Interview Ratchet Dolls

Ratchet Dolls burst back onto the scene with Bring The Noize, delivering raw, authentic rock ‘n’ roll. In this interview, the band reflects on fan reactions, creative inspiration, and staying true to their sound.

1. Congratulations on the release of Bring The Noize! How has the fan response been so far, and what does this album mean to you as a band?

Kevin: Thank you so much! Our friends and fans from all over the world seem to really love it! We’ve toured pretty consistently and continue to sell out of copies on the road. We are so grateful for that!

Sofie: I agree. The response from fans has been incredible because they were waiting so long for the second release and I think they’re very pleased with how it turned out. I also believe the band finally has its musical fingerprint and signature sound established with this album.

Kevin: As a band, we believe Bring The Noize marks a fresh start for Ratchet Dolls by helping solidify the band’s fingerprint within the rock scene. The songs do a great job defining our DNA, which is Raw, Adrenalized, In-Your-Face, Authentic Rock N Roll!

2. The album’s singles “Loud! Loud! Loud!” and “The Enemy” have been incredibly wellreceived. Can you share the creative process behind these tracks?

Kevin: I remember recording the leading riff for “Loud! Loud! Loud!” on my phone long before it became what it is. Months later, I started writing lyrics about a girl who can’t get enough of loud rock n roll and the riff’s driven aggression seemed to fit perfectly. After a few edits, the song was born and is one of our favorites to perform live.

“The Enemy” was a bit more personal. The song is a reminder that it is impossible to please everyone at times. It talks about finding the strength to persevere when the world might feel like its against you… This is a feeling I struggled with for years, and it really helped to put it on paper. I only hope it can do the same for others someday. Musically, I believe the song does a good job at adding a blues-shuffle twist to the album which is near to our hearts. We’re all fans of the blues, and we wanted to express that in this record.

3. Your sound is often compared to rock icons like AC/DC and Airbourne. How do you balance drawing from classic rock influences while staying fresh and modern?

Sofie: We don’t intentionally sound like other bands (even though we’re huge fans). We have so many influences and it’s evident in our songs, which is only natural. At the same time, we don’t intentionally try to sound modern. The music we release is just what comes from the heart.

Thankfully people seem to think it’s a good balance between classic and modern rock.

Kevin: I agree with Sofie. Our sound is a melting pot of many genres and bands who inspire us.Honestly, the goal is to be 100% authentic to ourselves and Rock N Roll. We've talked about how many new bands sound overproduced and bland. It grinds my gears when I can hear the copy, paste, and autotune… So early on, we decided that we would NOT follow those footsteps, and that we would only release music we felt was authentic and traditional to the genre. Even if it meant it took longer to produce and release.

To answer your question, I believe the balance between “Classic Rock” and the “fresh and modern” sound comes from using modern production tactics, while leaving out the copy, paste, and auto-tune. We don’t believe in overproducing our music.

4. What was your vision when writing Bring The Noize? Were there any key themes or messages you wanted to convey through the album?

Kevin: "Bring The Noize" was written with a goal to take audiences back to simpler times in Rock music. Judging by the feedback we’ve received so far, I believe we succeeded.

We received offers to work with top tier producers on this record, but turned them down because we really feared sounding like other bands. Many modern rock albums today are shaped by the same hands, creating a lack of originality in the industry. By staying away from these production trends, I believe we stand out… Hopefully in a good way.

5. The tracklist is packed with high-energy songs like “Rolling Thunder” and “Blood For Blood.” Which song do you feel best represents the spirit of the album, and why?

Sofie: I think both tracks are essential. Since the album is already on the shorter side, every song counts and makes an equal impact. I think we can sincerely say there are no “filler tracks” on “Bring the Noize”. We’d rather release an album with 8 strong tracks than an album with 12 songs where half end up being skipped.

Kevin: Exactly! I would much rather have a shorter album without filler tracks. I love every song on this album because they all sound uniquely different, but not in a bad way. As the album plays, the variance from track to track continues to lure me back in.

However, if I had to choose between “Rolling Thunder” and “Blood For Blood” I would pick “Rolling Thunder.” I much prefer a traditional heavy metal sound, which this song has plenty of!

6. You’ve had the chance to tour extensively, including supporting Faster Pussycat. What has been your most memorable moment on the Bring The Noize tour so far?

Kevin: Touring with Faster Pussycat is everything we imagined it would be - nothing but thrills and a crazy time! The entire gang is amazing to work with and they are all so humble!

Some of the best times we had during this run were actually after the shows. We often found ourselves stumbling into a random hole-in-the-wall bar to sing karaoke with them. Believe me when I say they know how to have a great time! We love those cats and would do it all over again in a heartbeat!

