The Chats: Smoko Time
Headlining Adelaide Beer & BBQ Festival’s 10th birthday, The Chats are ready to unleash their ferocious pub-punk on Adelaide audiences. The Note speaks with frontman Eamon Sandwith about the pressure of releasing their debut album, decoding Aussie slang with Iggy Pop and working with ‘Democracy Manifest’ mastermind, Cecil George Edwards.
Words Tobias Handke // Image Luke Henery
It’s been a whirlwind ride for blistering shed rockers The Chats. The trio – comprising bassist and vocalist Eamon Sandwith, guitarist Josh Hardy and drummer Matt Boggis – have found themselves leading a new wave of Aussie punk-rock, in the vein of their heroes, Cosmic Psychos and Hard-Ons.
Breaking out in 2017 with their viral hit, ‘Smoko’, the three-piece made a name for themselves with their witty take on Australian culture, communicated through two-minute bursts of pure punk-rock energy. The band’s 2020 debut album, High Risk Behaviour, celebrated everything right with Australian punk and went on to win the AIR Award for Best Independent Punk Album or EP in 2021.
After two years of non-stop touring, the band followed up with Get Fucked – a more nuanced take on their frantic guitar sound that was no less impactful. Peaking at No.2 on the ARIA Album Chart, the critically acclaimed record helped The Chats gain ground overseas. What followed was multiple international tours – including opening for Foo Fighters and Queens of the Stone Age (both who have confirmed they are fans of the band).
It’s been three years since The Chats released their sophomore album, but that doesn’t mean the band has been idle. According to Sandwith, the trio are back on the tools, writing fresh material. We quiz the vocalist on what to expect from the outfit’s new music, how they handled their sudden success and why they're keen to rock Adelaide Beer & BBQ Fest.
We’re stoked to see you’re headlining the Saturday night of this year’s Beer & BBQ Fest. Are you guys ready for Adelaide?
We can’t wait!
Did you know much about the festival when you got the call-up?
No, but the beer and the barbecue part sounded pretty appealing.
We do have to warn you, there won’t be any XXXX available…
Oh, really?! We might discover a new favourite…
Who are you keen to catch on the lineup?
I’m very much looking forward to seeing The Gooch Palms. I haven’t seen them in quite a few years, but that’ll be great. And Dick Move – we played with them in Auckland, they’re a great band.
The Chats have spent the last couple of years touring the globe. How has life on the road treated you?
The past few years have been pretty hectic, but so much fun. We are working on some new stuff now, so we can get some music out because we haven’t put anything out in a few years.
That’s exciting. How’s the writing coming along?
It’s all going pretty smoothly. I’m really stoked with how it’s sounding. It’s nice to be back in a room with the guys making new songs. I’m really excited for people to wrap their ears around some new stuff. There are a few different things that people might be surprised about, but it’s all in that same Chats vein, just a little more interesting.
Going back to touring, have you noticed a difference between Aussie crowds and those overseas?
I mean, everyone’s pretty rowdy all over the world. Belgium was a great crowd; Berlin was crazy; and the UK – London, Manchester, or whatever – they’re always nuts. It’s nice to be in a band with your mates and roll up to a new town that you’ve never been to or heard of. It’s all just a great experience. [However,] playing at home just has a different vibe to it.
‘Smoko’ is the track that put you on the map in 2017. How did you manage being thrust into the spotlight?
It was a bit to get used to. We went from playing gigs to five people to 200 all of a sudden. It was definitely a big learning curve, but we always stayed true to ourselves – we weren’t going to lose our heads or anything. Now, I’m a little more comfortable with the popularity that the band has.
No doubt it helps to have the right people around you…
Absolutely. And I always kind of operated under the assumption that it could all end the next day. I was like, ‘It’s not forever, so we just gotta have fun while we can’. I was happy to work a normal job and play gigs on the weekend at the pub. I think it’s fair to say, for everyone, [we've] gone further than we ever would have thought it would
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When you dropped High Risk Behaviour in 2020, did you feel any pressure to deliver another big hit like ‘Smoko’?
Looking back, I don’t really think I felt too pressured. I probably should have. We just operated how we usually would and were like, ‘I guess we’ll just make some more songs’. If they’re good, they’re good. But if they’re crap, whatever.
One of the highlights from your debut is ‘Dine N Dash’. The music video features the late Cecil George Edwards, aka the man from the famous ‘Democracy Manifest’ video. How did that come about?
Our friends who shot the clip had his number somehow and were like, ‘You know, we could probably get that guy in the video’. It was pretty funny. He was a bit of a mystery man living somewhere in rural Queensland, just painting. He was a real character and was everything that you would expect him to be.
You avoided the dreaded sophomore slump with Get Fucked, which blew up overseas. How do you think it differed from High Risk Behaviour?
A lot of the songs on High Risk Behaviour I wrote in high school when I was about 16. At that age, inevitably, your style of writing and playing is going to change. [On Get Fucked] I think we became a better band – we were able to play a bit faster and a bit tighter and do things that we previously weren’t able to.
Lyrically, the album is also a step up.
Thanks. It was a different approach. I think a lot of it explores the not-so-pretty sides of suburban Australian culture or whatever.
Foo Fighters and Queens of the Stone Age count themselves as fans of The Chats. How does that feel?
It’s ridiculous! I don’t know what’s wrong with them. It’s cool to be able to meet the people that you grew up listening to. It’s really nice to have that kind of recognition [from] much more popular people. Everyone’s been pretty sweet.
You also supported Iggy Pop. What was he like?
He was sick. I think we only spoke to him for about five minutes or so after the show. He was really funny, quizzing me on some of the lingo used in the songs.
Any chance of a collaboration with some of these acts?
Part of me wants to say never say never. But I also think it might be a little bit weird. I don’t want this interview to come back and bite me in a few years when we do a bloody split release with Weezer!
What’s on for the rest of this year? Focusing on writing new music and hopefully getting a new album out soon?
That’s the plan, mate. We got a few shows and festival gigs. I think Adelaide Beer & BBQ Fest might be our only gig in Australia this year. We're just [going to] knuckle down and get rolling with the album.
Catch The Chats Saturday night of Adelaide Beer & BBQ Fest, which runs across the King’s Birthday long weekend – June 6–8. Tickets are on sale now via Moshtix.
