The River Rats originated in Frome in 2023 as a classic rock band with Phil Howard on bass guitar and featuring a male lead singer.  Eventually,  Stevie Rogers on drums (Stoke St Michael) and Terry Smith on lead guitar  (Burnham on Sea) were recruited while the search for a keyboard player began. This resulted in Eva Klos from Bristol joining in early 2024. The existing line up was completed in June 2024, when Kirsty Hayes from Stoke St Michael joined the band as lead singer. The inclusion of keyboards and a female singer changed the dynamics of the band to allow a wider range of musical styles and the opportunity to interpret some songs traditionally featuring male vocals with a female singer.