Meet Rosie & the Ratdogs: Band (Athens, GA)

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rosie & the Ratdogs and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rosie & the Ratdogs, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
We had all been playing in different bands around Athens for a couple of years. After booking several shows together in late 2015 into 2016, we all became fast friends and shared an interest in collaborating. Me [Ben], Justin, and Andy started throwing riffs around in a basement, and it all started to stick. As soon as Jordan came into the picture and started playing bass with us, we formed all of those riffs into songs and officially started the band. We played our first show in March of 2017.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
We’re a 4-piece Hard Rock band from Athens, GA. We started jamming together in late 2016. Previous to that, we had all been hanging out and playing shows around Athens in our respective bands. After writing a few songs together it seemed like a no-brainer that we should be a band, and so we booked our first show in March of 2017! It just flowed from there. We were trying to book shows like crazy around the Athens/Atlanta area, gearing up to record our first EP and then tour.
We ended up recording in February 2020, but by the time we got the masters back in mid-March, everything started to close down. We shelved the EP for a while, eventually released it in October of 2020, and then started patiently waiting with everyone else to start booking shows.
Until then, we’re just writing new tunes and coming up with merch ideas! Hopefully we’ll be able to get back in the studio this year to record a full-length and then get out on the road.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We’d definitely hit up the record shops and then go bar hopping around downtown. There’s also a metal social club/record shop called Shadebeast that’s open on the weekends. Always fun going there to hang and have a few beers with Joe.
As far as food goes, the World Famous is where it’s at. They put on live shows as well, and their food is top notch. But really, all of the restaurants in downtown are awesome. So take your pick!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The Caledonia Lounge and its crew in Athens. That place was home to so many bands around the South East and beyond. We’ll all miss it dearly and remember it fondly.

Website: https://rosieandtheratdogs.bandcamp.com/releases

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosieandtheratdogs_/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosieandtheratdogs/

Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0ooYOntKdFxTwlzAKQuPxe?si=kpjg8yvrT_6t-W2UNUlHVQ

Image Credits
Grant Butler Markus Shaffer Sophie Eldridge Rachel Wren