Frontman Cale Chronister and Guitarist Christian Theriot of Sports meet Iris Grant and myself at a booth table in the corner of Glasgow’s Room 2. It’s a lively Saturday night, and amidst the squeaking sounds of microphones being tested and the clinking of bottles being stocked at the bar, we dig into the music-making process behind the Oklahoman duo’s hit band.
Sports released their latest album in February, marking the first time the band has recorded without producer Chad Chopelin. We delved into the challenges of the process, as well as the changes they observed along the way. Chronister tells us about learning to trust himself when completing a song: “We have no problem starting songs on our own. We’ve been doing that since we were 11. But learning how to let go of the song, like, okay, this is done. And we have to stop working on it.”
The duo also discusses the mental toll that working on music independently can have. Self-producing can be difficult. “We didn’t have somebody to say ‘yeah, it’s good’. We had to be the ones to be like, yeah, I think it’s good,” Theriot explains. The duo also reflect on the mental strain that can accompany independent production. When asked whether they would recommend self-producing to newer artists, Theriot offers a considered response, weighing in the benefits against potential drawbacks.
“The only reason I would say no is because if you’re a solo artist, I think it can be fun to try to make music by yourself, but it’s so much more fun to work with other people and collaborate. So even having somebody else produce is just so nice, because I feel like you get less in your head about things, and you just get that instant feedback, too.” He says, adding, “And it’s just more fun.” Chronister agrees, telling us that working in an echo chamber can be “a really treacherous place mentally,” and that having others in the room, whether its collaborators, peers or producers, can be helpful.
We move on to discussing the actual content of their recent record Sports. Chronister tells us that ‘Metaphors’ — the final song on the album — was “the only song I’ve ever had the lyrics for before the music,” marking it as an outlier in their usual production process.
The pair have noticed that performing the album live can also reshape their relationship with their music. “I’ll say when playing it live, ‘I Can’t Cry,’ has kind of taken on a new life,” Theriot notes. “I loved that song when we were making it, and it’s kind of a departure, in a way, from some of the other stuff we make. It’s pretty fast and dance-y. But playing it live is really fun, because it’s, like, a moment in the set where the crowd […] Cale, like, encourages the crowd to jump. And usually, they all jump.”
It’s clear that the band is inspired by the way the audience reacts to their art, and Theriot tells us that seeing an alive and energised crowd is rewarding. “That’s why we’re here,” he adds.
Sports (2026) marks a sonic shift from their previous albums with a more electric sound compared to Naked All the Time (2015) and Get a Good Look (2022). When asked about the sound and genre shift, Chronister tells us that he tries to not think about labelling their music. “[Genre] means nothing to me. Like, if I’m being as genuine as possible, I think it means nothing to me. It’s just like a […] It’s a way to describe music, but then it’s so hard to describe music, so I let other people genre-fy us.” The pair agree that while genres can be helpful for consumers to discover new music, but for artists not so much. Chronister clarifies, “I think for a consumer, it’s helpful, but for an artist it’s a trap.”
We finish our discussion of touring by asking about fashion. We wanted to know how important outfits are on stage, so explored the role clothing can play in readying their mindsets for performance.
“I think it’s definitely like putting on a uniform,” Theriot tells us. “Yeah, ever since we started touring, we always had a kind of a uniform,” Chronister agrees, adding how their tour wardrobing has changed over time. “The first tour, we had these silver jackets we wore, and then… then it was just more silver clothing for a while. It just kind of morphed into whatever felt right. Now it’s tracksuits.”
We asked about the future of the band, and whether we could hold out hope for a show in Edinburgh. Theriot told us “Keep following us. Hopefully, we’ll be back here sooner rather than later. It’s taken us a while to get here,” with Chronister adding “I’m sad we’re not going there on this trip. Next time.”
As our conversation came to an end, one thing was clear: Sports is far from finished. In an industry that is so prone to change, their journey is a reminder that longevity is not simply about following trends, but more about finding new ways to create while staying true to their sound. If their journey so far is anything to go by, there is every reason to be excited for what comes next.
Press Photo provided by Verdigris Management for press use.
