The Chats are an Australian punk rock trio formed on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland in 2016, who went international when the Smoko video blew up in 2017. Fast, funny, blunt pub-punk about everyday working-class Australian life — High Risk Behaviour (2020) and Get Fucked (2022) deliver it by the fistful. Dig into The Chats vinyl, CDs, and reissues at Wax Trax Records.
The Chats formed on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia in 2016. The band consists of Eamon Sandwith (vocals, bass), Josh Price (guitar), and Matt Boggis (drums), with Price replacing original guitarist Pricey in the lineup history. The band broke through internationally when the music video for Smoko went viral in 2017, leading to extensive touring and a reputation as standard-bearers for a new wave of Australian pub and garage punk.
The Chats play fast, short, humor-laced punk rock and garage punk in the Australian pub-rock tradition. Their songs are blunt, comedic, and built for energetic live shows, with lyrics about everyday working-class Australian life. The band is closely associated with a DIY, anti-pretension ethos.
The band's releases have appeared in colored-vinyl variants through independent labels. The early EP containing Smoko is of interest as the release that launched their international profile.
Listeners new to The Chats often start with High Risk Behaviour (2020) or the Smoko EP. For related listening, see and .
