The Riptide Rats discuss new album ‘Waves of Steel’!

So how has ‘Waves Of Steel’ gone down so far with your fans then?

Hey, Gus — guitar player of RR here!

It’s been great so far. People really seem to dig it. Lots of positive reviews, and a lot of love for the variety on the album. Radio stations have been spinning it too, which is always a good sign.

Can you tell us a bit about how the album came together, and what it was like to work on?

We had a few singles first, then wrote some new tracks and figured, “Alright, time to make a full album.” We all brought in ideas, then tracked everything in my studio, Shed Studios.

It was a blast — very loose, very creative. We had a basic plan, but a lot of things just happened naturally as we jammed and experimented. That’s the fun part.

What other instrumental artists have influenced you the most over the years, and why?

So many… but The Ventures were the reason I picked up a guitar. Their sound had something special — clean melodic and energetic.

Dick Dale, of course, father of playing loud, and picking those heavy-gauge strings like he was cutting lumber.

Dave Wronski — every surf guitarist wants to play like him, let’s be honest. And Los Straitjackets with their surfabilly style… always inspiring and always fun.

Tell us something about ‘Waves Of Steel’ that no one knows.

Most of the weird, spacey FX on Astrofeet came from a pedal steel guitar — drenched in tremolo, echo, and dirt. It sounded too cool not to keep.

Who produced the record, and what were they like to work with?

We produced it together. I handled most of the engineering, mixing, and mastering, but the overall sound was a group effort.

I love the mixing phase — throwing ideas around, pushing things a bit further, trying stuff that maybe shouldn’t work but somehow does.

Can you tell us about the meaning behind the tracks that run throughout ‘Waves Of Steel’?

The songs blend our core surf vibe — a mix of classic rock’n’roll, spaghetti-western and a modern, heavier edge. It’s vintage surf with a bit more modern punch behind it.

If you could work with any band on a new song, who would it be and why?

Recording something with Pete Curry from Los Straitjackets would be a blast. Great musician and great studio man.

What tours do you have coming up, and what can you tell us about them?

We’ve got two gigs in Kungsbacka this November. After that, we’ve got shows lining up for 2026 in Finland, Sweden, Spain, and a few more places. We’ll announce everything once it’s locked in.

What venue are you most looking forward to playing, and why?

I’m looking forward to Helsinki Must Be Destroyed in February. Never been to Helsinki, and the festival looks wild — lots of rock fans. We’ll be the oddballs there, the black swan… and that’s perfect.

What else can we expect from you in 2025, going into 2026?

We’re working on our second album, aiming for a 2026 release. Probably a few collaborations along the way and definitely more touring.


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