Biography

Red Carpet Rats
Biography

Red Carpet Rats are undoubtedly one of the music industry’s hardest working bands. This Nashville-based four man rock collective not only wrote every song on their radio-friendly debut release, “The Year of the Rat,” they also produced it, initiated a digital marketing campaign, formed and staffed their own label, and acquired a major independent distributor in the process.

The Red Carpet Rats story began taking shape when singer Uni Pereira placed an ad in a northeastern music magazine looking for a “guitar player who can sing harmony.” McCabe, who had a development deal with a recording studio near Boston, responded to the ad and they clicked instantly. Agreeing on the importance of well-crafted songs, the two began to make regular trips to Nashville to hone their writing skills. They soon opted to relocate and completed the line-up, with drummer Tige Bucchino, who had come from San Antonio with thoughts of being in a country band, and Doc Singles, who drove from North Carolina to audition for the bass position. The band, who took their name from a piece of graffiti art, wasted no time creating edgy, gripping tunes with four-part harmonies and catchy pop melodies.

“Uni suggested that we all move in together, enabling us to get to know each other so well that we knew what to expect from one another. I figured it worked for Aerosmith, so why not,” explains McCabe. As well as co-writing all of the songs on the album with Uni, he also handled production duties. The Massachusetts native has been playing guitar since he was only three years old and performed his first paying gig at nine. “My dad was a DJ and I knew every song in his collection, and actually wrote my first song at five. But I was drawn to melodies. I didn’t really pay attention to lyrics.”

For frontman Uni Pereira, who is driven to be the consummate showman, the opposite is true. “I was about 7 or 8 when I started writing down little poems, or lyrics, as it were. Just writing about the standard stuff for a kid that age . . . friends, playing games, getting into trouble. Ya’ know, throw in a bit about girls and it’s close to the same things I write about now!” A published writer who has worked as a DJ for a U.K. based radio station, Uni is also somewhat of a scholar of popular music history, stating, “If there’s a music biography or documentary out there on a legendary band or singer, I’ve probably checked it out . . . twice!” He and McCabe have also recently secured a deal writing for Universal Music Group’s Master Source music catalog, the industry's leading provider of original music for film, TV, and multimedia.

Although he hides it well, Doc Singles, is RCR’s resident geek. The classically trained bassist has a degree in lasers and electro-optics. Doc has also been busy collaborating with Uni to develop and prepare a Red Carpet Rats comic book series to be published by Viper Comics. “I never dreamed I’d get the opportunity to mesh my interests of music and comic books, and quite frankly, didn’t know I had it in me,” he states.

Tige Bucchino is the craftsman. “I’m big on building things,” he says. “Over time, I’ve constructed studios, consoles, staging, and anything else RCR has needed. I like to think I bring the proficiency of a technician to my drumming for the band, while most importantly, just playing whatever the particular song needs.”

“We really kept everything in-house, you might say,” explains Uni. “McCabe and I wrote all the songs together on a laptop right in my bedroom. I handled the lyrics and he supplied the melodies. Then we worked out the arrangements and rehearsed it with the whole band in the living room until we felt all the elements were there.”

They knew they were ahead of the game when they released five songs on their “Rug Burns” E.P. and received stellar reviews with airplay on over 80 college radio and internet stations, as early versions of “Photographic Memory,” “Creeping In,” and “Written in the Scars” all reached #1 on Live365.com. However, the culmination of their hard work was their first full-length CD, “The Year of the Rat” which was mixed by Grammy-winning engineer Kevin Beamish (Elton John, Henry Rollins), and mastered by Randy LeRoy (Relient K).

“Ultimately we were disappointed with much of what we heard from the label executives we met with, in that we were looking for more of a partner than an employer. So McCabe and I decided to start our own label to release the record, which lead to signing with a subsidiary of UMG’s Fontana Distribution,” Uni states. “The fundamentals of running a business are universal,” adds McCabe. “So we took the reins and built this whole operation from the ground up, making Chauffeur Records a full service independent record label.”

“Chauffeur Records is doing everything right,” according to New Music Weekly magazine. And Red Carpet Rats has proven that their sound has no boundaries, with two new singles charting on two different radio formats. “Photographic Memory” is heating up the airwaves of pop and alternative stations and “Going To Hell,” with its harder, darker edge, has caught fire on rock stations across the country, having been featured in both an ESPN segment and an independent film. RCR has also crossed-over into the Latin market, leading to a performance of their tequila-fueled anthem “The Gulp of Mexico” on Telemundo’s Spanish TV.

Not stopping with the music, Red Carpet Rats has signed on as official “spokesband” for the Tennessee chapter of Prevent Child Abuse America. The band also participates as part of Musicians On Call, a nonprofit organization which brings live music to healthcare facilities. With an eye on education, RCR is the sponsor of their own “Make Our Video” contest, open only to students, with a free give-away single. The group does all this while actively participating with their fan organization, The Rats Pack.

This hardworking foursome look forward to the next step in their musical evolution, and, to borrow a line from the band’s ode to the grind, “Hard Living,” . . . Red Carpet Rats will surely keep busy “taking everything that life has to offer!”



PRESS QUOTES

“Red Carpet Rats are set to explode soon . . . Everybody is extremely excited about their debut single 'Photographic Memory'." - Paul Loggins, Inside Top 40 Radio, New Music Weekly

"RCR have a good tight sound with harmonies to match! Very worthy of airplay. If you like to rock, check them out!" - Staff Picks, Nashville Music Guide

"'Photographic Memory' is hot! The song has a pulsating beat and an infectious sound that directly appeals to our "Hot AC" audience." - Jim Barker, Operations Manager, KRKC 102.1 FM King City, CA

"'Photographic Memory' is one of those fun songs with a great hook that gets stuck in your "MEMORY". Began spinning the song on WRAL-HD and it grew from there. Looking forward to more Red Carpet Rats in 2010!" - Jim Kelly, DJ, WRAL 101.5 FM Raleigh, NC

"'Going to Hell' is a rocking tune... an anthem for the partiers of the world." - Divakar, DJ, WEND 106.5 FM Charlotte, NC

"Red Carpet Rats not only have great music, they're smart, funny, extremely talented and a pleasure to interview." - Beth Wyatt, DJ, WYMV 106.9 "Y 107" FM Madisonville, Kentucky

" . . catchy lyrics and harmonies combine in such a way that it captures the attention and leaves the audience thirsting for more. RCR has a sound unlike anyone on the airwaves today, which is exactly the kind of variety that the listening audience needs." - Becka Grey, DJ, KLYD 98.9 FM Texas

“They take witty lyrics, energetic music, and melodic vocals and make a concoction that’s pure musical enjoyment.” - Calvin (Dewey) Williams III, Music Director, WMHW Modern Rock 91.5 Michigan

“Red Carpet Rats are the best new voice within the music industry. Uni is a great mixture of Chris Cornell and Ben Hurley. This band totally rocks!!!”
- Chad Eddinger, General Manager, 91.1 FM WBUQ "The Revolution" Pennsylvania

“Red Carpet Rats are melody pounding rocksters who could be compared to U2 . . . their music has an ageless quality that will keep their music spinning constantly because it never gets old.”
- Jonathan Lehmann, Station Manager, WPNR 90.7 New York

“RCR is pop rock at its finest! Top-notch lyrics. Infectious melodies. Harmonies for days. To say I'm a fan is an understatement. Big R Radio's find of the year!”
- Mike Johnson, Executive Program Director, 100.8 'The Hawk', Big R Radio

“Red Carpet Rats is a perfect fit for anyone's pop rock musical candy
collection!”
- Keri Fico, Music Director, WUSB 90.1 New York

“They definitely ROCK! Our listeners in 40 countries and 138 U.S. Cities rate our tunes, and Red Carpet Rats continue to be one of our highest rated independent artists!”
- AC Stewart, Programme Director, Spiderwebradio, live365.com

“A refreshing burst of rock energy, melody, and intelligence that promises to knock your socks off!”
- Brad Westmar, The Wild Wild Westmar Show, KCHost Radio Network, Missouri

“Catchy hook-driven pop . . here's an energetic upbeat band with some purpose!” - Rich Rev, DJ, Revolving Doors Radio, British Columbia, Canada

“You can put RCR in a time capsule and bury it...then dig it up in the year 2020...and the music would still be a hit! Yes, they are that good!”
- Randall B. Jones COO / Editorial Director, Nine5Four The Magazine, Boca Raton, Florida

“Red Carpet Rats deliver hooky power pop and a cool vibe in their music that is not easy to find on the radio or anywhere these days. Undeniable talent, solid performance and catchy tunes make them a band to watch!”
- Tom Beggs, Producer, Split TV - The Future of Music Television (ATL, NYC & LA)

“A catchy hook-driven power pop sound along with witty song lyrics put the Red Carpet Rats music in the fast lane of music's super highway.”
- C.W. Ross, Senior Writer, IndieMusicStop.com

“ . . . this band is more than the latest rock-pop group to hit the circuit. They are here with obvious ambition, a principle held up by sharp lyrics, memorable riffs and unparalleled style . . a prime example of what upcoming bands should strive to create.”
- Richie Frieman, President, PensEyeView Magazine, Baltimore

“RCR's a band that can truly play pop rock, with catchy beats and lyrics that we can all instantly connect to.”
- Jo Wrigglesworth, Editor, Fusion Music Magazine, Melbourne, Australia

“RCR delivers precise, infectious melodies and a sonic tightness. The result? Pure pop rock power!”
- Monica Whittaker, Talent In Motion Magazine, New York