The Penguin Rocks logo
The Penguin Rocks Menu



 

Chief State Releases Debut Full-Length Album, "Waiting For Your Colours"

originally published: 07/03/2022

Vancouver, BC pop-punks Chief State have released their debut full-length 'Waiting For Your Colours.' The follow-up to the band's 2021 stand-alone single "Metaphors" and 2020 breakthrough EP 'Tough Love,' 'Waiting For Your Colours' is the culmination of 5 years of relentless hustle (not to mention a boatload of blood, sweat, and tears).

The journey to get here began with frontman Fraser Simpson, who at an impasse in his life, decided on a whim to leave his home in the UK for Japan in 2014 and eventually move to North America to form a band via Craigslist, where he connected with Nik Pang, Chloe Kavanagh, Justin Pham and Joseph Soderholm to create Chief State.

Uncertainty, longing, a search for meaning, and assessing life choices make up the themes on the new album, which chronicles closing out your 20s at a crossroads and examining where we belong, our place in the world, and allowing ourselves the time to figure it all out.

Simpson says, "There’s definitely a coming of age theme on the new album. We're asking ourselves: What am I looking to get out of life, out of being in a band? What joys do I want to pursue and where do I want to place my energy moving forward? We've come to the realization that we all need to stress less on the things we can’t control and enjoy more of what we have, what we can control and the journey itself."

Collectively the band members spent their young adult lives struggling mentally, emotionally and financially, in pursuit of their dreams, but the grind appears to have paid off, as Chief State is now on the cusp of something great! With an ever-growing legion of fans in their corner, a reputation for stellar live shows, and a new album's worth of kickass songs in their arsenal, 2022 is shaping up to be a great year for the band.




Follow New Jersey Stage on social media
Facebook, Threads, Instagram, Twitter, Bluesky




 

COLUMNS


Rock On! This Week's Sound Bites...7/10/25

"Well, I certainly hope so, it seems like it is," laughed Blues Traveler bassist Ben Wilson as he discussed what the band has been up to and their preparations before they hit the road once again for a Summer tour. "The band has been quite active over the years through touring and we managed to continue to record some records. We've done two kinds of covers records, the first one was a blues record which actually got nominated for a Grammy which was pretty cool and the next one, we did some soul covers. That one wasn't quite as well received but it was sure fun to make. So, it's been really cool; you have this massive success for a decade or so and then you kind of dip below that cultural Gestalt line where you're just kind of bubbling below the surface and you can do just fine there even though you're not on the cover of "The Rolling Stone" and that's kind of what we've been doing. We've had a good run, it has been fantastic and these summer tours where we get together with these other kind of bands of similar eras with similar kinds of hits; we're very fortunate as kind of a neo-hippie jam band from that era that kind of bucked some of the trends that were going on at the time but we were lucky enough to have a couple of hits and that has allowed us to have kind of a different career than just the straight jam bands do; not that that wouldn't be awesome as well because obviously many of them are doing just fine but it's just a slightly different road but it has been wonderful. We didn't rehearse a whole lot because we've been playing together for 38 years but things are good and we're stoked for this upcoming tour." 




This Week in Music: Previews for Concerts from July 8-14, 2025




The Newton Theatre presents Dirty Deeds - The AC/DC Experience




Makin Waves Song of the Week: "Golden Cage" by Cranston Dean





 
Advertise with The Penguin Rocks for $50-$100 per month, click here for info




 

MORE NEWS

(TUCKERTON, NJ) -- Lizzie Rose Music Room presents Griffin House on Wednesday, September 10, 2025 at 7:30pm. Griffin is an American singer-songwriter and storyteller. Touring and making records for over 20 years, House has a discography that includes over 13 albums.


A Chat with Jasper Smith of Straight No Chaser Which Brings its "Summer: The '90s Part 2" Tour to STNJ on July 16




Centenary Stage Company presents Yacht Rock Gold Experience




WXPN Takes Us Back to Live Aid this Sunday to Celebrate the 40th Anniversary of The Legendary Concert




Tickets for Bruce Springsteen Archives' Born to Run 50th Anniversary Celebration to Go On Sale July 16th






 

UPCOMING SHOWS


Sounds of a Summer Night: Music, Nature, and Community in Concert at Reeves-Reed Arboretum

(SUMMIT, NJ) -- Bring your blankets, lawn chairs, and picnic baskets to Reeves-Reed Arboretum and celebrate summer with their 2025 concert series, Sounds of a Summer Night! All performances will be held on select Wednesday evenings on the grounds of this non-profit public garden located in Summit.


2025 Horizon Sounds of the City at NJPAC




South Orange Summer Nights to Offer Free Concerts Every Wednesday Night In July




Middlesex County's Free Concert Series Returns for 2025






Advertise with The Penguin Rocks for $50-$100 per month, click here for info




The Penguin Rocks

© 2025 by Wine Time Media, LLC
PO Box 811, Belmar, NJ 07719
info@newjerseystage.com

Presented by New Jersey Stage

Images used on this site have been sent to us from publicists, artists, and PR firms. If there is a problem with the rights to any image, please contact us and we will look into the matter.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and our NJ Stage accounts on Instagram, and Threads


News | Features | Radio Shows | Penguin's Hall of Fame | Song of the Week | BlowUpRadio column

Contact Us | About Us | Submit Music | Ad Rates