The Tampa, Fl. band talks with Emo Social Club during their summer stop in Illinois.
Photo: Christian Anderson (Kodak Chris). Spencer Chamberlain (left) and Chris Dudley (right) of Underoath. Tinley Park, Ill. Sept. 27, 2025.
“Every record we put out, we learn something from, and we typically learn the things that we don’t want to do again,” Underoath vocalist Spencer Chamberlain said.
Chamberlain explained that the 20th anniversary of They’re Only Chasing Safety allows the band to continue to create, but it doesn’t mean they’re running away from the nostalgic album.
“We’ve never not played songs off of Chasing Safety,” he continued. “If we’re headlining we’re playing something from every album. ... Playing the songs in the way like, ‘hey, that was when we were like 18, 19 years-old,’ we can celebrate this, see how it affected people, take the positives from that and just move forward.”
Underoath joined the Rise of the Roach Tour this past summer with Rise Against and Papa Roach, and let us on to their tour bus to catch-up with the metalcore act.
“We wouldn’t be doing anything now if it weren’t for that record,” keyboardist Chris Dudley said. “People connected with that record so much, made it to where we could do everything after.”
Earlier this year, the act toured for the anniversary of their fourth album and said they are taking notes from those previous records to help influence and craft their new music. The band released The Place After This One in March via MNRK Heavy and said they didn’t look at music trends when developing this latest release.
“That’s never a discussion amongst us,” Chamberlain said.
He elaborated that they will get excited about current songs they enjoy and discuss what they like about it because it’s “something fresh.” The singer included that even their current and older music can be viewed as “new” to younger generations who may be discovering the band for the first time.
“The kids are all right. I’ve been saying that a lot lately,” Dudley said.
Underoath opened the show with a seven-song set, which included their popular single, “Writing on the Walls,” along with three songs from their most recent album. The energetic performance included an acknowledgment that some in the audience may not be familiar with them but that they are now a part of the “Underoath family.”
The metalcore act will wrap up the year with a Latin America and U.K./Europe tour. Their only U.S. date will be the Emo’s Not Dead Cruise in January 2026. However, there are more plans in the works for the new year.
“We’ve become a winter band,” Dudley explained. “So, winter 2026, we’re going to be chilly.”
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Editor’s Note: A previous interview with Chris Dudley can be viewed below:
Photo: Christian Anderson (Kodak Chris). Tinley Park, Ill. Sept. 27, 2025.
Written by Lizzie Baumgartner