Based in NYC, Rat Wakes Red began as James Raftery creating songs in late night living room light. Odes to longing and loss, they found their way to producer Jeral Benjamin. Together they went into the studio with an engineer, 32 tracks, and using only James' guitar, voice, found-sound percussion, and Jeral's viola, created "Dizzy on Daddy", a lush, elegantly spinning song cycle of heartache and yearning. Romantic and edgy, cryptic and poetic. A sad and sweet wall of sound. Brim-full with sad melody, multiple harmonies and strings.
In 2007, Rat Wakes Red emerges from the studio with new sounds and a new four song ep/dvd, Energy Garage which began life during the sessions for Horizon Drops and were completed for this new collection. A four song ep and music video dvd, "Anyway Now", originally released on Horizon Drops, shows up again on track 4 and as a music video to sate the masses with visuals. Three new songs, "Energy Garage", "You" and "Be Kissed" are spacey acoustic to pop with sweeping strings to quirky rock nugget. Something to enjoy on its own and to tie you over since the next full-length project is under wraps and proving to be yet another departure as well as a new return to form.
In 2006, Rat Wakes Red released “Horizon Drops”. Electric guitar, keys, drums, and bass provide the flipside to the previous acoustic rush. The songs are louder, faster and rock, with James’ voice returning in harmonic hooks and cryptic choruses. Christy Davis (Kansas State Flower and Mold) played the kit while James strummed, picked, played and sang everything else with Jeral returning to produce and John Werner joining them on tracks 7 & 9 playing electric guitar.
Radio quickly took notice. "Horizon Drops" was CMJ and AAA Top 30 on sixteen stations and spun on more than 100 across the USA and Canada. "Dizzy on Daddy" was in rotation on over fifty stations nationwide, hitting CMJ Top 30 on three. Also, Rat Wakes Red was hand picked by Pat DiNizio of the Smithereens to be one of a select few bands to launch XM Satellite Radio's Unsigned Station.
Critics joined in:
Sentimentalist, Issue 26, Fall 2007, Cleo:
"Rat Wakes Red's approach is a fragile balance between cocksure and vulnerable, drawing you in immediately. Songwriter James Raftery has a knack for switching between intensity ("Spider") and sublime introspection ("Lovely Invalid") with the greatest of ease, making for a dynamic listen."
The Big Takeover, Issue 59, Winter 2007, Jack Rabid
"...an intriguing, totally new direction...like the particular later-'80s 4AD period when Ivo Watts Russell was fixated on Pixies and Throwing Muses, with loopy harsh guitar, beat, and cooed vocal...with a bit of what you liked about Weezer's radio hits..."
"Rat Wakes Red blends neo-gothic folk with modern 21st century recording to produce a sublime sonic sedation of melodies." - (Boston's Weekly Dig)
"Rat Wakes Red pays homage to the likes of Kristin Hersh, Kate Bush and Leonard Cohen, who also make pain and loss the cornerstone of their musical melodramas." - (Splendid E-Zine)
"Acoustic folk guitar and viola, with a whispery, troubled voice? Yes please!" - (The Big Takeover)
"Fans of the darker side of mellowness (or classic 4AD records) should seek it out." - (Reno Gazette Journal)
Rat Wakes Red has played live shows from Canada to New York City opening for Bob Mould, Hayden, and Sloan. In Toronto, RWR headlined at the Rivoli and in NYC and the Boston area has performed at venues including the Knitting Factory, Maxwell's, The Mercury Lounge, Arlene Grocery, The Middle East, Kendall Cafe, Colby College, WBRS/Brandeis University.
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