Australian alt-rock grunge artist LAB RAT dropped his debut album, In The Walls, We Wait, on May 9 via Mushroom Pillow—an electrifying anthem of resilience.
Born from struggle, the album turns pain into power, layering raw emotion with intense riffs and soaring melodies. It’s more than music; it’s a battle cry for reinvention.
LAB RAT—aka Dylan—found his path through adversity. After overcoming addiction in 2014, fueled by the memory of his late brother, he poured everything into Melbourne’s Singing Bird Recording Studios. His journey is one of redemption, proof that even in darkness, music can light the way.
We decided to find out more….
Hi Lab Rat! Where do we find you today?
Good, in the wake of the tour, you’ve actually caught me in a rare moment of sobriety!
The new single ‘Lost in Soho’ captures themes of identity crisis and change- what was the inspiration behind the track?
Just not being happy with your surroundings and what you’re doing with your life. Drugs at nighttime, regret in the morning and somehow back to drugs at nighttime again. I’ve always used Soho as a metaphor for Substance abuse.
Your new album ‘In the Walls We Wait’ explores the contrast between light and dark moments. How did you approach balancing celebration and despair in your songwriting?
I feel like honesty is the key. Everyone is multi-faceted. I have a lot of things I hate about myself and a lot of things I love. It’s just about being in the moment. I can be quite braggadocios in some songs and not have an ounce of self-love in the next, and honestly my day to day is quite similar.
You’ve described the album as turning trauma into triumph. Was there a particular song that felt like a breakthrough moment for you during the writing process?
‘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.
Car Crash from the album is set to feature in Netflix’s Olympo. How does it feel to have your music reach audiences through TV as well?
Yeah, that’s a blessing or at least my landlord and all the people I owe money to are absolutely stoked about it haha! To have our song associated with a director like Ferzan, we’re stoked.
You made your UK live debut at The Great Escape Festival. What was it like performing for UK audiences?
Seeing the reactions was priceless. We’ve been basically only playing Australian shows for a long time now, and the last time I was there was in 2012!
Your music blends alt-rock, grunge, and rap influences. How do you see your sound evolving in future releases?
It could either get soft and gentle in a Kid-A type way or it could just get way heavier than ever before. It’s hard to tell and I don’t like pigeonholing my music before we’ve wrote it.
You’ve spoken about overcoming personal struggles to pursue music. How has that journey shaped the way you approach your career today
Yer it’s all I have. There is this cathartic thing that happens when writing. It’s why I’m here. I genuinely believe I’m here because I’m supposed to be doing this.
What does the rest of the year have in store for Lab Rat?
Well, if this next tour goes well, more of the same. If it doesn’t, I’ll get a job at Tesco or something haha!
LISTEN TO “In The Walls, We Wait” ON SPOTIFY:
Karen Woodham is the founder and owner of the Blazing Minds. She is also a Cinema reviewer and works with RealD 3D reviewing the latest 3D releases and IMAX, she has also had several articles published in various publications including the first edition of SFW Magazine. In 2015 she became an Award Winning Blogger and also has her website listed as one of the UK’s Top 10 Film Blogs.
