The Chats release new music. Photo: Dameeka Middleton.
Sunshine Coast punk exports The Chats are back with a new album, a fresh single and a 17-date national tour — including two nights in Brisbane.
The trio announced their third album, Half Cut, on Wednesday 28 October. It lands on Friday 5 March 2027, following 2022’s Get Fucked. New single “Off It” is out now, accompanied by a video.
Recorded at Maple Sound Studio in Los Angeles with Frenzal Rhomb frontman Jay Whalley, the new record looks set to keep the band’s sharp-edged punk intact while digging into messier subjects including confrontation, hangovers and reconciliation.
Frontman Eamon Sandwith says the record is a little more open than their previous material, although he’s reluctant to call it mature. Track titles including “Brown Bottle Flu”, “Half Arsed” and “Hanging Shit” suggest the band haven’t completely cleaned up their act.
More Queensland punk? Check out YELO’s Brisbane music playlist on Spotify.
The Chats: Brisbane shows in November
The tour opens with two close-quarters shows at Crowbar Brisbane on Friday 13 and Saturday 14 November 2026. They are the only Queensland stops on the announced 17-date itinerary, which continues through Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia before wrapping up in Perth on 13 December.
It’s a home-state return for a band whose rise began on the Sunshine Coast, long before their track “Smoko” took them around the world. After supporting names including Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age and The Hives, they’re heading back into smaller rooms on this run.
Tickets are on sale now via thechats.com. Half Cut is due 5 March 2027.
Watch the official video for “Off It” via the band’s channels, and keep an eye on YELO for more Queensland live music news.
