Ratios, the indie-rock trio hailing from Ireland, delivers a refreshing sound in their latest single, ‘Take A Stab.’ The band’s evolution from a guitar and drums duo to a dynamic trio has added depth to their music, and it shines through in this track. ‘Take A Stab’ takes listeners on a journey through themes of boredom, frustration, and a yearning for something more in a small town, making it relatable to many. The song’s instrumentation is layered with diverse rock and genre influences, creating a unique and captivating sound. Ratios’ growth as a band is evident in this release, showcasing their musical maturity and creativity. With its catchy hooks and meaningful lyrics, ‘Take A Stab’ is a promising addition to their repertoire. Ratios is undoubtedly a band to watch as they continue to carve their path in the music scene.
Indie Midlands: Can you tell us about the journey from being a guitar and drums duo to becoming a trio with the addition of a bassist, Mike O’Sullivan?
Ratios: We did not really know what sound we were leaning towards to be honest. I guess we were just experimenting and seeing how myself and Liam adapted to one another’s styles and figuring it out from there. The first few month’s were not very promising at all. We jammed with numerous other musicians but could not really spark anything remotely creative with them which led us to question whether we could actually be a duo. Liam was able to fill all the gaps in sound but a two piece was something I struggled with because I preferred a full sounding band. We decided to hit the studio and record a song and release it, hoping it would spark some interest.. Enter Mike!
We all hit it off from the first rehearsal and we started moving forward with ideas and it just blossomed from there really. All three of us write so it’s really lucky in a sense because we pull a lot of ideas from each other.. with the occasional argument about what song should be pursued or just left to die in a pile of half-written songs!
Indie Midlands: How did the formation of Ratios come about, and what inspired the band’s name?
Ratios: I wanted to give playing in a band another shot. I spent a lot of time in my teens and twenties playing music and in and out of different bands until I decided I wanted to hang up the guitar for a while and focus on other aspects of life. I came to the realization after a few years that I missed playing music and wanted to see if I could form a band with like-minded musicians. I placed an ad looking for musicians which died an absolute death but I kept searching and found Liam’s drum video demo online and was intrigued by the guy with the long hair cascading over his face and shoulders.. It was very enigmatic. He played heavy and fast and I wanted to jam and see what could happen. Mike joined a few months later in the depths of winter and this certainly warmed up our cockles. We moved forward!
Strangely it is inspired by a repetitive sequence of four numbers that I kept seeing.. 11:11, 22:22, 20:20, 13:13 etc.. The ratio symbol which divides the numbers just made sense really. We got a cool logo done up and it just seemed to stick.
Indie Midlands: ‘Take A Stab’ has a unique and diverse sound. Can you share some of the musical influences that shaped this track?
Ratios: That always seems to be a difficult question given our musical influences and backgrounds. I’ve been told it is Arctic Monkey-esque which makes sense because of the chord progression for the verses but after that I don’t think we can really pinpoint what really shaped the track.
It’s a 4 chord trick really..boosted on the verse with overdrive which has elements of grunge,pop and alt rock..Liam drives us through with his punk style of playing, Mike keeps it altogether with his punchy bass fills and I just try to sing as best I can while still locking those 4 chords in.
Let’s call it Punk or indie-punk as its main influence!
Indie Midlands: The song’s lyrics touch on themes of boredom and a desire for something more. What inspired these lyrical themes, and how do they relate to your personal experiences?
Ratios: Coming from a small town, same thing day in day out, expecting better but having those sights downsized in front of you. Personally, it is just that really! When the realities of life in a small town start to seep through and show themselves in a mundane and inadequate form you really take from that, that there can be better and more and to progress it just takes some work… But you can see the pit a lot of people fall into. 10 years on, it still really has a lot of relevance!
Indie Midlands: Can you describe the creative process behind ‘Take A Stab,’ from the initial idea to the final recording?
Ratios: Basically I had the idea floating around for some time. I brought it to the guys who really liked it and we just worked on it. It pretty much came together after 2 or 3 sessions. We were pretty excited about it because of the progression and energy in the song… Mostly the energy. It is probably our favorite song to play live. It did not need a lot of thinking really, we got it down pretty quickly and sealed the deal on it. So far it has had a great response which we are very proud of!
Indie Midlands: Ratios has performed in iconic venues like Whelan’s and The Workman’s Club. What have been some of your most memorable live show experiences?
Ratios: Whelan’s is always a great gig for us. The last time it was so energetic and full of fun people. We all had a great time.
We opened for a metal band in Fibbers last year and that was… Interesting to say the least. They were cool guys and the singer almost fell over my pedals which was a sight to see. Probably due to the copious amount of pints he was slugging that night. Respect.
Indie Midlands: As a band, what are your aspirations and goals for the future, and what can fans expect from Ratios in the coming years?
Ratios: After we released ‘Take A Stab’ we wanted to get back on the wagon. We are hitting the studio at the end of October to begin recording our 4 / 5 track EP which is expected to be out next Spring (hopefully). We have done all the hard work in terms of writing the songs for this EP so now it’s just a matter of getting in and laying down track after track and adding bits and pieces. We have picked the songs we want to showcase our art and we believe we have made the right decision in terms of track status etc. We can’t wait to get it out to everyone.
We are following ‘Take A Stab’ single with a music video which is expected to land in November and between now and then we have some shows coming up.. You can check out our Instagram page for those dates and times.
We hope to get on the festival scene next summer followed by a small UK tour and once all our money dries up I guess we have no option but to start an ABBA cover band and rock out 7 nights a week just to fund our creativity!
Thanks for the time!