The Chats

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The Chats
Original lineup of the Chats in 2019
Original lineup of the Chats in 2019
Background information
OriginSunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia
Genres
DiscographyThe Chats discography
Years active2016 (2016)–present[1]
LabelsBargain Bin
Members
  • Eamon Sandwith
  • Matt Boggis
  • Josh Hardy
Past members
  • Tremayne McCarthy
  • Josh Price
Websitewww.thechatslovebeer.com

The Chats are an Australian punk rock band that formed in 2016 in the Sunshine Coast, Queensland. They describe their sound as "shed rock". The current band lineup is composed of guitarist Josh Hardy, drummer Matt Boggis, and bassist and vocalist Eamon Sandwith. Known for their songs about Australian culture, they initially went viral for their song "Smoko" and its music video in 2017, and later with "Pub Feed" in 2019.[2][3][4][5] To date they have released two EPs, The Chats (2016) and Get This in Ya!! (2017), and two studio albums High Risk Behaviour (2020)[6] and Get Fucked (2022).

History[edit]

2016: Early years and debut EP[edit]

Josh Price, Matt Boggis and Eamon Sandwith met in music class at St. Teresa's Catholic College in Noosaville, Queensland. When they were 17, in September 2016, they formed the Chats, with Price on guitar, Boggis on drums, and Sandwith on bass and vocals. Former member Tremayne McCarthy also played bass and guitar in the original lineup.[7] The band takes its name from the phrase "that's chat" - (Australian slang to describe something gross/disgusting/bad).

Their debut self-titled EP, recorded at another local high school, was released on 7 November 2016.[8] Triple J described the EP as "seven joyous sky-punching tracks that combined 60s garage punk and 70s new wave punk".[7]

2017: Get This in Ya!![edit]

Bassist Eamon Sandwith performing live with the Chats in 2017

Their second EP, Get This in Ya!! was released on 31 July 2017, "another thrilling seven-song slice of economic, stripped-down, early Buzzcocks-styles punk tension".[9][7] It was tracked/recorded at Eleven PM Studios in Nambour, Queensland, Australia, by Finn Wegener and Michael Currie on 24 June 2017. Former member, Tremayne McCarthy, actually played bass on the "Smoko" track and spoke the line "Is it Smoko?". Michael Currie was the producer and decided that the best way to record the band was all in the same room together live. Only very minimal overdubbing was done. It was then mixed and mastered by Michael Currie at his Polished Turd Studios in Brisbane, Australia. The music video for the track "Smoko", filmed with no budget at a building site, was directed by Matisse Langbein, who also did the cover art for the EP, and was released on 3 October, quickly becoming a viral hit and drawing attention from popular rock musicians Dave Grohl, Josh Homme, Iggy Pop, Alex Turner.[10][11] Triple J argued that the song "was an instant classic of a youth anthem on a par with 'You Really Got Me', 'My Generation' or 'Teenage Kicks'".[7]

2018–2020: Universal signing and High Risk Behaviour[edit]

On 3 July 2018, the Chats released the single "Do What I Want", announced to be included in their forthcoming studio album.[12][13]

The band signed a global deal with Universal Music Publishing Australia on 19 March 2019, and founded their own label, Bargain Bin Records. Their distribution is handled by Cooking Vinyl Australia.[14][15][16] On 21 March, the Chats released "Pub Feed" alongside an accompanying music video.[17] Throughout July, the band toured the United States.[18] On 26 July, they released the single "Identity Theft" alongside an accompanying music video, which contains references to the video game Guitar Hero.[19] The band performed at the UK Reading and Leeds Festivals in August.[20] In October, the Chats commenced an Australian national tour.[21] The band performed a headlining tour in the UK during December 2019.[20] When asked about the then-untitled High Risk Behaviour during an interview at the Reading Festival, Sandwith revealed that the songs were already recorded: "We're gonna call it done...we're not perfectionists or anything.".[22]

In late-December, Sandwith posted a song criticizing Prime Minister Scott Morrison for his perceived apathy and carelessness towards the 2019-20 bushfire crisis to Instagram, titled "I Hope Scott's House Burns Down"; according to Pedestrian.tv, the song is being used to aid fundraising efforts for numerous volunteer firefighter groups.[23] The band released the single "The Clap" on 17 January 2020 and revealed the name of their debut studio album, High Risk Behaviour, as well as a release date of 27 March. On 6 March, weeks before its release, the band released the single "Dine & Dash" and its accompanying music video.[24]

2020–present: Price's departure and Get Fucked[edit]

