Aussie rocker Lab Rat chats about the new album and lots more…
21st May 2025Australian alt-rock grunge artist LAB RAT unleashed his debut album, In The Walls, We Wait, on May 9 via Mushroom Pillow—a sonic reckoning forged in fire. Fuelled by struggle, the album erupts with raw emotion, blistering riffs, and anthemic defiance. It’s not just music—it’s survival.
LAB RAT—aka Dylan—turned pain into purpose. After battling addiction in 2014, driven by the memory of his late brother, he locked himself in Melbourne’s Singing Bird Recording Studios, fighting for a future in music. His story is one of grit, redemption, and the relentless power of sound.
We had a chat with Dylan – aka Lab Rat to find out more...
Lab Rat is a bold name—what’s the story behind it? Does it represent a personal journey or a philosophy in your music?
Definitely reflective / represents the personal journey I’ve been on for the last 10 years. It actually, weirdly, came about because someone I was partying with over 10 years ago now, slurred my last name and it sounded like LAB RAT and it became my nickname ever since.
Your new single, ‘Lost in Soho’, just dropped. What’s the inspiration behind it? Were there any wild stories that shaped it?
Getting lost in Soho. Just not being happy with your surroundings and what you’re doing with your life. Drugs at night time, regret in the morning and somehow back to drugs at night time again. I’ve always used Soho as a metaphor for Substance abuse.
How does ‘Lost in Soho’ set the tone for the new album ‘In the Walls, We Wait’? Is there a theme tying the album together?
Grunge-rap is what you could say the vibe of the music is that flows through the whole album. Lyrically, it’s the idea of that duality that lies within us all.
Is there a particular track on ‘In the Walls, We Wait’ that really pushed you out of your comfort zone, creatively or personally?
‘You Are Not Alone’ I’ve written many songs where the idea is using my depression to let other people know it’s gunna be okay, but this one was kinda the hammer on the nail.
The UK leg of your tour just happened! What was it like?
We absolutely tore the stages apart in the UK! Loved it
Performing in the UK comes with a certain energy. How do you think UK audiences compare to the crowds you’ve played for before?
I’ve noticed the UK definitely has more of a culture around live music, regardless of who is on the sign out front. They’re more open to hearing and enjoying different styles on a night out. Here in Aus, if you don’t recognise any names on the bill, people won’t go. The live music culture is pretty dead over here, honestly. But shout out to Dave at One Studios and the graveyard for bringing it back.
What’s been the most unexpected lesson or moment from working on’ In the Walls, We Wait’?
If you want to make god laugh, tell him your plans. A couple of our idols have told us they dig the music which is pretty cool.
If you could collaborate with any UK artist, who would be your dream pick and why?
That’s tough, but King Krule instantly comes to mind. Wet Leg would be cool as well. Honestly, there are too many to name in this interview haha
A lot of artists say touring changes their relationship with music—has hitting the road shifted your perspective in any way?
Not at all. If anything, it’s just made me more hungry than I was before. If I was dipping my toes before, I’m now going head first in the shallow end.
Big picture—where do you see Lab Rat heading next? Any dream projects or creative risks you’re itching to take?
We’d like to link a big tour and stay on the road for as long as possible, building the audience across Europe and UK. Potentially even record our next album while we are there instead of recording back in Aus again.
