Biography
The electronic trio Cheat Codes, rooted in Los Angeles, craft energetic segments of house music that suit both dance floors and airwaves, echoing the approach of the Chainsmokers, Seeb, and Sigala. A loyal audience accumulated for the group across the latter half of the 2010s through tracks such as “Sex” alongside Kris Kross Amsterdam, “Feels Great” with Fetty Wap and CVBZ, and “No Promises” featuring Demi Lovato. The last of these marked their initial Billboard Hot 100 placement inside the Top 40 and received platinum status across the United States, Australia, and multiple European territories. Continued activity on dance-format charts arrived via frequent single releases, many of which appeared on the EPs Level 1 and Level 2. The first two installments of their debut album, the three-part Hellraisers, reached listeners in 2021, while Pt. 3 followed in 2022. Early the next year brought the country-tinged One Night in Nashville, which included a contribution from Dolly Parton.
Avicii and Swedish House Mafia served as reference points when Cheat Codes formed during the 2010s. The three members—Matthew Russell, Trevor Dahl, and Kevin Ford—each maintain longstanding ties to Los Angeles and had pursued separate endeavors prior to uniting under the group name, with Dahl having previously recorded as the singer-songwriter Pluginstereo. These varied experiences shaped an eclectic palette that stretches from melodic pop to expansive house productions. Following “Visions,” the tropical-leaning “Don’t Say No” arrived with Dresses, succeeded by “Senses” featuring Lostboycrow and “Adventure” with Evan Gartner. Heightened visibility through social platforms and streaming playlists led to support dates alongside the Chainsmokers.
Further singles emerged in 2016, highlighted by the multi-platinum, Top Ten hit “Sex” with Kris Kross Amsterdam and the U.K.-acclaimed “Let Me Hold You (Turn Me On)” alongside Dante Klein. Their most prominent guest feature to date, “No Promises” with Demi Lovato, surfaced the subsequent year and prompted the No Promises world tour spanning the United States, Europe, and Australia. That single earned platinum certifications in Australia, the United States, and Europe while securing the trio’s first Billboard Hot 100 Top 40 entry. “Feels Great” with Fetty Wap and CVBZ and “Put Me Back Together” with Kiiara came next. Exposure in 2018 was sustained by “NSFW” featuring Danny Quest and “Balenciaga,” while remixes were supplied for Thirty Seconds to Mars’ “Dangerous Night,” U2’s “Love Is Bigger Than Anything in Its Way,” and Sean Paul’s “Mad Love.” A further platinum award in the U.K. accompanied the Little Mix collaboration “Only You.”
Level 1 became their first official EP, after which “Home” and “Feeling of Falling” with Kim Petras were issued. Level 2 followed in 2019 and incorporated appearances from Trixie, Afrojack, Kaskade, and additional guests. The 2020 releases “Stay” with Bryce Vine and “Washed Up” registered on Billboard’s Dance charts; another Top 40 Dance entry, the Lil Xxel collaboration “No Chill,” opened 2021 and appeared on Hellraisers, Pt. 1. That project also contained “Lean on Me” with Tinashe, “Wish It Was Me” with Au/Ra, “Do It All Over” featuring Marc E. Bassy, and “Between Our Hearts” with CXLOE. Pt. 2 arrived later in 2021 and featured Travis Barker, All Time Low, and Trippie Redd. Later singles comprised “How Do You Love” with Lee Brice and Lindsay Ell, “Payback” with Icona Pop, and “Afraid of Love” alongside Stondon Massey. Pt. 3 surfaced in 2022 with contributions from Loote and Space Primates. “I Remember” featuring Russell Dickerson and Dixie D’Amelio and “One Night Left” with Mackenzie Porter preceded the 2023 album One Night in Nashville, whose guests included Dolly Parton on “Bets on Us” and Little Big Town on “Never Love You Again”; the set reached number 14 on Billboard’s Top Electronic Albums chart. A return to club-oriented material occurred later that year with the Sam Feldt-assisted “You Don’t Even Know Me.”
Avicii and Swedish House Mafia served as reference points when Cheat Codes formed during the 2010s. The three members—Matthew Russell, Trevor Dahl, and Kevin Ford—each maintain longstanding ties to Los Angeles and had pursued separate endeavors prior to uniting under the group name, with Dahl having previously recorded as the singer-songwriter Pluginstereo. These varied experiences shaped an eclectic palette that stretches from melodic pop to expansive house productions. Following “Visions,” the tropical-leaning “Don’t Say No” arrived with Dresses, succeeded by “Senses” featuring Lostboycrow and “Adventure” with Evan Gartner. Heightened visibility through social platforms and streaming playlists led to support dates alongside the Chainsmokers.
Further singles emerged in 2016, highlighted by the multi-platinum, Top Ten hit “Sex” with Kris Kross Amsterdam and the U.K.-acclaimed “Let Me Hold You (Turn Me On)” alongside Dante Klein. Their most prominent guest feature to date, “No Promises” with Demi Lovato, surfaced the subsequent year and prompted the No Promises world tour spanning the United States, Europe, and Australia. That single earned platinum certifications in Australia, the United States, and Europe while securing the trio’s first Billboard Hot 100 Top 40 entry. “Feels Great” with Fetty Wap and CVBZ and “Put Me Back Together” with Kiiara came next. Exposure in 2018 was sustained by “NSFW” featuring Danny Quest and “Balenciaga,” while remixes were supplied for Thirty Seconds to Mars’ “Dangerous Night,” U2’s “Love Is Bigger Than Anything in Its Way,” and Sean Paul’s “Mad Love.” A further platinum award in the U.K. accompanied the Little Mix collaboration “Only You.”
Level 1 became their first official EP, after which “Home” and “Feeling of Falling” with Kim Petras were issued. Level 2 followed in 2019 and incorporated appearances from Trixie, Afrojack, Kaskade, and additional guests. The 2020 releases “Stay” with Bryce Vine and “Washed Up” registered on Billboard’s Dance charts; another Top 40 Dance entry, the Lil Xxel collaboration “No Chill,” opened 2021 and appeared on Hellraisers, Pt. 1. That project also contained “Lean on Me” with Tinashe, “Wish It Was Me” with Au/Ra, “Do It All Over” featuring Marc E. Bassy, and “Between Our Hearts” with CXLOE. Pt. 2 arrived later in 2021 and featured Travis Barker, All Time Low, and Trippie Redd. Later singles comprised “How Do You Love” with Lee Brice and Lindsay Ell, “Payback” with Icona Pop, and “Afraid of Love” alongside Stondon Massey. Pt. 3 surfaced in 2022 with contributions from Loote and Space Primates. “I Remember” featuring Russell Dickerson and Dixie D’Amelio and “One Night Left” with Mackenzie Porter preceded the 2023 album One Night in Nashville, whose guests included Dolly Parton on “Bets on Us” and Little Big Town on “Never Love You Again”; the set reached number 14 on Billboard’s Top Electronic Albums chart. A return to club-oriented material occurred later that year with the Sam Feldt-assisted “You Don’t Even Know Me.”
Albums