Sofie: All of that was fun, but the most memorable moments for me are on stage when we’re really put to the test to show the audience what we can do. It’s nerve-wracking for me and it’s the hardest part of every night, but it’s also the most exciting and it’s the reason why we’re on the road.

7. The music videos for “Loud! Loud! Loud!” and “The Enemy” have hit over 100,000 views on YouTube. How important is the visual aspect of your music to you, and how do you approach creating videos?

Kevin: 100,000 views is incredible to us! We were on tour when the videos were released, and I remember all of us being shocked by the crazy response. The numbers kept rising and we couldn’t believe how quickly fans helped us get to 100,000. We owe it this accomplishment to them and we are forever grateful for it.

The videos were filmed by our good friend Xavier and edited at home by Sofie and myself.

While my passion is music, I studied Multimedia in college, which really helped the band out in this case. To answer your question, the visuals are very important because music videos are the gateways for fans to discover your music. If the video does a bad job representing your your music, the odds for you to gain new fans from your video diminish.

8. Kevin, you’ve mentioned wanting to deliver an authentic rock ’n’ roll sound. What do you think sets Ratchet Dolls apart from other modern rock bands?

Kevin: I’m sure I sound like a broken record by now, but I truly believe it has a lot to do with the production of the music. It’s easy to take advantage of pitch correction, quantizing, copy and paste, and the many other plug-ins available to us in the world of music production; but I believe most modern bands overproduce themselves and end up sounding like a carbon-copy of each other.

When I produced the album, it took a lot of discipline to not use these tools, but I knew early on that I wasn’t aiming for perfection. I was aiming to capture the best performance out of each take. I did this for every instrument, including my voice. Sure, it took a lot longer to finish the album this way, but I think it was worth it at the end of the day.

9. How do you maintain the adrenaline-fueled energy of your performances night after night on tour? What’s your secret to keeping the fire alive?

Sofie: For me it’s being thankful to have the opportunity to play in front of people as often as we do. While on tour, I genuinely can’t wait to go on stage night after night. It isn’t easy when you’re exhausted or stressed about whatever the day may bring, but we wouldn’t be able to handle touring if it weren’t for the passion and drive.

Kevin: All of us in the band are completely different when we’re not on stage, and people point it out to us all the time. There is something special that happens when we take the stage and we take on different personalities. Our adrenaline spikes and carries us through the entire show - I mean it! My clothes are drenched in sweat every single night, and it always takes us a long time to come down from the high we get just from performing. Sofie is absolutely right. It has everything to do with passion.

10. With Bring The Noize solidifying your place as torchbearers of rock 'n' roll, where do you see Ratchet Dolls heading next? Are there plans for new music or collaborations on the horizon?

Kevin: There are certainly plans for new music, but I can’t really say very much since “Bring The Noize” is still very young. What I can say is that we recently signed to MR Records out of Melbourne, Australia, which is a family we are very excited to be a part of! Our vision aligns perfectly with theirs and its comforting to know they genuinely believe in our music and want to help it reach new heights. Ultimately, I would love to break out of the USA and build Ratchet Dolls up in foreign markets. It’s been a goal of ours for a long time, and I think we’re ready to take on the challenge!

Sofie: I agree! Hopefully we can bring the band everywhere around the globe. We have two specific places in mind for 2025, but we’ll keep that a surprise for now!

11. Your fanbase has grown significantly through your tours and social media presence. How do you stay connected with your audience, and how important is that relationship to you?

Sofie: Our relationship with our audience is extremely important to us. I try to make a connection with every person we meet at the merch table. Those people who go out of their way to meet us or support us by buying merch are appreciated more than they will ever know.

We try to stay in touch as much as we can by reaching out to our fans specifically when we’re coming to their area.

Kevin: We’ve been a touring band for years and have had the pleasure of kindling so many relationships all around the country. It’s always an amazing feeling when a fan approaches us after a show to tell us they were unsure about us at first, but were won over by the end of our first song. We are so grateful to have fans we consider family and would help us out if we ever needed it. We don’t take any of them for granted and we always make sure we let them know how appreciative we are of each of them.

12. For those who are just discovering Ratchet Dolls, what’s one thing you’d like them to know about your band and your music?

Kevin: Our music is loud, raw, and written especially for those craving new, authentic, in-yourface Rock N Roll. We hope that while you listen to “Bring The Noize” you feel the same adrenaline we do when we perform these songs on tour. If you enjoy the album and would like to dive deeper into the music, come on out to a show near you! We’d love to meet ya!

Ratchet Dolls Official Site