Chicago indie-twang standouts Ratboys have announced their fourth studio album, The Window, coming August 25 via Topshelf Records. Following 2020’s Printer’s Devil, The Window features last March’s “Black Earth, WI” and was produced by Chris Walla at Hall Of Justice Recording Studio in Seattle. In tandem with the announcement, Ratboys are sharing another album single, “It’s Alive!,” which comes with a video directed by John TerEick.

The first album Ratboys have written collaboratively from start to finish, The Window brings in new band members Sean Neumann on bass and Marcus Nuccio on drums alongside vocalist/guitarist Julia Steiner and guitarist Dave Sagan.

“We spent 2020 demoing the songs, and spent 2021 practicing them,” says Steiner. “We practiced twice a week for six months, exploring the songs and developing them. Weʼd send early versions to Chris and heʼd give us notes. It went like that for weeks. It was such a dedicated and intentional process.”

Nuccio adds: “The language Chris uses when speaking about music comes from a very emotionally centered place, and thatʼs something that resonated with us. He would say things like, ʻThis cymbal hurts my feelings,ʼ or ʻThis song is like a cat.”

“It was such a disarming thing,” adds Neumann. “We didn’t get bogged down in technical terms, and he never placed pressure on us in that way. With Chris steering the ship, we were free to go off on little creative expeditions and come up with parts and ideas weʼd never imagined.”

As for “It’s Alive!,” Steiner says the single is about “the overarching feeling of the world spinning on beneath you while you’re stuck in one place.”

Watch and listen below.

TRACKLIST:
01 “Making Noise For The Ones You Love”
02 “Morning Zoo”
03 “Crossed That Line”
04 “It’s Alive!”
05 “No Way”
06 “The Window”
07 “Empty”
08 “Break”
09 “Black Earth, WI”
10 “I Want You (Fall 2010)”
11 “Bad Reaction”

TOUR DATES:
08/25 – Chicago, IL @ Schubas Tavern
09/21 – Champaign-Urbana, IL @ Pygmalion Festival
09/22 – Columbus, OH @ Rumba Cafe
09/23 – Washington, DC @ Songbyrd
09/26 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
09/27 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
09/28 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
09/29 – Montreal, QC @ POP Montreal
09/30 – Toronto, ON @ Monarch Tavern
10/02 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Bottlerocket Social Hall
10/03 – Cleveland, OH @ No Class
10/04 – Ferndale, MI @ Magic Bag
10/06 – St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club
10/07 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Back Room at Colectivo Coffee
10/19 – Omaha, NE @ Reverb
10/21 – Denver, CO @ Globe Hall
10/22 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
10/24 – Seattle, WA @ Madame Lou’s
10/25 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
10/27 – San Francisco, CA @ Cafe du Nord
10/28 – Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room Highland Park
10/29 – San Diego, CA @ The Loft at UC San Diego
10/30 – Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room
10/31 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar
11/02 – San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger
11/03 – Austin, TX @ Empire Control Room & Garage
11/04 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada

The Window will be out 8/25 via Topshelf Records.