Pop-punk icons State Champs release their self-titled 5th album, and begin their North American tour at Emo’s Austin with support from Knuckle Puck, Meet Me at the Altar and Daisy Grenade.
The pop-punk band from Albany, NY made their momentous return to the scene with their self-titled 5th album under Pure Noise Records. The band formed in 2010 and the current lineup consists of lead singer Derek DiScanio, bassist Ryan Scott Graham, guitarist Tyler Szalkowski, and drummer Evan Ambrosio. After almost 15 years together, State Champs have all gone through important life milestones in their personal lives that helped define their current state now.
We’ve seen notorious self-titled albums in the alternative / rock scene – from Paramore and Garbage to Of Mice and Men and Neck Deep. These albums are known for starting fresh, whether they’ve been around for a while or are just getting started. While high energy from the get-go, State Champs’ self-titled record strengthens their pop-punk roots rather than bringing something new to the table. They follow the same formula from their past four albums, but surely kicks ass in all the right ways.
The album’s opener is titled “The Constant,” which gets straight into business through its sweltering riffs and edgy feeling. Following the intro was the first single of the album titled “Silver Cloud,” which feels like a refreshing introduction to the band and further establishes what to expect. It all becomes clear: the album is not about redefining the sound, it’s about singing these songs using a new perspective based on the members ongoing life experiences. Derek DiScanio and Ryan Scott Graham, they “found [our] way, through the ups and downs within us, personally and as a band, and wanted to express that. it’s a great vision of who we are. Every era of State Champs exists within this record.”
A few key tracks from the album include “Just a Dream,” “Sobering,” and “Light Blue,” as all songs touch upon the band’s core sound with new sonic additions like harmonies and killer drum beats. State Champs manage to prove that they are here for the long run and doubled down on their iconic pop-punk sound. It’s an easy listen, as the self-titled album curates a sound that fans are already familiar with.
Austin was the lucky city – not only was the live capital music of the world the first stop of the North American tour, it was also the same day as the album’s release (November 8th, 2024). Fans were gearing up for an eventful night with State Champs. Openers Daisy Grenade, Meet Me at the Altar and Knuckle Puck were the best choices for this tour, as it mixed in established acts with up-and-coming bands.
State Champs took the stage promptly at 9:30 p.m, and began with the self-titled album’s lead single “Silver Cloud,” followed by “Losing Myself,” “Mine is Gold” and “Outta My Head.” Derek DiScanio takes a break to explain to Austin that it was a big day of celebration with the new album and tour starting. He comedically asked fans who has studied the album before the show, and told everyone that Austin was going to get a bunch of live debuts – and we did. State Champs performed live debuts of “Clueless,” “Hell of It,” “Tight Grip” and “Save Face Story,” where some die-hard fans were already singing the lyrics to each song.
The Finer Things, the debut album by State Champs, turned 10 years in 2023, and the band gave the album homage with tracks “Hard to Please” and “Remedy.” The band also included a fun medley of underrated tracks (“Perfect Score,” “Fake It” and “Frozen”) from their earlier albums, where DiScanio dedicated to the day-one fans. After all the excitement, the lead singer encouraged fans to take a deep breath before moving on to the next part of the set.
The fans were definitely the best part of the show, as they sang along and raged all night long. While crowdsurfing is (unfortunately) not allowed at Emo’s, fans moshed like crazy to every single song. “Did anyone join us from a different city?” asks DiScanio, in which multiple fans in the crowd (including myself) responded Houston, which is about two and a half hours away from Austin. It surprised the band, and the energy immediately shifted as they worked to make the show worth it for the out-of-towners.
The night was full of surprises, including the addition of an acoustic version of “Around the World and Back” from their sophomore album, where Daisy Grenade joined the band on stage to sing the chorus. “We asked them to learn the song LAST NIGHT, just for you, Austin” exclaimed DiScanio. With this surprise also came a major sign of relief – State Champs played fan-favorites “Elevated” and “Secrets” after they tweeted a suspenseful tweet asking fans what would happen if these songs were never played again.
State Champs managed to curate a perfect setlist that has a little bit of everything, all while keeping things fresh and highlighting their newest album. The band remains as energetic as usual, and while the room was humungous, it still felt very intimate, making it an epic show. It’s safe to say…. State Champs is SO back.
Listen to State Champs by State Champs, out now on all platforms. You can also catch them a city near you, get tickets here.
I'm a full-time music journalist/photographer from Houston, number one Paramore fan and Husky dog owner. I have a B.S in Radio-Television-Film from UT Austin and a M.A in Mass Communications from the University of Houston, which makes me smart! On top of being an avid concert-goer and movie fanatic, I love bonding with others over the power of local music and media.
