There’s something special about a song that refuses to disappear. Sometimes it sits in your notes app, sometimes it lives as a half-finished demo, and sometimes it stays as a voice note for years before it finally becomes what it was meant to be. For Canadian pop punk mainstays Chief State, that song is “April Showers,” and we’re stoked to be giving you the first look at the new video right here on Reckless Press.
The track lands ahead of their upcoming album ‘Keep Your Friends Closer‘, out April 17 via Mutant League Records. The record nearly didn’t happen at all, with the band going through lineup changes that left only two members standing at one point. Instead of calling it quits, they did what bands like this always do. They wrote another song. That spark turned into a full album built around friendship, setbacks, love, betrayal, and everything in between.
“April Showers” fits right into that world, but its story actually stretches back much further. We caught up with guitarist and vocalist Nik Pang, who wrote the track, to talk about how it finally came to life.
“Congrats on dropping “April Showers” — how does it feel finally getting this one out into the world? What does this song mean to you personally?”
“It means a lot! The words to the verses sat on a voice note for 6 or 7 years, but I didn’t quite know how to make a song out of it. The fact that we came back to it after that long says a lot.”
“Where did “April Showers” come from lyrically and emotionally? Was there a specific moment or period in your lives that sparked it?”
“Definitely an exaggerated retelling of a relationship falling out. But things were tweaked along the way too so I don’t know if it’s fair to say it’s about one thing particularly.”
“Sonically, it feels like classic Chief State — melodic, emotional, but still packed with energy. Did this track come together naturally, or was it something you consciously shaped for the new album era?”
“It came together naturally. As I was writing I felt like it was quite different to anything I had really heard before and it just kind of flowed from there. Much like the rest of the album, we didn’t have a conscious idea of what it should sound like, we just let the writing come naturally!”
“Let’s talk about the video — what was the concept behind it, and how closely does it reflect the feeling of the song?”
“The song is about a previous relationship breaking down and so we figured it would be great to pair the song with a story that magnifies that. We already had the location sorted (shoutout to Joe’s mom!) and when preparing the video treatment we were consciously trying to make use of the space we had, we felt having the band downstairs and the storyline upstairs really tied it together nicely.”
“You’ve already shared that Keep Your Friends Closer was almost the album that never happened. Looking back now, how important was that first song you wrote together in keeping the band moving forward?”
“We’re no longer in our early 20s and being in a band can be a lot of work a lot of the time. We went through some member changes in 2023 and it came really close to ending. But when we got together and started working on a couple demos the fire was reignited! From there everything just flowed, we were excited, determined and driven.”
“The record explores friendship, hardship, betrayal, love, and isolation — heavy themes for a pop-punk album. How different was your mindset going into this LP compared to past releases?”
“I think our mindset was much more relaxed to be honest. As much as we are telling stories from our lives that have heavy themes at times, the actual writing process going into this cycle was much calmer. I think having the space to reassess what the band means to each of us allowed us to turn the pressure off. It’s a lot easier to write music with your friends when you’re not worrying about whether this one is going to be a hit or not. No bullshit, just friends writing music together.”
“You’ve described this as your most authentic and collaborative work to date — what do you think fans are going to notice first when they hear the full album on April 17?”
“Hopefully some growth. We’ve all grown as musicians, as individuals and as a collective and we believe it comes through in the songs. We hope listeners will think the same!”
“You’ve been grinding for years, touring hard and building a global fan base. Do you feel like this album represents a turning point for Chief State?”
“It certainly feels like it to us. At the end of the day, we’re 5 genuine friends that hang out every weekend and would do so even if we weren’t in a band and to us, that’s all that matters. We’re in it for the long haul and are grateful to have this outlet to share our stories.”
“With “April Showers” now out and the album just around the corner, what are you most excited for next — new music reactions, live shows, or finally sharing the full story of Keep Your Friends Closer?”
“All of the above! We’re super excited to have April Showers out, it’s got one of the biggest choruses we’ve ever written, literally the most vocal layers we have tracked on a song! But this is just the tip of the iceberg, we love all 12 songs on the album and cannot wait for the world to hear them all!”
“For anyone discovering Chief State for the first time through this premiere — how would you describe the band in three words?”
“Melodic, fast, fun!”
The upcoming album Keep Your Friends Closer tells the story of a band that nearly called it a day before finding their spark again. After a tough run of lineup changes, the record became a reflection of ten years of grit, friendship, setbacks, and the simple act of sticking it out together. It’s easily their most collaborative and honest release yet, shaped alongside longtime producer Tim Creviston.
Before the album drops on April 17, the band will also be sharing the stage with Wheatus at The Pearl in Vancouver on April 13, where the iconic alt-rock group will be performing their self-titled debut in full.
