The final cross-country Vans Warped Tour is going out with a bang this summer (though it might be a whimper to some naysayers), and while the established acts are very exciting (Silverstein, Underoath, etc), some of them aren’t playing more than a few dates regionally. Which makes sense, considering most of those bands are headlining their own borderline arena-level tours at this point. And there’s nothing wrong with that – many of these musicians have families they’re leaving behind for 2+ months at a time. Touring when you’re 30+ is hard.
But I digress. The annual summer tour has always been the best place to discover a handful of fast-rising bands, and that’s been the appeal of Warped since the mid-90’s. Global superstars like Eminem, Katy Perry, and G-Eazy have all been featured on the tour over the years, and recently it’s been bands like Tonight Alive and Knocked Loose that have gained new audiences at a feverish rate. And this year is no exception. Perhaps the band everyone needs to look at is Australian newcomers Chase Atlantic. The alternative-pop/R&B band combines elements of pop, trap, R&B, and rock to create something almost irresistibly fresh, and they’re playing the small stage.
More importantly than any other trait, Chase Atlantic sound positively huge. I’m talking future arena-level huge, worldwide. That’s not a joke or a misprint – you’ll believe it too when you hear the spiritual overtones of “Church”, which equates a religious experience with one of a more…sensual kind. Breakout single “Okay” hums and moves along with the mid-tempo speed and urgency of something The 1975 would have done on their debut full-length, and we haven’t even discussed highlight tracks like “Triggered” and the vulnerability and honesty on “Into It”, which essentially narrates the positives and negatives of fame in a way that sounds massive. Think The Weeknd or The Neighborhood.
Even better, though, is the fact that Chase Atlantic has massive crossover appeal. They have just enough touches of rock in their music to really capture interest this summer, and I’d argue that Chase Atlantic is going to be much bigger than anyone could possibly imagine. There is a brutal honesty and passion in their music that takes little time to genuinely feel, and that may well be their best quality.
We’ll say this. If you’re not seeing Chase Atlantic this summer, you are messing up big time.
