Ratboys Announce Highly Anticipated New Album Singin’ to an Empty Chair Out February 6th, Share Single “The World, So Madly”

Ratboys Announce Highly Anticipated New Album Singin’ to an Empty Chair Out February 6th, Share Single “The World, So Madly”

photo credit: Miles Kalchik

2026 is already shaping up to be a breakout year for Chicago’s Ratboys. The band’s forthcoming album, Singin’ to an Empty Chair, arrives February 6 via New West Records and has been named one of the most anticipated releases of 2026 by Pitchfork, Vulture, Stereogum, Consequence, and Brooklyn Vegan. With press and fans alike buzzing over the singles released so far, Ratboys now share another standout track: “The World, So Madly.”

Described by The FADER as a “poetic heater,” “The World, So Madly” captures the uneasy calm of accepting life’s lack of control in a world that refuses to slow down. Built on soaring percussion and radiant guitar lines, the song finds vocalist Julia Steiner embracing impermanence with clarity and resolve: “Live in the world so madly // Live in the world so fast // Live in the world so madly // I know now nothing’s gonna last.”

Steiner explains, “Looking back at my voice memos, I recorded the original idea for this song on January 1st, 2023, and it feels like a song of new beginnings: we recorded it almost entirely in the morning throughout the sessions, and the lyrics focus on making peace with big life changes, and really with the ever-changing nature of life in general. I was thinking a lot about certain events unfolding in the news at the time, but I wanted to keep the lyrics open, so that anyone can listen and find their life in the song.“

Singin’ to an Empty Chair marks Ratboys’ most introspective and emotionally driven work to date. Spanning nearly an hour of new music, the album captures the band at the height of their powers — twangy, effervescent, and self-assured. As Stereogum puts it, “Few indie bands are doing it better right now.”

Next month, Ratboys will kick off an expansive North American tour in support of the album. Tickets are on sale now and selling quickly.

Ratboys Tour Dates

Wed. Feb. 25 – Detroit, MI @ El Club ~

Thu. Feb. 26 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace ~

Fri. Feb. 27 – Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz PDB ~

Sat. Feb. 28 – Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair ~

Sun. March 1 – Hamden, CT @ Space Ballroom ~

Tue. March 3 – Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church ~

Thu. March 5 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw ~

Fri. March 6 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club ~

Sat. March 7 – Richmond, VA @ The Broadberry ~

Sun. March 8 – Durham, NC @ Motorco Music Hall ~

Tue. March 10 – Asheville, NC @ The Grey Eagle ~

Wed. March 11 – Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West ~

Thu. March 12 – Nashville, TN @ The Basement East ~

Fri. March 13 – Louisville, KY @ Zanzabar ~

Sat. March 14 – Milwaukee, WI @ Vivarium ~

Tue. March 24 – St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway •

Wed. March 25 – Kansas City, MO @ recordBar •

Thu. March 26 – Fayetteville, AR @ George’s Majestic Lounge •

Fri. March 27 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada •

Sat. March 28 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk •

Mon. March 30 – Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad •

Tue. March 31 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar •

Wed. April 1 – San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar •

Fri. April 3 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom •

Sat. April 4 – San Francisco, CA @ August Hall •

Mon. April 6 – Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret •

Tue. April 7 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos •

Wed. April 8 – Portland, OR @ Aladdin Theater •

Fri. April 10 – Boise, ID @ Shrine Social Club •

Sat. April 11 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Urban Lounge •

Mon. April 13 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater •

Wed. April 15 – Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room •

Thu. April 16 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line •

Fri. April 17 – Madison, WI @ Atwood Music Hall •

Sat. April 18 – Chicago, IL @ The Vic Theatre +

~ w/ Florry • w/ villagerrr + w/ Free Range

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Links:

Official: https://www.ratboysband.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ratboysmusic
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ratboysband/