State Champs

Younger than Gen X punk heroes like Billie Joe Armstrong and Mark Hoppus; older than Willow and Trippie Redd; the foursome balances energy and experience. As a new generation resurrects angsty unrest on TikTok and Machine Gun Kelly puts guitars back on the mainstream chart, STATE CHAMPS double down on the vibrant pop-punk they’ve championed for a decade. They were several steps ahead of the seismic sonic shift.

Derek DiScanio, Tyler Szalkowski, Ryan Scott Graham, and Evan Ambrosio deliver a strong message. Produced by Drew Fulk (Lil Wayne, A Day To Remember, Ice Nine Kills) aka WZRD BLD, Kings Of The New Age is a big album, without sacrificing the heart cherished by a legion of fans.

Kerrang! gave the band’s first album, The Finer Things, a rare 5K review in 2013. Rock Sound and Alternative Press served up adoring cover stories. Around the World and Back entered the Billboard Current Rock Albums chart at No. 3 and made Rock Sound’s Top 10 Albums of 2015. Living Proof followed in 2018. Billboard called them “modern-day pop-punk torchbearers” the same year.