The circus has a new home. Mom+Pop Music has officially signed The Rat Utopia Experiment (T.R.U.E.), the girl-fronted, genre-bending outfit that’s been the Pacific Northwest’s go-to circus act since 2022. The band comes in “five shiny colours“: Phia on vocals, Francis on bass, Maddox on lead guitar, Drix on rhythm guitar, and Christian on drums.
“The amount of interest and excitement we got from Mom + Pop was insane, and actually, we almost thought it was too good to be true. They’re amazing people and super down with our vision, so we’re beyond excited to be working with them.” — T.R.U.E.
There’s nothing subtle about T.R.U.E. Their sound leans hard into punk and RiotGrrrl roots, powered by a lead vocalist who sings, shouts, and screams her way through razor-sharp, politically charged lyrics. Onstage, it’s theatrical performance meets emotional gut-punch — clown makeup, chaotic energy, and a magnetic push-and-pull with the crowd that fans have described as pure “polished madness” with the crowd have become the band’s calling card — fans keep coming back for the “polished madness” of it all.
The “Lobotomize Me” Video
The band’s latest single, Lobotomize Me, now has a video to match its intensity. True to T.R.U.E. form, it came together fast and loose.
“Making the video was exactly as hectic as it looked. It literally came down to figuring out the treatment just two days before we filmed it and is inspired by our love of the early aughts vibe. It was a lot of fun and we knocked it out in just three hours. We give it a 10/10!” — T.R.U.E.
The whole thing was built out of pillows stacked on a folding table to fake a hospital bed, with the band’s friend Nikko starring in a repurposed Halloween costume. Add in some heavy wide-angle lens work and a post-shoot Frisko Freeze run, and you’ve got the full picture.
What’s Next
Between the new single and the Mom+Pop signing, the band says it feels like a graduation moment — stepping outside their local scene and into a growing underground following. They’ve already earned early and ongoing support from KEXP and KISW, plus stage time at PNW staples like Seattle’s Pioneer Square Festival. More new music is on the way.
US Fall Tour Dates
** = with The Linda Lindas
- 9/16 — Sacramento, CA **
- 9/30 — Santa Cruz, CA: The Crepe Place
- 10/1 — Atascadero, CA: Alas, No Quarter
- 10/4 — Fresno, CA: Tower Theatre Lounge
- 10/5 — San Francisco, CA: Bottom of the Hill
- 10/15 — Boise, ID: The Shredder
- 10/16 — Salt Lake City, UT: Hypha House
- 10/18 — Denver, CO: Moe’s Original BBQ
- 10/20 — Minneapolis, MN: Underground Music Venue
- 10/21 — Chicago, IL: Cobra Lounge
- 10/23 — Atlanta, GA: The Masquerade (Altar)
- 10/25 — Tampa, FL: The Orpheum **
- 10/27 — Fort Lauderdale, FL: Culture Room **
- 10/28 — Orlando, FL: The Social **
- 10/31 — Dallas, TX: Granada **
- 11/1 — Austin, TX **
Follow T.R.U.E.
Instagram / Tik Tok / Facebook / Bandcamp / theratutopiaexperiment.com
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