DIY community, secret U-Hauls, and furious dancing: Ratchella returns to Somerville

Founded on the principles of solidarity, collaborative organization, and really good tunes, Yardwork Productions gears up for their second annual Ratchella. This multimedia festival, spear-headed by @emmabellishment and @sober.dale, is not only a celebration of local artists, but a chance to revitalize the landscape of DIY culture in the Greater Boston area. Fourteen bands will traverse two days of sets, August 23rd and 24th, at 321 Washington Street, in Union Square, Somerville, MA.

“DIY is urgent and a means of resistance," shares Emma. We take our joy seriously, because where our joy goes, our rage is welcome. No one is disposable, not even rats.”

We sat down with Emma and Corey to discuss all things Ratchella prep, and how their work has contributed to an ever-evolving Somerville scene.

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Yellow Light Mag: What did the inception of the Inaugural Ratchella look like? Was this a first-of its-kind-event, or had you thrown any gigs before?

COREY: Ratchella 1 last year was the first event of its kind for both of us. I have been playing in bands since I was 16, and I am no stranger to doing it yourself. In college - I threw guerilla shows on campus that took place in cramped classrooms, often on week nights. We rarely had permission and we never had the appropriate equipment or know-how. That didn’t stop my college friends (and enemies) and I from throwing 10’s of shows throughout college in all sorts of locations (R.I.P. VFW Post 754 and Bartlett Classroom 61). That sort of ‘book it now and figure it out later’ attitude gives Ratchella the sort of spontaneity that only a truly local and truly DIY event can give. 

EMMA: While Corey was at Umass, I was getting started as an organizer by hosting open mics in my college basement, parking lot, and yard. 

COREY: In 2022 and 2023 we began throwing shows together in ‘Emma’s Yard’. Bands squeezed onto the shallow backyard porch, and extension cables spilled out of bathroom windows. Neighbors grilled while we unloaded the Speakers, Amps, Drums, Cables, Mixers and Stands from a 10 Foot Uhaul box truck disguised as a Toyota Camry. In 2024 we decided to fit the usual summer series of backyard concerts into one big one, Ratchella. 

YLM: How do you go about selecting acts for the fest? 

COREY: Ratchella was booked with the goal of highlighting what we think are some of the best bands in the Boston area, while also bringing in some of our favorite regional talent. We would go to bat for any of the artists on our lineup! 

As a musician myself, I always cherish any opportunity to play with artists from different places and at different points in their career, as it’s the best way to make the connections you need as a musician/artist. Ratchella was not booked with any hard rules about genre, but certainly focused on booking bands with similar scrappy attitudes, who have been putting in the work and deserve to be recognized. We felt it was important to book a fair share of female fronted bands, as Boston has so many incredible female fronted acts. 

YLM: It seems like you’ve really tapped into the local community in Somerville to support this! How have they shown up for Ratchella this year?

EMMA: OH THEY’VE SHOWN UP FOR US ALRIGHT - BIGGER THAN EVER. This question is hard to put into words & already is one of my biggest Ratchella takeaways: I feel completely dazzled by the TOGETHERNESS that has come about as part of Ratchella 2. We have an amazing crew of core volunteers who work their asses off and tap into their communities to help us problem solve when issues come up. Our workshops with BFAC and SMC have given us a chance to build momentum towards Ratchella. Union square neighborhood council has offered incredible advocacy and support on behalf of us, as well as #artstayshere. 

YLM: You emphasize the importance of adequately compensating your talent, which is so rare and amazing in the scene. Do you have any advice to give other DIY fests on how to roll out that process if they’re interested in ticketing, etc? 

EMMA: WE WOULD LOVE TO BE A RESOURCE FOR THIS. ASK US. 

Off the dome: If paying the talent is a priority, act like it. Don’t compromise. We are nowhere near our goal, which is to one day beat Boston Calling at talent payment, but we’re going for it: fuck it we ball. We’re pretty stubborn in believing that our tickets are affordable (7 bands a day for ~35 bucks) BUT want to make clear that no one is turned away for lack of funds - everyone is invited. There’s a lot of talent involved - from planning & coordination to day of volunteers, artist labor, promotions etc. We’re lucky to have all this talent wanting to work with us and be a part of our ratty world, and we want to get to a place where we are able to pay everyone what they deserve. We’ve also learned a lot about working with the City, other organizational partners, and asking those with additional resources to pitch in. 

YLM: The DIY scene took a huge hit post-2020. How do you think events like this rejuvenate interest and keep the spirit alive? 

EMMA: Hard times (and AI, and societal collapse, and fascism) call for furious dancing, as Snapped Ankles says. We believe that partying with your neighbors builds vital solidarity in the neighborhood. Life is sacred so we dance to honor it. Life is sacred so we raise hell to honor it. It’s all connected and we try to act like it.

COREY: Ratchella shows that you don’t need a lot of money, or a lot of gear, or a lot of experience, to put on events worth going to! I think people will get something from Ratchella that they truly won’t get at any show at a bar or music venue. 

YLM: You’re a multimedia fest! Besides the music, what else can we look forward to experiencing at Ratchella?

EMMA: This year we launched ‘Rat Tails’ our art and writing publication, commissioned big rats by our Ratchella artist in residence Zigzag, brought in a bunch of community & advocacy tablers, and  LOTS of community created art. Beer & seltzers, food of some sort, chalk art, porto potties. Basically you could move into Ratchella and never leave.

Tickets can be purchased for Ratchella here.