ratbag | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Sophie Brown |
| Born | 2003or2004(age 20–21) |
| Origin | Auckland, New Zealand |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, visual artist |
| Years active | 2021–present |
| Labels | Mischief |
| Website | worldofratbag |
Sophie Brown (born 2003), [1] known mononymously as ratbag, is a New Zealand musician and multimedia artist. Active since 2021, her music draws influence from grunge, shoegaze, punk, and pop, [2] [3] and often features surreal horror-inspired visuals centered on a fictional cartoon band of monsters, which she depicts in various artistic mediums. After building a following on TikTok, Brown released her debut EP, why aren't you laughing?, in December 2023.
Originally from Auckland, New Zealand, Brown drew art from a young age, and was a fan of horror films growing up. [2] She received her first guitar at age 7 as a Christmas present, [4] but did not pursue music until age 15, when she began writing songs in her bedroom on her father's ukulele. [2] [1]
Brown began making art and music as ratbag in 2021. [2] In Australia and New Zealand, ratbag is a common slang term for a mischievous child, which Brown has said she was often labeled growing up. [2] After building an audience on TikTok with a series of surreal multimedia art, she released her first single as ratbag, "rats in my walls", in July 2023. [5] [3] A second single, "exit girl", was released the following September with an accompanying music video. [3] Both singles were included on ratbag's debut EP, why aren't you laughing?, released 8 December 2023. [6] [1]
Brown's music incorporates elements of punk, shoegaze, grunge, pop, art pop, and alternative rock. [3] [4] [2] [7] Her musical influences include Pixies, Broken Social Scene, David Bowie, Declan McKenna, and Billie Eilish. [3] [2] Brown has said she enjoys experimenting with sounds in her music: "I like to take normal sounds and make them really weird – I’m really into reversing. I like mucking around with the little pieces of vocals and cutting it up. It’s almost like I’m dissecting things in my computer." [2]
The music of ratbag is often accompanied by surrealist drawings and animations created by Brown. These typically feature her fictional band of animated monsters: Deemo, a devil-like bassist; Fritz, a crocodile-clown hybrid keyboardist; Slug, a guitarist in a mohawked bird mask; and Eugene, a purple octopus-headed drummer. [4] [2] According to Brown, each of the four monsters represents a different part of her personality. [2] These visual elements have been compared to those of Gorillaz, Dethklok, the children's book Where the Wild Things Are , and the art of comic book writer Neil Gaiman. [3] [2] Brown herself has cited Jack Stauber, the shows Don't Hug Me I'm Scared and Adventure Time , and A24-produced horror films like Midsommar and Hereditary as inspiring the visual and narrative aspects of her work. [4] [2]
Brown has a substantial following on TikTok, where she posts digital art and stop motion animations of her "band" and the story surrounding them, [2] as well as showcasing her love of sculpture, claymation, photography, fashion, and other artistic mediums. [3] [1] [5]
| Title | EP details |
|---|---|
| Why Aren't You Laughing? |
|
| Kissing Under an (almost) Full Moon |
|
| Title | Year | Album or EP |
|---|---|---|
| "Rats in My Walls" | 2023 | Why Aren't You Laughing? |
| "Exit Girl" | ||
| "Dead End Kids" | ||
| "Pinky Boy" | 2024 | Non-album singles |
| "Pinky Girl" | ||
| "Look What You're Doing to Me" | 2025 | Kissing Under an (almost) Full Moon |
| "Juliet & Juliet" |