After releasing their much lauded debut album Back To Zero in 2016, one of Perth’s premier rock bands Ragdoll are back with high-octane new single Follow The Leader, a taste from their forthcoming album due out later this year. Expertly honing a hard rock with a sound that owes as much to the arena rock of the 70’s and 80’s as it does the grungy sounds of the 90’s, Ragdoll are led by the powerhouse vocals of Ryan Rafferty and backed by the shredding guitars of Leon Todd and pounding drum grooves of Cam Barrett.
Leon says of their latest offering, “Musically we wanted Follow the Leader to capture the live energy of a Ragdoll show, and that has as much to do with the way the song sounds as the way it feels. I personally feel these are some of the very best vocals Ryan has done to date, and the way he and Cam play together as a rhythm section really gets to shine on this song. Plus, I’m totally addicted to that main riff!”
Upon the lyrics, Rafferty explains “Follow the Leader deals with being put on a pedestal and treated as an answer to people’s problems. If you toe the line you can play god to them, but ultimately they’ll drain you of your energy and leave you feeling empty.”
Renowned as one of the hardest working bands around, Ragdoll have barely stopped since hitting the road in 2015, playing countless shows throughout Australia, USA and Europe, including slots at the Rocklahoma festival and supporting Skid Row at the famed Whisky a Go Go. This March the band will play multiple dates across Melbourne and Sydney before returning to Perth to head back into the studio while keeping up a steady schedule of hometown shows.
With new material on the way, Rafferty says of what continues to drive the band, “We feel like Ragdoll is a band that happily bridges the divide between old and new school while still staying true to the aesthetics that made rock music so great in the first place.”
Upcoming shows:
March 6 – Melodic Rock Fest Pre-party (Acoustic), National Theatre, Melbourne
March 8 – Melodic Rock Fest, National Theatre, Melbourne
March 11 – Stay Gold, Melbourne
March 12 – Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney
March 13 – s/ Kip Winger (Acoustic), GM Sound Studio, Melbourne
March 16 – s/ Kip Winger, Rosemount Hotel, Perth
