Stand Atlantic refuse to stagnate with their excellently eclectic fourth album '…WAS HERE'. Check out our new Upset cover story.

Words: Ciaran Picker.

Of all the problems bands face, there's one that remains a plague upon musicians across the genre spectrum: is it better that you keep changing your sound, or do you stay the same? Nowhere is this conundrum felt more strongly than in the all-encompassing realm of pop-punk. Bring in electronic elements, and you're accused of jumping on a trend. Use an acoustic guitar and a key change, and suddenly, you're too soft. Lean into metalcore with a screamo section or thrash guitar, though, and you're too heavy. But do all of that, place it behind venomous yet vulnerable lyricism, and mix it all in a cauldron powered by the fiercest of friendships, and the result is Stand Atlantic at their biggest and best.

When the Australian four-piece released their debut album, 'Skinny Dipping', in 2018, they were placed firmly in the pop-punk box, with their mix of infectious choruses and heartfelt lyrics landing them tours with all-stars of the game, such as State Champs and Knuckle Puck. Their sophomore record, 'Pink Elephant', made clear that they weren't just going to sit around and go through the motions, though, playing at the edges of electronic rock, messing with song structures, and ultimately growing into the band they actually wanted to be instead of what was prescribed to them.

"I never wanted the pop-punk label in the first place, man!" vocalist Bonnie Fraser reveals. "People latch onto it so hard and decide that's all you can ever be. I see so many comments that are like, 'What the fuck are they doing? They haven't made good music since their first album', and I just think, 'Have fun being a 40-year-old child, dude. We'll see you in two years when you realise what we're doing is sick!'