29 October 2026 – The Chats Return With Half Cut and Deliver Another Glorious Dose of Australian Punk Rock

Australian punk-rock favourites The Chats have announced Half Cut, their first studio album since 2022's Get Fucked. The new record arrives March 5, 2027, through Virgin Music Group and is introduced by "Off It", a characteristically energetic single accompanied by a music video directed by Matt Weston.

The fourteen-track album was recorded at Maple Sound Studio in Los Angeles with producer Jay Whalley of Frenzal Rhomb. Frontman Eamon Sandwith describes the project as a progression from the band's previous work, although he remains understandably reluctant to describe the new material as mature. Given the group's established enthusiasm for irreverent lyrics, aggressive guitars and deliberately uncomplicated rock-and-roll entertainment, maturity would probably represent an alarming development.

Half Cut includes compositions titled "Brown Bottle Flu", "Hanging Shit", "Half Arsed", "Drinking For Two" and "Falling Down the Stairs". The band recently completed touring commitments with Social Distortion and Descendents and have announced additional Australian performances throughout November and December.

The Chats originally attracted international attention through their direct approach to punk rock, particularly the viral success of "Smoko". Their subsequent recordings and extensive touring helped establish them as a prominent contemporary punk act. Half Cut offers an opportunity to discover whether the musicians have expanded their sound while retaining the humour and energy that made them popular. The early evidence suggests that Australian punk remains perfectly capable of delivering excellent entertainment without requiring elaborate philosophical explanations. Explore more fast-paced sounds in our punk section.