.
The band arrived on the scene with a self-titled EP in 2018, but have been building up some serious credibility in recent years after a set of North American tours and an appearance at SXSW.
Their sludgy noise-punk sound gives glimpses of shoegaze and grunge influence, echoing past eras of rock with a modern edge.
They’ve just dropped a new single, Redactor’s Dilemma, the second off their forthcoming album. Bassist and singer Stephen Horsley says the song is inspired by the issue of censorship.
“If you leave in too much, people will know the secret, but if you edit out too much, then its absence will alert people to that the document has been censored. It kind of ties in with the theme of colonisation in the other songs on the album – things that are uncomfortable and therefore hidden.”
Set to be released on September 1, South Locust was made with the help of Nick Abbott (Foals), Sonny Diperri (DIIV, Animal Collective) and Carl Saff (Sonic Youth). Its first single, Terra Nullius, has been topping charts on New Zealand’s Student Radio Network.
The upcoming shows will be the first chance for Melbourne fans to experience Swallow The Rat live. For those interested in the fresh and exciting faces in the punk scene, they’re not to be missed.
For more on Swallow The Rat and to buy tickets, head here.
