Singin' to an Empty Chair (Rough Trade Exclusive Deluxe Edition)

This AOTY edition companion release accompanies Singin' To An Empty Chair by Ratboys, number 21 in Rough Trade's Albums of the Year 2026.

Indie rock stalwarts Ratboys release Singin’ to an Empty Chair, now with two bonus tracks exclusive to Rough Trade: "Light Night Mountains All That (basement rehearsal)" and "Just Want You to Know the Truth (acoustic rehearsal)."

Despite its title, Ratboys’ new album Singin’ to an Empty Chair is not defined by what’s missing. Rather, it’s the beginning of an important dialogue with a close loved one, vocalist Julia Steiner finds herself estranged from. The music on the band’s sixth studio album – its first for New West Records – fills the space that person left behind with 11 songs showcasing Ratboys at the peak of their powers — twangy, effervescent, as confident as they’ve ever been, and perhaps more emotionally interrogative than ever before.