Dune Rats Announce New Album 'If It Sucks, Turn It Up'

Dune Rats have announced their fifth album, If It Sucks, Turn It Up, and dropped the new single, Cheapskate.

The new LP will be released on Friday, 9 August, via Ratbag Records/BMG. You can pre-order/pre-save the album here.

Cheapskate is officially the third taste fans have heard from If It Sucks, Turn It Up, with Dune Rats previously releasing the singles Solar Eyes and Be Like You.

“Cheapskate came out of us spending a lot of time touring in the US,” singer and guitarist Danny Beus said. “There’s this weird world where the rich kids from Hollywood are hanging out with the skate punks and all the kind of people we know because they have such a better time there.

“As you are growing up, you might think having money and sick cars would be the cool thing, but really, the coolest thing is hanging out with your mates at the skate park. You can’t buy that.

“We think the song is like the album: an eclectic smorgasbord that still sounds like Dunies.”

You can watch the music video for Cheapskate below.

The band have described their upcoming album as their most adventurous to date, citing Regurgitator’s iconic 1997 album, Unit, as an inspiration.

Beus added, “We wanted to make an album that throws you around a bit, like you are being washed around in the surf. We’re five albums in now, so we knew it should be a record that shows all the different sides to the band.

“BC [Michaels, drummer] had been listening to ‘Unit’, which I loved when I was a kid too. It’s an album with a lot of different styles.

“We realised you can have something that’s dreamy and dancey next to a song that’s punk. What became paramount for the album was that all these songs were a little different to each other but could fit together.”

Dune Rats have a small string of Aussie shows coming up before they head to Europe and the UK—check out the dates of their hometown shows below.

In November 2022, Dune Rats made headlines for their epic cover of The Angels’ classic, Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again (with friends including the Brewster brothers), on triple j’s Like A Version.

UPCOMING DUNE RATS SHOWS

Thursday 23 May - Wintersun - Geraldton

Friday 24 May - The Carine - Duncraig

Saturday 25 May - Dunsborough Tavern - Dunsborough

Sunday 26 May - Leisure Inn - Rockingham