Howdy! For decades, country and western fans have been begging for an all-drag-queen, -king, and -thing band. The Ratskin Family Band is an answer to these prayers.

This all-drag country band performs country standards, reimagined pop hits and original country songs with queer themes. Join Amanda Prior (banjo), Kitty Creature (fiddle), Terry Dickoff (bass), Zephline (acoustic guitar), Pinny Merle (pedal steel), and Tago Mago (percussion) for a hootenanny queer country fusion band the likes of which cannot be experienced anywhere else on the planet.

We’ve been performing since April 2024 and have built a beautiful live act here in Toronto that continues to grow with each show. Our upcoming EP, Back to the Cuntry (featuring newly released single "All You Fascists Bound to Lose") is set to drop in the fall and is an electrifying energetic encapsulation of our live shows, in a tight 35 minute studio performance.

While the EP has already been recorded, the Awesome Foundation grant will support the band in paying other Toronto artists/costume designers/cinematographers etc to help us strengthen the visual world that accompanies our music: music videos, concert photography and promotional photoshoots so we can elevate, remain DIY and pay our team handsomely. As a drag country band, you have to see us in action to get the full picture!

This project brings queer stories (real and imagined) to the forefront of a genre that has always been camp, but rarely loving to 2SLGBTQ folks. We aim to reunite queer people raised on country music with a warm hug and an album that loves them back. We also seek to create a space for people who may have never felt safe to engage with country music, the chance to challenge their assumptions, and broaden their musical horizons.