Rat Boy’s frayed, scuffed aesthetic results in a distinctive air of nonchalance. Wandering aimlessly through his lyrics, investing little care or effort in impressing anyone, the Chelmsford native is a realist.
With his own twisted take on geezer rap, Jordan Cardy promotes complex mission statements. His chaotic production and instrumentals enhance gritty vocals with atmospheric flair.
A tiny rebel without a cause, Cardy invited frequent reprimands during school. Now in his early 20s, the struggles underpinning his misdemeanors now inform his understanding of the darker facets of relationships and subcultures.
Shying away away from the polished, auto-tuned commercial avenues many young pop stars’ cash in on, a dirty, blood stained cocktail of angst and optimism dog-marks his records. Expressing uncensored, outspoken political opinions alongside idealistic daydreams, he draws inspiration from the Beastie Boys and Jamie T on his debut album, tentatively set to arrive this summer.
We caught up with this second hand clothes horse to find out about his musical journey from the day dot to the present, prior to his sets at Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds and a September tour of the UK.
Of all the tracks that you have written to date which one has been the most therapeutic to record and why?
My next single [Wildlife] is quite personal to me lyrically. It's about suffering with anxiety and struggling to ignore things that I need to. I also create situations in my head and it escalates to fuck and I don't know what's reality and what I've made up. That's kinda where I am at the moment and the lyrics are me trying to explain how I feel or something.
You were suspended at school. What did you used to get up to?
Just being loud and annoying and in a few fights. I got suspended because I had a dick drawn in my science book and it got picked up by Ofsted. They had a school assembly on it, I think. I'm just not academic in the normal, accepted schooling system. I enjoyed being creative and couldn't even do the creative subjects well because of all the stuff that goes with it. School was really frustrating for me and I created more when I stayed home off school and after school.
Who was your hero growing up?
I've had a few but my parents, [Green Day's] Billie Joe Armstrong and [The Specials'] Terry Hall.
Why did you decide to sign to Parlophone and how has the label helped you shape the direction of your music now?
Parlophone is literally the most amazing label in the world. I have so much freedom and they let me be in control. I’m quite difficult and very fussy, even down to what the stickers are printed on. I really appreciate how patient they are with me and try and make all my ideas a reality. My label has been amazing, just helping me to let me shape my music. I've been able to record at [DamonAlbarn’s] Studio 13 and that has opened up so many different styles of music for me. I can be creative and try stuff out.
When and where do you find yourself the most creative?
On journeys on my own or in the studio at night, I think.
What's the best road trip you have ever taken? What music did you play on the journey?
Recently me and my bro, Luxurious Thomas, drove to the desert in Spain for some stuff coming out soon and on the way there I saw some pretty amazing scenes. I can count how many times I've been out of the UK on one hand, so different cultures blow my mind. I was listening to Blancmange, Fun Boy Three and Silicon.
How involved do you get with video treatments?
Completely involved. This next video I've literally spent the last two months coming up with ideas, designing the outfits, drawing a storyboardzine and visiting. I'm working with my friend Tommy, who does all the tour videos, and we've become like a creative team. It's sick, I've found someone who can work with me. I come up with these angles and shots and he knows how we can shoot it and what lens to use. I want this next video to feel like some weird sequel to From Dusk Till Dawn. I wish I could shoot the video on 35mm but that isn't realistic. At the moment we are working on the grading, trying to make it look as much like film as possible. We're close.
If your music were to provide the soundtrack to a film what would happen in the movie and who would star in it?
I would want the two from Natural Born Killers [Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis], [Quentin] Tarantino and Michael Cera. I'd be in it too. Maybe some ‘70s style horror movie where everybody gets eaten by some big demon. But I cut open its stomach at the end, after a big brawl in a forest, and everybody falls out alive covered in goo.
Who works on your artwork?
I do all the artwork. I enjoy doing it. I probably spend just as much time doing the art as I do making the music. The comic book I'm making to go with this next EP/single release is taking so long and all the deadlines are scary. I'm gonna be pretty proud of it when it's done though, because I've always wanted a magazine but lost concentration after making the front cover and tried something else.
Rat Boy Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Fri September 16 2016 - SHEFFIELD Leadmill
Sat September 17 2016 - MANCHESTER Albert Hall
Sun September 18 2016 - NEWCASTLE University
Mon September 19 2016 - GLASGOW Barrowland
Thu September 22 2016 - LONDON O2 Forum Kentish Town
Fri September 23 2016 - OXFORD O2 Academy Oxford
Sat September 24 2016 - BIRMINGHAM O2 Institute
Mon September 26 2016 - PORTSMOUTH Wedgewood Rooms
Tue September 27 2016 - CAMBRIDGE Cambridge Junction
Wed September 28 2016 - BRISTOL Anson Rooms
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