House Parties

Proof that everything is, in fact, bigger in Texas, HOUSE PARTIES trade in rubber-band, sky-reaching hooks, pogo-ready energy, and complex, universal emotions that shine a light on topics like trauma, mental health, and anxiety.

The Dallas, Texas-based trio – vocalist Chaney Elaine, guitarist Spencer Trinidad, and drummer Wesley K. Jones – formed in 2019, honing their craft during the COVID pandemic before unleashing their nostalgic blend of pop, rock, and pop-punk at a local Emo Nite party. Since then, they’ve crisscrossed the country, appearing at marquee events like Hawthorne Heights’ Is For Lovers festival and The Maine’s 8123 Day, while quickly ascending to their place as one of the Metroplex’s hottest acts.

And now, with the release of their Equal Vision Records debut EP, SIDE EFFECTS, House Parties are poised to cement themselves on a national level. Produced by Seth Henderson (who helmed the band’s 2021 EP, Tiny Rooms) and State Champs frontman Derek DiScanio, the paid behind their 2023 single “Cautious,” SIDE EFFECTS found the trio decamping to Always Be Genius Recording in Crown Point, Indiana, bringing with them a wide-eyed enthusiasm that’s front and center in the EP’s four songs.

“Working with Seth and Derek was a dream come true,” Elaine exclaims. “They helped us refine these songs in a way that was really night and day, adding ideas that really took them to the next level and opened our eyes to so many things. Those are lessons I’ll take with me and use every time I ever write another song.”

First single “Braindead,” blending breakbeat energy and elastic gang vocals, recalls erstwhile scene glory days so visceral you can almost feel your Vans melting in a Warped Tour parking lot, while the minor-key barnburning “Midlife Crisis” is a muscular slice of alt-rock that’s never soundtracked sorrow so sweetly. Add in the towering ballad “Waterworks,” and airy, dynamic “Get A Grip,” and you’ve got all the ingredients for one of 2024’s biggest breakout acts – but dig deeper, and you’ll really understand what House Parties is all about.

“Ultimately, all of these songs come from a very personal place,” Elaine says. “A song like ‘Get A Grip’ deals with that nagging negative voice in your head – the one that tells you, ‘You’re annoying. You’re not good enough. You’re a burden.’ Sometimes you need to get a grip and realize you’re not a terrible person. ‘Waterworks’ is about how we try so hard to hide our insecurities, but at the end of the day you still have to go home and look at yourself in the mirror. You can fool everyone else, but you can’t fool yourself.”

It’s this lyrical depth – and the sense of community it’s poised to foster among audiences – that’s poised to carry House Parties through SIDE EFFECTS and beyond, fully understanding there’s a bigger point to all of this and determined to use their platform for good.

“We want to show people our message and who we are,” Elaine says. “We’re a band who wants people to have a safe space where they can be themselves, where they don’t have to put up a front to be accepted. They can be themselves and just let loose.”