Getting to Know… The Riptide Rats

Reading Time: 4 min read

In the 452^nd Q&A in our Getting to Know… series, we get the inside scoop from the Swedish surf-western-twang trio The Riptide Rats.

“What makes us unique is that we don’t play surf rock, or western music, or garage rock, we play everything, if it’s great and instrumental, we are on the case!” Word. The Riptide Rats! Jocke, the bass guitarist for Swedish surf-western-twang trio The Riptide Rats, gives us the inside scoop on the band’s genesis, goals, musical influences, and current and future musical endeavors. So, without further ado, let’s jump right into Getting to Know…The Riptide Rats: Interview No. 452!

For those who may not be familiar with you, what would you say makes The Riptide Rats distinct or unique? How do you rock the audience’s socks off?

Alright, I am Jocke, and I play bass guitar in the surf-western-twang trio The Riptide Rats from Kungsbacka, Sweden. What makes us unique is that we don’t play surf rock, or western music, or garage rock, we play everything, if it’s great and instrumental, we are on the case!

Okay, let’s explore some juicy backstories. How did The Riptide Rats form, and what were some of your goals or visions early?

We were living in the same neighborhood for many years without really knowing about each other, but after buying some marketplace gear from each other, we realized our mutual love for awesome music. And after that, Fred and Gus tricked me into the shed with a promise of “playing some ZZ-top” covers, although that was never their plan. It was quickly changed to old surf music classics, and now I am stuck in that swamp. The only common goal we had was to record 4 songs and release a vinyl EP. Now that is done, and now the goal is to record and release a vinyl LP, which will be out in 2025.

Let’s talk more about goals. Have your goals or your perspectives changed since first starting? What do your aspirations or goals look like now?

Not really. We like to hang out in our shed, drinking beer, talking about music, making music, and recording music. I think that is what we will keep on doing for the next 20-ish years.

Everybody is influenced by somebody else. Whom would you consider some of your biggest musical influences, and how are they influential?

We are all from different backgrounds bands and different music styles in this band, but as a common inspiration for The Riptide Rats I have to say Dick Dale. His guitar playing is out of this world, and he contributed so much with the development of amplifiers and guitar techniques to create his unique sound, that in my opinion, no one has even been close to in 60 years.

Ah, the fun stuff. What’s your craziest tour story or the wackiest thing that’s happened during a performance? Feel free to be creative.

Oh man, we are a pretty new band, and we have not been on the road that much yet. We had a pretty wild gig here in Sweden a few months ago where there was no stage space left for us. Gus broke a string in the first song, without a backup guitar, and his pedal board was placed just left of the drum set, so he could not reach it. BUT we sure made them dance anyway!

To this point in your career, what would you describe as your favorite song you’ve recorded or performed live? What makes that song special?

For me, it is the song “Breaker” from our debut EP, The Eastwood EP. It is a very simple song with a hooky bassline that always makes people’s feet stomp, and it is always fun to play, You won’t get bored of it after playing it 50 or 200 times.

Is there anything else awesome, cool, or left-of-center we should know about The Riptide Rats? Secret talents or surprising tidbits?

We once finished two cases of beer and one bottle of whiskey during a rehearsal. That is one amazing talent! We wrote some of our best material that evening. I guess we have to do it again soon.

What is The Riptide Rats currently working on or promoting that you can share? We love secrets, but there’s no pressure.

We are working hard on our debut LP, and hopefully, it will be out at the end of 2025, and you can be the first to know that we are releasing a very limited split 5” single with the mighty Langhorns from Lund in Sweden soon!

Be the first to find out by following us on our social media:

Our music is streaming on all platforms!

Thank you so much for sharing and taking the time to answer these questions, and best of luck moving forward.

Thank you very much for having us!!