ChillCheney, the rock/hip hop project driven by Wiradjuri rapper Lance Cheney and featuring talented bandmates Harvey Faulkner (guitar), Emma Willison-De Pugh (vocals) and Dela Tamakloe (drums), has been making waves out of their base in Sydney: balancing emotionally charged sounds with electrifying live shows.

Grounded in truth telling and perspectives that come from life’s experiences good and bad, the songwriting that drives the project reflects Cheney’s strong talent for building worlds and delivering unique perspectives through music. 

With the release of new track ‘Underground’, the group makes a dynamic return for 2026; brimming with enthusiasm when it comes to anticipating where their next sonic arc will take them.

Recorded at Kameygal Music Studio, the song was mixed by Cheney himself (who has also worked with artists including Busby Marou and Kobie Dee), with mastering delivered by Mitaru McGaughey.

The start of a new chapter

‘Underground’, as described by ChillCheney, navigates feelings of being “boxed in” and not fitting into certain spaces – culturally, socially, or through work. “I’ve always had my own views and perspectives, but being more introverted, it’s not always easy to express them. ‘Underground’ is my way of getting that out, saying what I don’t always say out loud.” 

“‘Underground’ came together in a really organic way. We had a guitarist, drummer, singer and myself all in the room, which made the process feel natural and collaborative. We ended up writing about five tracks that day. I remember telling the guitarist I wanted something rocky but still had bounce, and he came up with that main idea pretty quickly. The drummer locked into it straight away, and a few weeks later we recorded the track. I went through a bunch of different chorus ideas, probably five or so, that all sounded decent, but none of them fully landed. Then the final chorus came along and it just clicked.” CHILLCHENEY

Since ChillCheney’s debut, the group has performed across a number of impressive festivals and events in their local community, including Marrickville Festival, Dulwich Hill Festival, and NAIDOC in the City. They have also supported Drapht and Tech N9ne, while completing their own East Coast tour of Australia in 2024.