Rats-Tails Return With Lush New Single “Public Domain”

London dream-rock outfit delve into self-doubt and artistic commodification on their first release of 2025.

South East London’s Rats-Tails are back with “Public Domain”, a tender and otherworldly single arriving 27 May via No Distance Records. The track marks the band’s first release of 2025 and offers a glimpse into their forthcoming debut EP, also titled Public Domain, set for release this October.

Built around frontperson Courtney McMahon’s delicate vocals, the song blends folk-rooted intimacy with expansive dream-pop textures. From its quiet acoustic beginnings, “Public Domain” gradually opens up into a rich arrangement featuring layered choral harmonies, clarinet freak-outs from Frankie Di Stani, and the woozy guitar work of Chris Bull.

“Public Domain” reflects on burnout, vulnerability, and the uneasy relationship between art and its monetisation. “I was super burnt out and my head was full of self sabotaging thoughts.” McMahon explains. “I became very jaded at seeing everyone’s hobby or talent being commodified in some way. At the time, I became fixated on the ‘cons’ of commodifying my thoughts, feelings and music.”

Recorded by Will Bassett and Lucas Loftus at Slide Studios, and mixed/mastered by Alex Christiansen, the single opens the door on the band’s most personal and conceptually ambitious work to date.