Cancer Bats Release New Track “Backstab The Rat Race” As A Heartfelt Thank You to Fans
In the wake of a heartbreaking setback that saw their tour van, trailer, gear, merchandise, and personal belongings stolen, Canadian hardcore punk heavyweights and six-time JUNO nominees Cancer Bats have experienced an outpouring of love and generosity that has left them humbled, grateful and deeply moved. As a heartfelt thank you to their fans, friends, and the broader music community, the band has released “Backstab the Rat Race”, an unreleased B-side recorded during the sessions for their critically acclaimed JUNO-nominated 2022 studio album Psychic Jailbreak. The track is now available to stream on all major platforms.
“Waking up in a hotel in Indianapolis to discover our van and trailer had been stolen was the most disheartening feeling in the world," shares Cancer Bats. “Thankfully, the police recovered the van and it wasn't in terrible shape, so we had a way to stay mobile and begin figuring out how to continue the tour. As soon as we posted on social media, the messages started pouring in, with words of support, love and encouragement. One of our friends, Shawn Dealy, who works at Sweetwater, reached out immediately and offered help with backline gear. That was a huge help. We had just invested a lot to get this tour off the ground, so we launched a GoFundMe to help cover the stolen gear, van repairs, and a new trailer. We needed everything. Our community came through HUGE!! We raised $33,000 in less than 24 hrs, enough to get us back in action.”
The band continues, “The love and support we’ve received has been incredible. It's really made us realize that what we are doing really means something to a lot of people. We love what we do, playing shows and connecting with fans, and we try not to take it for granted. This outpouring of care has just amplified that for us 1000x over. We’ll be forever grateful to everyone who reached out, sent a message, or donated. As a thank you, we wanted to give something back. We figured the best thing that we could do was to release a song we’ve been sitting on for a while. We recorded it during the Psychic Jailbreak sessions and had been wondering when to release it, but now felt like the perfect time. We can't get everywhere to say thank you to everyone individually, but we can put out a ripping song.”
Listen to “Backstab The Rat Race” below:
