If there's one thing The Chats don't care about, it's keeping up with social media.
The band hasn't performed since December, so their last post (at the time of this interview) – which features an image of singer Eamon Sandwith stealing The Strokes' milk – was taken in July.Sandwith says its testament to how "sh.t" the band is at keeping up with social media. "Everyone cares too much about that sh.t nowadays," he says.
"You have all these music industry people and they're just like, 'Don't worry about songs mate, you just need that 30-seconds for a TikTok', or whatever, and they just don't get it."
Eamon admits he didn't pay much attention to this year's Hottest 100 countdown, either, which saw the band come in at #53 with '6L GTR'. "I remember the first year we got in, that was pretty exciting," he says.
"From then on it was kind of like, 'alright so that happened, who cares if it happens again', you know? But we're stoked to get #53, which I found out because Mum texted me. So I'm glad she was listening."
The Chats latest album, 'Get F...ed', was released in August last year, peaking at #2 on the Australian Albums ARIA charts and #3 on the UK's Independent Albums chart.
Sandwith says the mainstream punk revival in Australia spins him out, because at one time there were "hundreds" of bands making similar music to The Chats and Amyl And The Sniffers.
"I don't know what's propelled it like that. . . I think it must be the overseas interest that's kind of piqued that," he says, "because, you know, the last 10, 20 years there's been great [punk] bands in Australia that never really make it over there – they might make it to Sydney or Brisbane and that's it."
The Chats will be heading back overseas in time for the Northern Hemisphere's summer, but not before they tour Australia with Groovin The Moo.
After playing at some of the massive European festivals, and destination events like Coachella, Eamon is looking forward to a new experience on Australian soil.
"The European festivals are great, but they're also so massive and there's so much going on, it's almost overwhelming – you know, there's like 20 stages or something at some of these festivals, and it's like, what am I even meant to go and see?" he explains.
"I always have a great time at Splendour and Laneway and stuff, there's just something about those festivals that is just fun and cool to go to; there's a good sense of friendship, a good environment. So yeah, I'm looking forward to Groovin The Moo – I've never even been, because it's always been in Townsville."
With the Queensland leg of the travelling festival heading to The Chats' former home, Sunshine Coast, for the first time (instead of Townsville) this year, Sandwith says the band is looking forward to playing a return gig.
"I'm sorry to the city of Townsville, though," he says. "I'd like to issue a formal apology on behalf of the festival and your mayor, whoever that is."
Growing up in Mackay, North Queensland, Sandwith says he understands why regional touring festivals like Groovin The Moo are so important for music fans starved of regular events.
"[The locals are] just stoked that you're there [in regional towns], they're like, 'oh this is unreal, I haven't seen a show since Bliss N Eso or whatever'," he says.
"There's even some people you'll meet at those shows and they’re like, 'This is my first ever time going to see a band,' and you're like, 'woah, that's insane'; but then there's probably not that many options unless it's a cover band at the pub or something."
There's always something in it for the band as well, Sandwith adds. "I think doing those kind of shows, for us it's a bit more fun than going to Melbourne or going to Sydney," he says.
"You do those places all the time, so you go somewhere like Airlie and there'll for sure be someone in the band who's like, 'Oh I've never been here before'. So it's kind of cool, it's almost like we're on a bit of a road trip."
Although Eamon doesn't want a repeat of his Laneway 2020 experience – where he stage dived and smacked his sunglasses on a punter's shoulder, cutting his eyebrow open and "bleeding from the face" for the end of the performance – he says he's catching up with a Laneway friend at Groovin.
"I know one person who's playing – that's because he texted me about it," he says. "The rapper bbno$. We made friends on a Laneway tour and we text, and he's like, 'Are you doing Groovin The Moo by any chance?' and I was like, 'Yeah!' It's cool, it'll be great to see him again."
Groovin The Moo 2023 Line-up
alt-JAmy Shark
Ball Park Music
Barkaa
bbno$
The Chats
Choomba
Confidence Man
Denzel Curry
Eliza Rose
Fatboy Slim
Laurel
Luude
Ocean Alley
Omar Apollo
Royel Otis
Skegss
Skepta
Slayyyter
Slowly Slowly
Sophie May
Teen Jesus & The Jean Teasers
Teenage Dads
Teenage Joans
With hosts Lex & Pookie
Groovin The Moo 2023 Tour Dates
Fri 21 Apr - Adelaide ShowgroundSat 22 Apr - Maitland Showground* final release tickets
Sun 23 Apr - Exhibition Park In Canberra* final release tickets
Sat 29 Apr - Prince of Wales Showgrounds (Bendigo)* final release tickets
Sun 30 Apr - Kawana Sports Western Precinct (Sunshine Coast)* sold out
Sat 6 May - Hay Park (Bunbury)* final release tickets
