Ratboys have announced a new album, Singin’ to an Empty Chair, due out on February 6 via New West. It’s the follow-up to 2023’s fantastic The Window, and they co-produced it with Chris Walla (who also produced The Window). See the cover art and tracklist below.
“A big, overarching theme of this record is my attempt to document my experience being estranged from a close loved one,” vocalist and guitarist Julia Steiner says. “The goal is to update this person on what’s been going on in my life and to try to bridge that impasse and reach out a hand into the void.” She adds, “It’s not all doom and gloom.”
“The experience of making this record definitely gives me hope for whatever happens next,” Steiner continues. “There are plenty of good days, days filled with friendship and love, and then there are days when I dwell on things and desperately want to bridge the gap. It’s my whole life, you know? So, for me, this record is a document of all of those days stitched together, like a quilt in a time capsule, just waiting to get dug up when the time is right.”
The album includes Ratboys’ recent single “Light Night Mountains All That,” and they’ve shared another single, the propulsive “Anywhere,” which was inspired by guitarist Dave Sagan’s family dog. “Whenever Dave’s mom leaves the room, oh man, his whole world just falls apart,” Steiner says. “You can see it in his face. I think a lot of us can relate to that sort of anxious attachment style.” Watch the video, directed by Bobby Butterscotch, below.
Ratboys are about to begin the European leg of their tour, and they have North American shows in early 2026, including Brooklyn’s Warsaw on March 5 with Florry. See all dates below.
RATBOYS – SINGIN’ TO AN EMPTY CHAIR TRACKLIST
1. Open Up
2. Know You Then
3. Light Night Mountains All That
4. Anywhere
5. Penny in the Lake
6. Strange Love
7. The World, So Madly
8. Just Want You to Know the Truth
9. What’s Right?
10. Burn It Down
11. At Peace in the Hundred Acre Wood
RATBOYS: 2025-2026 TOUR DATES
Fri. Oct. 31 – Sat. Nov. 1 – Amsterdam, NL @ London Calling Festival
Sat. Nov. 1 – Groningen, NL @ Take Root Festival
Mon. Nov. 3 – Edinburgh, UK @ The Mash House
Tue. Nov. 4 – Newcastle, UK @ Xerox
Wed. Nov. 5 – London, UK @ Pitchfork London
Fri. Nov. 7 – Brighton, UK @ Mutations Festival
Wed. Feb. 25 – Detroit, MI @ El Club ~
Thu. Feb. 26 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace ~
Fri. Feb. 27 – Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz PDB ~
Sat. Feb. 28 – Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair ~
Tue. March 3 – Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church ~
Thu. March 5 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw ~
Fri. March 6 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club ~
Sat. March 7 – Richmond, VA @ The Broadberry ~
Sun. March 8 – Durham, NC @ Motorco Music Hall ~
Tue. March 10 – Asheville, NC @ The Grey Eagle ~
Wed. March 11 – Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West ~
Thu. March 12 – Nashville, TN @ The Basement East ~
Fri. March 13 – Louisville, KY @ Zanzabar ~
Sat. March 14 – Milwaukee, WI @ Vivarium
Tue. March 24 – St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway •
Wed. March 25 – Kansas City, MO @ recordBar •
Thu. March 26 – Fayetteville, AR @ George’s Majestic Lounge •
Fri. March 27 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada •
Sat. March 28 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk •
Mon. March 30 – Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad •
Tue. March 31 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar •
Wed. April 1 – San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar •
Fri. April 3 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom •
Sat. April 4 – San Francisco, CA @ August Hall •
Mon. April 6 – Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret •
Tue. April 7 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos •
Wed. April 8 – Portland, OR @ Aladdin Theater •
Fri. April 10 – Boise, ID @ Shrine Social Club •
Sat. April 11 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Urban Lounge •
Mon. April 13 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater •
Wed. April 15 – Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room •
Thu. April 16 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line •
Fri. April 17 – Madison, WI @ Atwood Music Hall •
Sat. April 18 – Chicago, IL @ The Vic Theatre +
~ w/ Florry
• w/ villagerrr
+ w/ Free Range