State Champs are one of the hottest Pop Punk bands on the scene at the moment. Back in 2015, they released their second studio album, ‘Around The World And Back’ which ended up peaking at number 30 in Billboard’s top 200 albums chart. The success of this album has been apparent and they’ve dedicated a majority of their time since to the road, including a 2-month Warped Tour run and a slot on the main stage at Reading & Leeds Festival. Contrary to popular belief, it is certainly clear that Pop Punk is most definitely not dead.
In the middle of their biggest headline tour to date in the UK with As It Is, we managed to catch up with the American 5 piece to chat about tour life, mental health and the what the future holds for them as a band.
You’ve just played some of your biggest UK headline shows to date on your tour with As It Is. How has that been?
This tour has been a real milestone for us. Crowd reactions and the energy level of everyone coming out has really exceeded our expectations this time around.
How has this tour compared to your previous times in the UK?
A lot of these venues we’ve played before, but it was when we were supporting other bands like New Found Glory, The Wonder Years, The Story So Far etc. Now to be selling them out as a headliner is a really cool and special feeling for us.
You also have your massive upcoming Spring tour with Don Broco and Against the Current kicking off in April. Have you got any other exciting future plans that you can share with us?
Making new music! We’ve already started writing and recording new songs and gathering material that everyone will be hearing sooner than they think.
With the music industry being so fast moving and competitive, how do you find the balance between staying current but true to your roots?
It’s important to make sure you’re doing what you’re doing for the right reasons, no one likes a try hard, and we wouldn’t want to share anything that isn’t genuine and makes us happy doing it ourselves. We just have fun and write music and wanna take it as far as we can.
Do you have any advice for anybody looking to get into the industry?
The music industry is very interesting and all over the place but the one thing I’ve thought was always very important is networking. Keeping an open mind, being responsible and ultimately just a real person can take you a long way.
What are some of your favourite artists and bands that you are excited about at the moment?
I’m really excited about Bad Suns, A Will Away, Post Malone, and Palisades currently.
Touring life behind closed doors can be draining and emotionally challenging. With a number of bands taking time out from touring recently, how do you make sure you can keep going? Have you got any tips on how to look after your mental health on the road?
It’s definitely messed with my head before. It’s good to keep yourself occupied but also value time to yourself to help any weird thoughts, homesickness, etc from really getting to you. Over time I’ve also learned that communication can be a huge positive factor for mental health on the road.
State Champs play The Avalanche Stage at Download Festival on Friday June 9th.
Featured image source.