Chk Chk Chk (a.k.a. !!!) is right here, right now

Maybe Chk Chk Chk’s Nic Offer is a Wayne’s World fan because his approach to the band lines up perfectly with Garth Algar’s classic “Live in the now!” quote. This very notion is largely what has kept the band together for the past 17 years.

“We didn’t think too far into the future when we started, so we were pretty in the moment,” the singer said. “I definitely think the reason we’re still a band is because we’ve kept the same attitude the whole time.”

Remaining in the moment has allowed the group to adapt to different situations throughout its history, including lineup changes and moves that saw most of the band departing its original Sacramento base—guitarist Mario Andreoni is the only member who still lives in the 916.

Though daunting at times, by finding ways to remain cohesive and creatively compatible, the band has only grown stronger and more interesting as the years have passed. Rather than tearing Chk Chk Chk apart, Offer said such challenges have helped it grow.

“’Evolved’ is definitely the word I would use, because we’ve had to adapt,” he said. “We had to find a new way to write when the band first moved to New York and when members left … but that’s been another key to making it work for so long, is that it’s always remained fresh.”

Those who have listened to the band’s last album, 2013’s Thr!!!er, would likely find “fresh” an apt descriptor. Whether it’s the clap-happy dance track “Even When the Water’s Cold,” the infectious funk of “Get That Rhythm Right” or the undeniable disco-pop number “One Girl/One Boy,” fun, variety and energy abound. It makes for one hell of a dance party, and the guys clearly had a good time making the record. The single “Slyd,” in particular, stands out as especially indicative of the recording experience.

“We were trying to make it like a modern-day ’Pump Up the Volume,’” Offer said, referring to the 1987 hit song by MARRS. “That song was made in the early days of sampling, where you lifted all the coolest grooves and smacked them next to each other, so we thought, ’What if tried to make a song that sounds like it was made out of 10 different songs?’ It was exciting to make because, thematically, we could go anywhere.”

The resulting track, and Thr!!!er as a whole, stands as a watershed moment in the band’s history because it gave the members a chance to prove they could still make compelling music after so many years together. It was a challenge they relished.

“We’d had a tough time with the previous record, so it felt like Thr!!!er was one of those ’put up or shut up’ moments,” Offer said. “It was one of the first times where we felt our age and felt like, ’Well, if we’re old and we’re here, there has to be a reason.’ We didn’t want to be some irrelevant band just clinging to its glory days.”

The new album, influenced in part by modern trends, gave the band new, relevent perspective, Offer said.

“We really felt like we needed a new push, creatively, and we were really excited by a lot of the club music that was happening at that point, so it felt really freeing.”

So, what’s next? True to form, Offer said he knows that the only way to approach the band’s future is to keep doing what they have been doing: living in the moment.

“Maybe we’ll be able to go another 17 years, and maybe we’ll break up next month,” he said with a laugh. “It’s been that way the whole time, so I imagine it will stay that way until at least next month.”