Premiere: Perth alt-rock newcomers Ra Ra Viper unveil their debut EP, Kawaii

Premiere: Perth alt-rock newcomers Ra Ra Viper unveil their debut EP, Kawaii

The group will be launching the EP on June 18th, with an all-star supporting cast including Pretty Uglys and Scream Mountain.

If you've been keeping an eye on the next generation of Perth's alt/indie live music world, then Ra Ra Viper may be an act that have popped up on your radar within the last few years. Forming towards the tail-end of 2018, the five-piece group of Freo pals kicked into gear with a breakthrough single titled Paddy back in August last year, introducing the outfit as ones to watch while also taking them to the next level in their own growth and evolution too; Ra Ra Viper stepping up from one of those bands playing friends' house parties to those supporting the cream of the crop over here in WA.

Release-wise, Ra Ra Viper have really stepped it up too. Since sharing Paddy last year, they've released a collection of stirring indie-rock tunes that further explore and refine the West Australiana-esque edge to their work. Take, for example, song names such as last year's Swanny Beach and last month's highlight in Kalamunda Queen, or how their heavy inspiration in acts embedded within West Australia's live music world - Noah Dillon, Old Mervs and so on - sneak into their own work, although twisted and turned into something distinct to Ra Ra Viper.

It's a combination that Ra Ra Viper sink their teeth into across their debut EP Kawaii, premiering on Pilerats today ahead of an EP launch on June 18th (which we'll talk about in a second). Kawaii is a brilliant showcase of Ra Ra Viper and a worthy introduction if you're yet to be acquainted, taking the multi-faceted nature of their work and showing how it spreads across a large tapestry of sounds, from the heavier alt-rock-y stuff to those that feel a little poppier, rushing with buoyant choruses and electrifying songwriting not too far off from influences like Noah Dillon.

The two tracks already shared from the EP are in the centre spotlight; Kalamunda Queen and Crying Shame - both initially released this year - capturing Ra Ra Viper hit a new peak, as they emerge with what's perhaps the most poignant showcase of Ra Ra Viper and their sound. That said, there's a tonne of excitement in the other two tracks too, with Two Minds debuting a sound that's a little more psychedelic-like and slow-stirring, while the EP-closing Angry Boys is a pivot to the opposite, feeling plucked from the same edgy sound as Arctic Monkeys, except a little less British.

As mentioned, the EP premieres on Pilerats ahead of a launch show on June 18th, which will see Ra Ra Viper headline Jack Rabbit Slim's alongside a cast of supporting acts that have become some of our favourites within the last year: Pretty Uglys, Scream Mountain and Humble Armada. You can get tickets and a little more information here, but in the meantime, take a dive into Kawaii below, and take note of it as an introduction to a group that will no doubt kill it in the year ahead.

Follow Ra Ra Viper: FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM

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