We recently connected with Mark McCarty lead guitarist from the band Rat Rod and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Mark thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
To be honest, this current project is the most meaningful project I’ve ever been involved with. The reason is multi-faceted. First, the pairing of Mike Smith our vocalist and myself was a fortuitous event for both of us. He was eager to start a band that had a sound like we now have, and I was writing music that he was looking for. We had a mutual friend that spoke to both of us about each other’s interest and we finally connected and immediately hit it off. Second this project is meaningful because I get to play music with my friends, Mike of course, but LJ our bass player and I are always talking and working on the business aspects of the band but also just generally cutting up and always having a laugh. Harry our drummer is one of my dearest friends for over 30 years and I love being in a band with him. Finally and most importantly, I get to play in a band with my son Brice who is on rhythm guitar. There is nothing more special than that!
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I would really like everyone to know about my band Rat Rod. We are an “old school” rock and roll band in the same wheelhouse of of bands like AC/DC, Aerosmith, Rose Tattoo, Dirty Looks, The Angels(Angle City), and others that do that straight ahead cranked Marshall to 10 rock music. We have a unique no frills attitude that is in your face with enough grit to maybe make you anxious but with a twinkle in the eye that will calm your nerves. We have been around since 2018 and in that time have put out 3 studio albums and a live album, the latter a bit audacious for a regional market band to pull off but we did it! Our latest album is entitled Four on the Floor and is a collection of 10 tunes that we are all very proud of. We released it this past November through Vanity Music Group and have been playing all of the songs all over and people really dig it. All of our music is available on all the major streaming platforms, iTunes, Google, Amazon, etc… and Four on the Floor is also available on CD for order at most major retailers as well as our website: ratrodrocks.com
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
For me, the most rewarding aspect of being a musical artist is when someone is moved by my music. Yes even sometimes irreverent, party music, 3-chord rock and roll can touch people! I have had many occasions where people have come up to me after a show and tell us that they use our music to get through their day or use it to push through a tough spot in their life. One time when a very popular band I was in folded, I had a fan contact me and tell me that it was important to him that I keep playing. He said that what I have is a gift and must keep sharing it. At the time I really didn’t understand what he meant or why. But I have come to learn that I am an entertainer foremost and we all need to be entertained, it lets us forget all of our troubles for a little while. Knowing that and seeing the smiles in the crowd is very rewarding.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
I think the best way to support all creatives is to go off the beaten path and seek out new art. From time to time we are all guilty of staying in our comfort zone, sticking with what we know. Speaking for my corner of the world, there is so much music on the radio, and algorithms pick out the next tunes to stream but it all tends to be the same 40 songs in a given genre. There is SO MUCH good music out there just begging to be heard and if every person would just give that unknown artist a listen, you never know you might just find your new favorite band. One good way to do this is to listen to internet radio. There are a ton of “DJs” out there playing stuff they like and you are very likely to find something that interests you that you haven’t heard before.
Contact Info:
- Website: ratrodrocks.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/ratrodrocks
- Facebook: facebook.com/ratrodrocks
- Twitter: twitter.com/ratrodrocks
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/ratrod
Image Credits
all photos courtesy of Deb Argento