RAIN DOGS UNVEIL NEW EP 'UNDER THE INFLUENCE'

Listen to the release below!

Image: Felix Gailey.

Electronic post-punk trio Rain Dogs have dropped their new EP, Under The Influence - a release that sharpens the band’s nocturnal instincts and leans confidently into tension, mood and restraint. The collection of songs finds the trio operating with a heightened sense of focus, sculpting songs that feel intimate yet unsettling, driven by low-slung rhythms, spectral synth lines and Tom Murchie’s resonant vocal presence. There’s a sense that this is music designed for late hours and liminal spaces, where atmosphere matters as much as melody.

Comprised of Murchie alongside bassist Luke Scott (HighSchool) and guitarist Ju Shung, Rain Dogs have steadily refined their identity since their 2021 debut. On Under The Influence, that evolution is unmistakable. Drawing inspiration from the stark minimalism of post-punk and the slow-burn pull of electronic music, the band carve out a sound that feels deliberately insular and self-contained. Entirely produced and mixed by the group themselves, the EP thrives on contrast: warped synth textures rub against skeletal arrangements, while tracks like Nights Are Lonely and Neon Dreams drift between seduction and unease.

Lyrically and sonically, the record circles themes of excess, isolation and after-dark desire. As the band explain, “We worked on this EP in London, Melbourne and China. It’s darker than the first EP, with more stripped back instrumentation, following a theme of nightlife and hedonism.” That global creation process mirrors the EP’s restless energy, informed by years of touring across Europe and Asia.

With Under The Influence, Rain Dogs continue to push their sound into deeper, stranger territory. The EP feels less like a detour and more like a statement of intent - one that will be brought to the stage soon, beginning with a Sydney show at The Vanguard on January 29, as the band usher in this darker chapter of their evolving story. Tickets are on sale now.

Under The Influence is out now.