Photo courtesy artist

Their carefree attitude and addictive sound emanate that of a classic indie rock band. Based in Australia and made up of five high school friends looking for an excuse to stay connected, Rancid Eddie assembled to offer a taste of unapologetic reality with their outspoken lyrics and unruly aesthetic.

After the pandemic shattered any opportunity of playing live events, the band were forced to expand to unfamiliar territories in order to continue connecting with their fans. Perhaps uncharacteristically for their genre, TikTok was the platform that gained them a mass of new support, with an acoustic version of their original track “Dry,” causing a swell of new followers. Accumulating an impressive one million views on YouTube, 2.9 million on TikTok and endless user-generated content, it’s no surprise the Melbourne based group are elated with their success, admitting “After putting this flea bitten backyard recording on the socials, we would never have thought it would go as far as it has. The response from so many people across the world and all sorts of walks of life has been bloody phenomenal!”

Typically slung over a beaten up brown sofa, the band have established their mischievous image, hosting impromptu backyard acoustic sessions, with a haze of cigarette smoke in the air and beer cans strewn over the grass. Their intensely honest and somewhat controversial lyrics, relay losing drive and desire with sex and situationships, cementing their undisguised and infectiously authentic style. The grainy vocals layered over tinny guitars lead up to the boisterous chants and frolicking instrumentation of the chorus, reminiscent to the echoes of a boozy night at the pub. The group admits, “Dry was written one morning on the back of a two day bender. A couple guitars and 5 blokes kickin’ back around a table of empty stubbies, and the good old no sleep demons. The song is about realizing a relationship is over before it is, and the pains of falling out of love with someone.”