GET FUCKED! Australia’s favourite pub-punk reprobates The Chats are officially back, announcing their first new album in five years, Half Cut, alongside a whopping 17-date national tour and a brand-new single, Off It.
The Sunshine Coast trio will get up close and personal with fans this November and December, playing a string of intimate venues around the country ahead of the release of their third studio album on Friday, 5th March 2027 (pre-order here).
The Chats – ‘Off It’
And if you’re worried that five years of international success might have transformed the Smoko hitmakers into respectable, well-adjusted adults, fear not.
With new song titles like Half Arsed, Hanging Shit and Brown Bottle Flu, it appears the boys haven’t entirely abandoned their commitment to the finer things in Australian culture.
That said, frontman Eamon Sandwith reckons their forthcoming record does represent something of an evolution.
“Half Cut is a fun rock and roll record, but it’s maybe a little more open than stuff we’ve written in the past,” he explains.
“I definitely hesitate to use the word ‘mature,’ but it’s a bit of a progression, I’d say.”
Recorded at Los Angeles’ Maple Sound Studio with Frenzal Rhomb frontman Jay Whalley, Half Cut finds The Chats exploring some slightly deeper territory, tackling everything from hangovers and confrontation to reconciliation and rehabilitation.
But don’t expect them to suddenly start writing earnest acoustic ballads about their feelings.
The album promises to retain the band’s signature no-bullshit Australian lyricism and rowdy rock’n’roll spirit, while allowing a little more introspection to creep into the mix.
Fans can get their first proper taste of this new era right now, with the album’s opening track ‘Off It’ landing on streaming platforms today alongside a suitably bonkers music video (watch above).
The announcement comes after another whirlwind chapter for the trio, who’ve spent the past five years taking their gloriously Australian brand of punk rock to increasingly enormous international audiences.
Since unleashing their previous album Get Fucked in 2022, The Chats have toured relentlessly across multiple continents, supporting the likes of Queens Of The Stone Age, Foo Fighters and The Hives.
They also made waves at Coachella earlier this year, earning widespread praise for their festival performance.
Not bad for a band whose rise to global notoriety began with a 2017 viral anthem about taking a durry break.
Now, the boys are bringing the chaos back home.
Their mammoth 17-date Aussie tour will kick off with two shows at Brisbane’s Crowbar on Friday, 13th and Saturday, 14th November, before tearing through Frankston, Sydney and Melbourne.
The run will then continue through Tasmania, Adelaide and Western Australia, wrapping up with two nights at Perth’s Rosemount Hotel on Saturday, 12th and Sunday, 13th December.
With multiple nights booked at iconic sweatboxes including Sydney’s Crowbar and Melbourne’s Tote Hotel, the tour promises a rare chance to catch one of Australia’s biggest punk exports in suitably intimate surroundings.
Tickets are on sale now, while Half Cut is set for release on Friday, 5th March 2027.
Check out all the dates below.
The Chats – Half Cut Australian Tour 2026
- Friday, 13th November – Crowbar, Brisbane QLD
- Saturday, 14th November – Crowbar, Brisbane QLD
- Sunday, 15th November – Singing Bird, Frankston VIC
- Thursday, 19th November – Crowbar, Sydney NSW
- Friday, 20th November – Crowbar, Sydney NSW
- Saturday, 21st November – Crowbar, Sydney NSW
- Thursday, 26th November – The Tote, Melbourne VIC
- Friday, 27th November – The Tote, Melbourne VIC
- Saturday, 28th November – The Tote, Melbourne VIC
- Friday, 4th December – Altar, Hobart TAS
- Saturday, 5th December – Forth Pub, Forth TAS
- Sunday, 6th December – Royal Oak, Launceston TAS
- Wednesday, 9th December – Jive, Adelaide SA
- Thursday, 10th December – Lion Arts Factory, Adelaide SA
- Friday, 11th December – Indian Ocean Hotel, Scarborough WA
- Saturday, 12th December – Rosemount Hotel, Perth WA
- Sunday, 13th December – Rosemount Hotel, Perth WA
Tickets on sale now via The Chats’ official website
Further Reading
triple j’s 100 Best Unearthed Discoveries: The Complete List
triple j’s Hottest 200 Of Australian Songs: The Complete List
The Chats Share New Single ‘I’ve Been Drunk In Every Pub In Brisbane’
