Politically charged riffs, accidental names, and the art of keeping it real
Fresh off the release of their debut album Baby Steps, Sydney-based band Chinwag—Zac, Jarin, George, Josh, and Jacob—deliver a raw, truthfully Australian sound shaped by influences like Paul Kelly and Midnight Oil.
Known for their satirical lyricism and unflinching takes on societal issues, the band blends punk energy with melodic storytelling, creating music that’s as thought-provoking as it is authentic.
In this interview, Chinwag opens up about their accidental band name, the themes behind Baby Steps, and their mission to challenge norms while keeping things fun.
With a growing live presence and a knack for sharp social commentary, Chinwag is carving out a space all their own.
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HAPPY: I’d say your band name is pretty unique, what’s the story behind how you landed on ‘chinwag’?
CHINWAG: We were coming up to our first gig and hadn’t really settled on a band name. Sean (former member) was our guy for marketing etc, and he suggested we needed a “one word two syllables” type of name.
Anyhow we went back and forth on names and eventually Chinwag came up, and Sean actually didn’t mind it so we just went with it.
The funny part is none of us really like it now and Sean left the band after our second gig.
HAPPY: How would you describe the core sound of Baby Steps?
CHINWAG: Raw and real.
It’s a blend of all different sounds which come together to make something great.
A bit like us as people I guess?
HAPPY: Which track from the album best encapsulates Chinwag’s “truthfully Australian” identity, and how?
CHINWAG: All the same is probably the pick of the litter. The sentiment around the song is that we’re all people, and we shouldn’t treat each other poorly because of status etc.
I think that’s a big part of what it means to be Australian.
HAPPY: How do Paul Kelly or Midnight Oil’s influences manifest in your lyrics or instrumentation?
CHINWAG: The story telling and the political undertone have always been something we’ve wanted to replicate within our band.
We don’t want to be a band that just sings about getting pissed and high fiving each other. We want to create stories and keep the music engaging and thought provoking.
Similar to midnight oil, every member has a crucial part within all the various musical components – there are no passengers.
HAPPY: What concept, idea, or issue were you most driven to tackle on this album? In other words, what is ‘Baby Steps’ about?
CHINWAG: Baby Steps is about everything right and wrong with who we are as humans. It’s about the everyday struggles of existing and trying to be better than the day before.
It’s a conversation about the rights and wrongs of society, it calls out hard truths and acknowledges the ups and downs of life. Most importantly it promotes embracing emotion rather than ignorance.
HAPPY: How does satire play into your songwriting? Can you give an example from Baby Steps?
CHINWAG: Senior Citizens is obviously number 1 on our list of satirical songs. Whilst we don’t want the tracks to be abusive, we’d like to express our distaste with the behaviour of our elderly community in some cases.
“It’s a Friday night and the musics too loud” is a direct reference to a gig we played in Carrington where we were told to keep the sound below 90db because there’d been complaints from an elderly person who had bought next to the venue.
We want to keep things fun but we also do enjoy having those subtle, and sometimes not so subtle digs.
HAPPY: How did working with Michael Lynch shape the album’s final sound?
CHINWAG: Lynchy is the easiest bloke to work with and knows exactly how things need to be shaped.
He knows his craft, he’s incredibly patient and he has a passion for music which can’t be taught. We’re very thankful to have him produce this for us.
HAPPY: How do you balance raw energy (à la Bad Dreems) with melodic storytelling (like Paul Kelly)?
CHINWAG: The majority of songs are written with an acoustic guitar, and then are purposely forgotten about until someone brings a riff or a progression in that we like.
The music style of the band combined with the song writing sometimes comes together well and as soon as we think something has legs we run with it.
HAPPY: What’s next after this album cycle—more touring, new material, or a creative pivot?
CHINWAG: We’d like to keep playing gigs, keep writing and keep the enjoying each others company. We’ll take opportunities when they come and hopefully make something of what has been a very hard fought start in the music industry.
HAPPY: Lastly, what makes you happy?
CHINWAG: Good company, swapping yarns and making good memories.