On 8 November, the band released the single, "AC/DC CD", a tribute to the Australian band AC/DC. Guitarist Josh Price was not featured in the song’s music video, but Josh Hardy of Australian band The Unknowns was. In December, the band officially confirmed Price's departure and announced Hardy as his replacement.[25]

On 10 September 2021, the band released a cover of Metallica's "Holier Than Thou" for the charity tribute album The Metallica Blacklist.[26] This was followed in December by another cover version, The Wiggles' "Can You Point Your Fingers (And Do the Twist?)", as part of the Wiggles tribute album ReWiggled. The Wiggles simultaneously shared a cover of The Chats' "Pub Feed", which would appear on the album's second disc.[27]

In March 2022, the band shared the single "Struck by Lightning".[28] In May, the band announced their second studio album Get Fucked, released on 19 August 2022. The announcement came with the release of the album's second single, "6L GTR".[29]

Guitarist Josh Hardy, performing live in 2022
Guitarist Josh Hardy, performing live with The Chats 2022.

Musical style and influences[edit]

The band coined the term "shed rock" to describe their sound, and their self-contained approach has been likened to that of King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard.[7] They cited Australian bands Cosmic Psychos, Dune Rats and Eddy Current Suppression Ring as major influences.[2]

Band members[edit]

Current members[edit]

  • Eamon Zambia Sandwith – lead vocals, bass guitar (2016–present)
  • Matthew Boggis – drums, backing vocals (2016–present)
  • Joshua Huon Hardy - guitar, backing vocals (2020–present)

Former members[edit]

  • Tremayne McCarthy – bass, guitar, backing vocals (2016–2017)
  • Josh "Pricey" Price – guitar, backing and lead vocals (2016–2020)

Timeline[edit]

Discography[edit]

Main article: The Chats discography

Awards and nominations[edit]

AIR Awards[edit]

The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector.

Year Nominee / work Award Result Ref.
2021 High Risk Behaviour Best Independent Punk Album or EP Won [30][31]

APRA Awards[edit]

The APRA Awards are held in Australia and New Zealand by the Australasian Performing Right Association to recognise songwriting skills, sales and airplay performance by its members annually.

Year Nominee / work Award Result Ref.
2023 "Struck By Lightning" (Matthew Boggis / Joshua Hardy / Eamon Sandwith) Most Performed Rock Work of the Year Won [32]
[33]

ARIA Music Awards[edit]

The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony held by the Australian Recording Industry Association.

Year Nominee / work Award Result Ref.
2020 High Risk Behaviour ARIA Award for Best Hard Rock or Heavy Metal Album Nominated [34][35]
"The Clap" ARIA Award for Best Video Nominated
2022 Get Fucked Best Hard Rock or Heavy Metal Album Won [36][37]

J Awards[edit]

The J Awards are an annual series of Australian music awards that were established by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's youth-focused radio station Triple J. They commenced in 2005.

Year Nominee / work Award Result Ref.
J Awards of 2019 "Identity Theft" Australian Video of the Year Nominated [38][39]
The Chats Unearthed Artist of the Year Nominated

National Live Music Awards[edit]

The National Live Music Awards (NLMAs) commenced in 2016 to recognise contributions to the live music industry in Australia.

Year Nominee / work Award Result Ref.
2019 The Chats Best New Act Nominated [40][41]

Rolling Stone Australia Awards[edit]

The Rolling Stone Australia Awards are awarded annually in January or February by the Australian edition of Rolling Stone magazine for outstanding contributions to popular culture in the previous year.[42]

