LAB RAT drops music video for “Exit Path”

Based in Melbourne, Australia, LAB RAT is a grunge rap artist and moniker of British-born Dylan James. His journey into the world of music was far from a straight line, marked by personal battles with trauma, depression, addiction and a sense of isolation. But through it all, Dylan’s passion for music has been the constant force that carried him through some of his darkest moments.

Now, as LAB RAT, he channels that pain and distils it into a powerful sound that raw, compelling and thoroughly original. Born in the UK but raised in Australia, Dylan’s early years were steeped in the chaos of family discord and personal turmoil. At just 14, he sought refuge in the local punk and metal scene, immersing himself in the aggressive beats of the drums. Music became his escape, a way to vent the anger and confusion that swirled inside him. But behind the rebellious exterior, Dylan faced inner demons of depression, suicidal tendencies and the lingering effects of childhood trauma.

By 18, Dylan returned to his mother’s hometown in the UK, hoping to chase his musical dreams, but instead, he found himself entangled in the throes of addiction. However, a harrowing event in Australia, where he witnessed a stabbing, became the turning point. This moment of intense reality shook him out of the spiral of addiction and set him on a path toward sobriety and self-discovery.

Finding solace in Melbourne’s Singing Bird Recording Studios and the Mushroom Pillow imprint, he dropped his debut album Misguided Laughter & The Search for Sanity, in 2021. Now, LAB RAT returns with his latest single, “Exit Path,” a brutally honest track that thematically revolves around his experience of childhood trauma, depression and the long-lasting impact of those experiences in adulthood.

Brought in by layers of lilting guitar tones, his slick rapped flows glide above to create contrasting energies as he spins profound and honest lyrics. With the crash of crunching guitars and pounding drums, the chorus erupts with an alternative rock burst to deliver a bold and anthemic sound capped by commanding vocals carrying memorable hooks.

Flowing with razor-sharp rap delivery and a shifting arrangement that rises and falls from intricate verses to storming choruses, “Exit Path” serves up an explosive sound that’s gripping from start to finish. Paired with the single is a music video that sees LAB RAT performing the track cut with shots at a skate park and around the city, captured in a hazy aesthetic to deliver engaging visual experience to match the song.

Commenting on the single, he shares, “I wrote it in the hopes that anyone else going through the same thing might not feel as alone.”

Watch the music video for Exit Path below

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