From humble beginnings in their Northeast Australia hometown to worldwide acclaim and ferocious sets on some of the planet’s biggest stages, the alt pop trio Chase Atlantic are riding high on a wave of their own creation. And with the recent release of their much-anticipated third EP, DON’T TRY THIS, and a sophomore full-length on the way, 2019 looks to be their biggest year yet. Mitchel Cave and his older brother Clinton formed Chase Atlantic with their best friend, Christian Anthony, in 2014. Classically trained as musicians and singers, the brothers began their obsession with programming and production as teenagers. Spending days locked away in their bedrooms working on beats, they began combining sounds from their favorite genres—from pop to electro to rock and R&B—fusing together an experimental sound that retained catchiness and hooks. Adding live instrumentation and vocals to the mix, the trio recognized their work’s undeniable groove and edge, an eclectic and unique hybrid of dark, rhythmic, and emotional sound—not to mention their shared bond and ability to make singular decisions as a hive mind. “We’re on the same wavelength,” Mitchel says. “We have the same outlook and that’s why we’ve been such great friends for such a long time. Our music-making is synergistic; we all share the same musical brain. We make music that is hard to define by genre but easy to enjoy.” They began releasing their music online and quickly developed a following in their home country, with fans flocking to their infectious live shows and embracing the confident honesty in their storytelling. The viral single “Friends” caught the ears of Good Charlotte’s Joel and Benji Madden, who signed Chase Atlantic to their esteemed LA-based music company, MDDN, in 2016. They released a pair of EPs and a self-titled debut LP in 2017, leading to an endless string of sold-out headline shows and tours around the world, including festival slots at Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Firefly, Reading & Leeds, and Vans Warped Tour. Despite all the rapid-fire success, the band work hard to maintain and increase their high-level work ethic, sticking to their guns when it comes to their method of making music and refusing to compromise any of their creativity, control, or—most importantly—their joy. “To be where we are today with music as our career, having grown up without a lot, it’s one of the best feelings in the world,” Mitchel says. “We went from staring at the same four walls for 18 years to seeing the whole world. We have to keep our heads—everything in moderation. Well, music-making should not be in moderation, but everything else. As long as we’ve got our headphones and laptops, we have all we need.” The DON’T TRY THIS EP finds Chase Atlantic operating at the height of their powers, with six songs that showcase the wide-ranging breadth of their abilities to reveal a darker side of their existence. From the rafter-reaching synthesized dreamscape of opener “What U Call That” and the slowed-down, emotional melodies and instrumental and vocal flexing of “You Too” and “Lust” to the revved up, live-for-today vibe of “Like A Rockstar” and electronic hypnotism and trap on “Devilish” and “GreenGreenGreen,” the EP highlights the band’s sonic eclecticism, knack for hooks, and cool, confident delivery. The wide variety of influences includes alt-pop, rock, R&B, and hip-hop, and will hit home with fans of Post Malone, The Neighbourhood, The 1975, and The Weeknd. “It all comes from a real place and it’s a good reflection of this point in our lives,” Mitchel says. “A lot of it is from out on the road and about our real life experiences. We’re not trying to flex too hard on anyone, or say we’re doing any better than you are. Music is about enjoyment—we’re trying to make the best music we can and be as real as possible.” Chase Atlantic are taking a similar approach to their new LP, fueled by their obsession with creation, songwriting, and beat-making and refusing to conform to any one sound. And as their spotlight only continues to grow, they understand that everything they need to get by is already in their possession. “Nothing has changed in terms of how we’re making our music; we’re staying true and putting all of ourselves into it. We’re always learning and trying different things while being as expressive as possible without losing integrity. We know more now and have so much more life experience and things to say. Life has been a whirlwind the whole last year, but this year’s gonna be even bigger. We just keep making tracks and doing what we do. We’re in it for the long journey, and we have a broad spectrum in terms of our music making. And we’ve done everything ourselves—we’re gonna do our own shit no matter what. We know exactly what we want to do, and we know what it takes to bring the music to the level where it needs to be. We’re gonna do our shit ’til the day we die.”