"A really good example of a lie that I was told, and this actually really, really pisses me off, still, so I’m happy to have a chance to talk about it,” says Julie Steiner, singer/co-guitarist of Ratboys, not remotely unprompted.

Ratboys—an indie rock ’n’ roll ’n’ (a lil’ bit) country band—are not oblivious to the various feints and deceits endemic even in the DIY side of showbiz. They’re not, after all, stupid. But they also belong to a wildly supportive community of like-minded Chicagoan artists, and they do seem to like and respect those other artists, and one another, a great deal. Regardless of any pressure the band might be under as they promote their first record on a larger label, after multiple releases on Top Shelf, and as they gain greater recognition from the press and wider accolades from their hard-won fan base, the band is neither stressed nor bitter. It took some prodding to get them to bad-mouth anyone.