45Rats is a three piece instrumental heavy rock n’ roll band. They emerged in 2008 in Athens, Greece. The band consists of Efthimis (guitar), Dam (drums) and Kavaldi (bass). They are influenced by the 70’s rock along with modern rock sounds. Their latest album ‘Gazer’ was released in September 2017 .
Fans that already are aware of them, but also those who adore heavy and pure rock riffs and melodies will have the opportunity to catch them live on 28 October with the Athenian band The BuzzDeaders and Fuel Eater from Patras, in the “Temple” of rock AN Club.
Hello there 45Rats we would like to know how it all started.. Let it all out!
Hello Nena! For those who don’t’ know us, and those who know us, we are 45Rats and we play heavy rock ‘n’ roll, without many words! It all started nearly 10 years ago, back in 2008 when we realized that something good was going on with the Greek underground scene, as we had attended many live shows, where many remarkable bands were giving their best on stage. Also the three of us had a good contact with rock music since our school years, where we first met, and participated together in school bands. So the idea of making a band was really itsy inside our heads. Since then we’ve been sharing the stage with many great bands.
All of your tracks for your recently released ‘Gazer‘ were arranged and performed live in studio. Would you like to describe to us why did you choose to follow this way?
All three of our recordings were performed live in studio. It’s the way we think that suits us better. We are a “live” band, and these are the moments that we most enjoy. So, from the start we thought that the best thing to do is to try to put this feeling on record. Of course it is not the same as a live show, but to record your melodies all by yourself is something we’re not familiar with!
Your debut album released in August 2013, contained a track called ‘Happening’. What “happened” there? Why this exception to the rule? Tell us about the lyrics that you chose for that track.
It is a war happening (not a war only by the exact meaning). It says about a multilevel war of out lives. There was no exception to the rule. It was a track that we intended to put some lyrics in, which our drummer Dam had written.
Which is your ultimate direction for your band? Are you seeking fame/fortune/pleasure?
The only thing that we want to earn from this is money! (We are only joking!) When we began to play our goal was just to enjoy playing our own music. As long as this thirst is unfulfilled we‘ll continue to do so.
How do you feel about the internet in relation to the music business?
It depends on the kind of use that you do. Of course it made our lives easier in many ways. Now you can listen to new music, easily spread your music, contact with people about it, and also book live shows. The “bad” thing about this is that someone could lose his concentration. For example, one can start listening to some hard rock kick-ass music and end up (even if he’s not Greek) to some folk Greek music by Petroloukas Chalkias, which is not entirely bad, but not good either!
Your latest album, released a month ago, is ‘Gazer’. How long did you prepare for this? Could you please share some words about it?
The first song of the album was composed some months after our first album ‘Electric’ was released. But the real preparation started 2 years ago. We couldn’t do it earlier, because all three of us have daily jobs, where we make a great amount of money (of course not…hahaha). So, sometimes it is impossible to have the time needed to play music. Also, we record live, so we had to find the right place to do that. After some thorough research, we found the Oak Street Studios in Rafina, and Chris (sound engineer), which was a great combination for us to record our music! It would be a mistake not to mention his very good work and his contribution on the production of our album (thanx Chris, take care of your herd). Finally, a fine weekend of June 2017, we made it! We got in studio, and recorded the 8 songs that you can find in the album called ‘Gazer’. The mastering sessions took place at Audiosiege Studios in Oregon, USA, by Brad Boatright, that gave the album the character we always wanted! Last but not least, the cds that you may get in your hands were released by our good friends at Fuzz Ink. Records.
How did you receive the contribution from Michael Fassbender for his photo shooting for GQ? How do you feel about that?
It was a surprise for us when the director of the video, Andrew Brown, approached us, and asked to use our track ‘Double Cut’, featured on our fist album ‘Electric‘. Of course it was a very interesting idea, so we accepted immediately. The result was great.
On 28th October you are performing at An Club. What should we expect?
We are going to present live all the tracks of our new album ‘Gazer’, live (again!!), and to play a few more songs from the previous releases. Also, we will share the stage with two powerful bands, Fuel Eater from Patras, and The BuzzDeallers from Athens. Each of them has a unique character. Fuel Eater play heavy doom rock n roll, and they always present a very dynamic live vibe. The BuzzDealers, on the other side, is a bluesy, psychedelic, garage band. In the past two years, they have managed to be recognized by their good work. In a few words, we have to expect a heavy/doomy/bluesy rock n roll night. Be there!
Classic and unavoidable! Future plans and goals?
As many live shows as we can! It’s been a dream of ours to travel around Europe playing our music, and we hope to make it happen someday!
Photo credits: Victor Malkievic
Nena Gioti