A Quick Chat with Ra Ra Viper

Your new album Ra Ra arrives in September. If you had to sum it up in three words, what would they be and why?

Fun, Grungy and melodic. Fun because a lot of the songs are up tempo and the kind of thing that we hope can make people get up and about, Grungy because we tried to use some rock and roll influences to bring some distortion and fuzz to the album and melodic because throughout the album although there are some heavier songs we also have a soft melodic side to a lot of the tracks.

Half Asleep Behind The Wheel (feat. Little Guilt) has a dreamy, cinematic feel. What first sparked the idea for the song?

With some of us living in a house with Lachie from Little Guilt, we had spoken about writing a song together in the past but never got around to it. One day we were sitting in the backyard together playing acoustic guitar. We played a riff and we all really liked it. From there we bounced a few ideas off each other on keys and guitar. Eventually Ella came in and put down some amazing vocals to complement the existing vocals and instruments.

You've worked with producer Andrew Lawson across multiple releases. What keeps bringing you back to Debaser Studios?

Finding a producer that you connect with on both a creative and personal level can be quite difficult and takes time. When we first went in to record with Andy, we knew we had hit the jackpot. We were all on the same page when it came to experimentation and doing things on the fly. We listened to music together and were able to incorporate that into the songs and over time we just became good friends who love to hang out. This made a huge difference in creating a comfortable atmosphere within the studio and helped get the best out of us as a band.

This record leans into a lighter, more energetic sound. Was that a conscious decision from the beginning?

This was definitely a conscious decision. You can probably hear in the last record that we leant into a darker and moodier sound, which we were all really into. When we came into this album, we thought it would be fun to create something a bit lighter, not only because we wanted to but also to create a point of difference and showcase a fresh sound. Whilst it was intentional to go a bit lighter, it also came naturally from sharing music that we all love.

You've recently toured North America with Old Mervs and are now planning Australian, New Zealand and European tours. What are you most looking forward to about getting these new songs on stage?

There are a few songs that have high energy and even one where Oli is walking around without his guitar and singing into the crowd, which we played over in the US. It's such a cool experience seeing him jump into the crowd and get everyone going, and it engages the crowd a lot more in our live show. We are also looking forward to getting Lachie and Ella from Little Guilt on stage to perform Half Asleep Behind The Wheel.

What's one thing you hope listeners take away after hearing Ra Ra for the first time?

We really hope that people can hear a bit of the old-school grunginess, subtle garage and punk influences, whilst still being able to relate to the melodies and lyrics. We like to think these songs portray an honest and down-to-earth image in people's heads, and that was one of the themes we thought about whilst writing these songs.