Entering The World Of Ratbag

Photo Credit: Ishani Buff

At the heart of the Northcote Social Club, we got the chance to interview a very talented alt-rock artist all the way from New Zealand named ratbag (Sophie Brown) for her first show in Melbourne, Australia. 

Having just arrived from the airport, Sophie expresses her excitement to perform in front of an audience that is not just her friends and knowing some people want to be part of her world. Ideally, making them feel like they are not on planet Earth for a split second and embracing the world of ratbag. 

A big part of her musicianship is curating visuals and storytelling throughout her music to make her audience feel like they can be taken into her world while listening to her music. Combining elements from her sketches and paintings into real-life mythical characters that can be seen as headpieces amongst her band members. 

With only a few days until Halloween, I wanted to know what Sophie may be up to in this spooky season. With the choice of Edward Scissorhands being her ultimate costume this year, she had mentioned that she had worn the costume three times before her tour already and was ready to wear it again for the weekend. 

I was amazed at her ability to answer my speedy questions and quickly knew that we had very similar interests in loving the idea of performing in our own bedroom and constantly carrying headphones anywhere we go. 

As a creative, I always seek to know how other creatives like Sophie stay inspired and authentic to themselves. She describes her different creative outlets as a way to constantly stay connected to herself and provides some form of self-care one way or another. Putting herself as a priority before putting it in front of someone else. 

The world of ratbag is constantly growing amongst whimsical music lovers across the globe and I am super excited to see where this goes for Sophie and her band in this next chapter ahead of her/