Year Nominee / work Award Result Ref.
2021 The Chats Rolling Stone Reader's Award Nominated [43]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Hall, Byron (10 December 2017). "The Chats // Behind the Band". Behind The Scene. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
  2. ^ a b Scott, Tim. "The Chats tell us how they cooked up Smoko". Red Bull. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  3. ^ Holdsworth, Matthew (11 December 2017). "The Coast band's 'Aussie' song that's gone viral". Sunshine Coast Daily. HT&E. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  4. ^ "'I'm on smoko': Most Aussie song ever goes viral". The New Zealand Herald. NZME. 10 December 2017. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  5. ^ Mack, Emmy (9 December 2017). "Mullet-Sporting Queensland Punk Band Goes Viral With Song About Smoko". Music Feeds. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  6. ^ "The Chats announce debut album 'High Risk Behaviour'". Music Feeds. 16 January 2020. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  7. ^ a b c d e "THE CHATS". triple j Unearthed. 30 July 2019. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  8. ^ "The Chats EP | The Chats". BandCamp. 7 November 2016. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  9. ^ "The Chats 'Identity Theft' Tour NZ Supports Announced | The Chats". scoop.co.nz. 3 October 2019. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
  10. ^ The Chats (3 October 2017). "THE CHATS - SMOKO (OFFICIAL VIDEO)". Retrieved 27 July 2019 – via YouTube.
  11. ^ "Dave Grohl, Alex Turner & Josh Homme Went To The Chats' Gig & There's Receipts To Prove It". Music Feeds. 12 July 2019. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  12. ^ "Do What I Want - Single by The Chats". Apple Music. 3 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  13. ^ "The Chats - Do What I Want". Amrap's AirIt. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  14. ^ "Bargain Bin Records". Bargain Bin Records. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  15. ^ "The Chats". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  16. ^ "Universal Music Publishing | Australia & New Zealand". Universal Music Publishing. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  17. ^ The Chats (21 March 2019). "The Chats - Pub Feed (official video)". Retrieved 27 July 2019 – via YouTube.
  18. ^ Gentile, John (8 July 2019). "The Chats are on a USA tour now". Punk News. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  19. ^ The Chats (26 July 2019). "The Chats - Identity Theft". Retrieved 27 July 2019 – via YouTube.
  20. ^ a b Daly, Rhian (12 July 2019). "Dave Grohl, Josh Homme, Alex Turner and Matt Helders all went to see Aussie punks The Chats together". NME. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  21. ^ English, Laura (26 July 2019). "The Chats Drop New Song 'Identity Theft', Announce National Tour". Music Feeds. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  22. ^ An Interview With: The Chats - Reading Festival 2019, retrieved 14 November 2019
  23. ^ "The Chats Premiere New Little Ditty 'I Hope Scott's House Burns Down' On Social Media". Music Feeds. 24 December 2019. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  24. ^ "The Chats – Dine N Dash (Official Video)". 6 March 2020. Retrieved 6 March 2020 – via YouTube.
  25. ^ Newstead, Al (2 December 2020). "The Chats announce new line-up after guitarist departs band". triple j. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  26. ^ "The Metallica Blacklist: 53 Unique Artists | Metallica.com". www.metallica.com. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  27. ^ James, Duane (14 December 2021). "Ummm ReWiggled (An EP by The Wiggles and The Chats) Has Surfaced!". Wall Of Sound. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
  28. ^ Brereton, Greta (11 March 2022). "Listen to The Chats' electrifying new single 'Struck By Lightning'". NME Australia. BandLab Technologies. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
  29. ^ Russell, Scott. "The Chats Announce New Album, Share "6L GTR" Video". Paste Magazine. Paste Media Group. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
  30. ^ "Details confirmed for 2021 AIR Awards as nominees announced". The Music. 2 June 2021. Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  31. ^ "2021 AIR Awards Winners". Scenstr.com.au. 5 August 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  32. ^ "Nominees revealed for the 2023 APRA Music Awards". APRA Awards. 30 March 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  33. ^ "APRA AMCOS: 2023 APRA Music Awards". APRA AMCOS (Australasian Performing Right Association and Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society). 27 April 2023. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  34. ^ "ARIA Awards 2020 Nominees". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  35. ^ "And the 2020 ARIA Awards Go To…". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Archived from the original on 26 November 2020. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  36. ^ Lars Brandle (12 October 2022). "Rüfüs Du Sol Leads 2022 ARIA Awards Nominees (Full List)". The Music Network. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  37. ^ Newstead, Al (24 November 2022). "ARIA Awards 2022 Winners Wrap: Baker Boy Leads First Nations Sweep". Triple J (Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)). Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  38. ^ "J Awards 2019". Triple J. 2019. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  39. ^ Triscari, Caleb (19 November 2020). "Lime Cordiale take home Australian Album of the Year at the 2020 J Awards". NME Australia. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  40. ^ "HERE ARE YOUR 2019 NATIONAL LIVE MUSIC AWARDS NOMINEES!". NLMA. 22 October 2020. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  41. ^ "AND THE WINNERS OF THE 2019 NATIONAL LIVE MUSIC AWARDS ARE..." NLMA. 5 December 2020. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  42. ^ Barnes, Amelia (5 December 2011). "Rolling Stone Magazine Australia announces 3rd annual awards event". The AU Review. Archived from the original on 8 August 2016. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  43. ^ "Tash Sultana, Tkay Maidza, and Tame Impala Lead Rolling Stone Australia Awards Winners". Rolling Stone Australia. 31 March 2021. Retrieved 30 December 2021.

External links[edit]

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