Former The Chat’s guitarist, Josh Price talks his solo venture, musical past and where they’re going from here
As Pricey’s Josh Price will tell you, he’s been on one hell of a musical rollercoaster. Let me set the scene.
It all began in a classroom at Teresa’s Catholic College in Noosaville, Queensland, where Price founded The Chats with his schoolmates Matt Boggis and Eamon Sandwith. Starting with pub shows on bathmat stages, the band quickly turned heads, drawing hefty crowds. Soon, they were booking larger venues and festival gigs, with unexpected success, particularly from their breakout hit, ‘Smoko.’ Before long, The Chats were headlining international tours across the UK.
Then in 2020 Price left it all behind.
Embarking on a new venture with Jarvis Hopper and Jett Amos, he founded Pricey. Since then, the band has released a catalogue of music, including their debut album On the Job in 2022. Now, as they gear up to release a currently untitled follow-up album, it’s clear Price is still riding the rollercoaster.
“We were on tour with The Screaming Jets. I had this riff, and I was stuck on it for a while,” Price explains when asked about their new single, ‘Bastards Never Change.’ “Then I had this big party, and the next day, I was driving down the road and saw this dude in trouble. But I drove away. It made me think about myself. It was a self-reflective moment of, ‘I’m doing alright.’ I think sometimes you take things for granted. So, that’s why it’s called ‘Bastards Never Change.’”
As to why he calls himself the “bastard” in the song, Price quips, “Because I just f**king drove away!”
‘Bastards Never Change’ is the fifth single from Pricey’s upcoming album. When asked why the album still doesn’t have a title, Price notes, “We’ve had a lot of different thoughts—lots of changes. I think it’s going to be self-titled, to be honest.”
Price always knew he wanted to do something different post- Chats. Reflecting on that split, he says, “It just didn’t work out. The boys and I didn’t get along. I ended up getting the flick. I just walked away. It is what it is—it’s just a band at the end of the day.”
Whilst Price now seldom listens to the Chats music, he does sometimes use it as a point of inspiration. “I’ll listen to certain songs occasionally if I think of an idea and need to use it as a springboard.”
Price also looks back on his time in The Chats with fond memories. The band shared stages with icons like Iggy Pop, Queens of the Stone Age, and The Offspring. One of his wildest encounters was in LA with Dave Grohl.
“He [Grohl] came to our show in LA. When I walked past him, he just said, ‘Don’t f**k it up.’”
After leaving The Chats, Price was slightly clueless about what he wanted to do. Having been in The Chats since high school, he had entered the great unknown. Music became his escape from the heavy feelings swirling in his head—whether anyone listened or not.
“I just picked up an instrument and thought, no one is going to take music away from me. So, I recorded an album. I met Jarvis, my drummer, who plays on a lot of the tracks.” The result felt natural to Price. “I just started playing what came to heart and what felt right. You just have to feel it.”
With a sophomore album on the horizon, Pricey also have a packed touring schedule this summer. “We’ve got more shows with The Screaming Jets, then a national tour supporting Wheatus starting on January 5.”
From even a brief chat with Price, it’s clear he’s exactly where he’s meant to be. While the journey hasn’t been smooth, he’s finally found his place. This sentiment was echoed by advice from BC of Dune Rats. “I asked him for advice, and he just said, ‘Do it with your mates.’”
Pricey’s new single, ‘Bastards Never Change’ is available to be streamed here now.
