Overview
I didn’t discover State Champs, State Champs discovered me. The band themselves were introduced to me by my best friend who listened to them non-stop everywhere we went for about a year after the release of their first full-length LP The Finer Things. Heading toward the new wave of pop punk, State Champs not only stood out, but stayed in my head. I then made it my mission to see them live on their Pure Noise tour headliner for the first time. If their CD blew me away, their live show only upped the game. It wasn’t until the moment I heard the opening lines of “Deadly Conversation” live that I truly fell hard for the band. Having an energy that seemed to belong in an arena, even at a small pop-punk venue, State Champs became a must-see for me. The overall pop-punk sound, and the blatant feeling that bled through the speakers and Derek’s vocals kept me zoned in on the music throughout the entirety of the performance.
After seeing them live, State Champs became a regular on my Spotify, iTunes and, of course, featured in my embarrassing shower sing-a-longs. Throughout the past year, State Champs has grown from the small town pop-punk band they once were, to cultivating a relentless, and strong core fanbase, and expanding to having one of the most anticipated alternative albums of 2015. They opened the massively popular pop-punk band 5 Seconds of Summer in Australia, and are set to release their second full length LP Around the World and Back on October 16th, 2015.
– Shelby Chargin
“For me, State Champs are probably the perfect pop punk band. State Champs have a real penchant for writing great hooks and melodies. These songs never let you down. I don’t quite know what to expect from the new record yet, but I know it’s going to be as good or better than The Finer Things.”
– Hannah Pierangelo
“The first time I saw State Champs, I missed basically their entire set, except for “Deadly Conversation.” There was something magical about watching them perform live that led me to buy a copy of their album that night. Flash forward five months and I’m positive that I account for the majority of their new singles’ views on YouTube as I shamelessly indulge in my love for State Champs while impatiently waiting for Around the World and Back.”
– Alex Shimalla
“State Champs is the next big thing in my opinion. I’ve [seen] them play in tiny rooms to next to no one, only a few years ago, and this past May I saw them play in front of over 5,000 in New York City opening the Future Hearts Tour. Every song they’ve released off of Around The World and Back has been better than the last. I’ve only heard 3 songs off the album but I have a strong feeling it might be my pick for album of the year.”
– Mike Fishkin
