State Champs’ self-titled album “State Champs” was released Friday, November 8. Kicking off this album release, State Champs began their first leg of the tour in Austin. For an elder emo like myself, I love a good pop-punk record. I’m tired of all these manufactured pop groups and sounds where the music doesn’t have a self-life after 45 seconds of TikTok fame.
Like most bands, their self-titled album marks a turning point in a band’s career where they define who they are and what their sound is, and “State Champs” does exactly that. They doubled down on pop-punk and nothing is going to change that. I tend to call pop-punk music “happy-sad” because the lyrics can be painful, meaningful and heartfelt with an upbeat tempo and a catchy hook. The same can be said for “State Champs,” songs like “Golden Years” and “Sobering.” The highlight of the record is “Too Late to Say.” This track is reminiscent of a Blink song with the harmonies and middle 8 drum groove that screams Travis Barker, complete with the ride bell accents and heavy tom groove.
Seeing the band live for their first night of tour in Austin made this new music Friday all the better. I did my homework and listened to “State Champs” as the soundtrack on my drive from San Antonio to Austin. By the third consecutive listen (traffic on I-35 was awful), I had already learned the lyrics to a few songs and found myself singing along and air drumming.
The first night of tour is always the best. Why? Because the music isn’t tired and it is a time for the band to experiment and nail their setlist. Playing 21 songs is no easy feat, and State Champs did it perfectly, each song was expertly curated to fit in the setlist and kept the Austin audience engaged throughout the whole show. The setlist was a perfect mix of new and nostalgic. Playing seven new tracks and the rest a good variety from their discography. State Champs even played “Around the World and Back” with openers Daisy Grenade, making it the first time the band has played that track live since 2017.
My favorite new song to hear live was “Too Late to Say,” from the first listen this is the track I knew I wanted to hear and see live. It has the potential to be a crowd anthem and Austin was here for it. The bouncing of the ground and hands in the air said it all.
I’ve been a State Champs fan since they toured with Simple Plan and We the Kings in 2019. Their live performance and the authenticity of the band made me a fan from the first listen. When I saw them live for the first time, I knew these guys were here to stay in the pop-punk realm. Frontman Derek DiScanio said it best, “We’re so back!”
Check out State Champs’ self-titled album, “State Champs” available everywhere and catch them on tour this winter.
