Rattlesnake Boy

Introducing Rattlesnake Boy, the debut album from New Zealand based artist Mainard Larkin. An indie/country concept album, Rattlesnake Boy loosely follows a pro-wrestler at the end of his career. Yet, the album was also inspired by a relationship break-up, so the songs have a deep emotional core to them. Mainard has been a fan of professional wrestling since a young age. As a teenager, they attended a Raw event in the US and even joined a gym to learn the basic moves. Later, it became clear that many early- 2000s wrestlers were actually working within an industry where drug use was common and health and safety concerns were non-existent. Mainard chose to explore their own emotional crossroads through the story of a pro wrestler undergoing a similar period of upheaval.