When I was reading up on Ra Ra Riot in anticipation of this interview,
I was surprised to learn they've only been together since 2006. It
seems like we've been talking about them forever, yet they were never
hyped to the point of oversaturation (like, say, their friends in
Vampire Weekend). That's partly a testament to their ability to their
ability to build a fanbase, something they began in earnest while still
at Syracuse University, but it's also a reflection of just how eventful
their brief career has been. They've already experienced more triumph
and tragedy than some bands with fifteen-year careers. In 2007, John
Pike, founding member, drummer, and one of their key songwriters,
drowned off the coast of Buzzard's Bay after a show in Providence. But
the band continued on, and is currently riding their quite enjoyable
full-length debut album, The Rhumb Line, to greater and greater
success. They'll play our Best Music Poll concert at City Hall Plaza in
Government Center (it's free!) on August 1 - and, as bassist Mat Santos
tells me over the phone while they're hurtling across Nevada, you can
add them to the list of indie rock bands with ties to the area who grew
up listening to our very own WFNX. Q+A is after the jump.