New Track: CHROMA – ‘Don’t Wanna Go Out’

Having just announced the release of their debut album, out via Alcopop! next month, and with news of an exciting support slot with (my most watched band in the world) Foo Fighters next year, Welsh band CHROMA are definite ones to watch right now. And, with acclaim from the likes of John Kennedy at Radio X and BBC Radio 1’s Alyx Holcombe, their instantly catchy new single showcases all there is to love about Pontypridd’s band on the rise.

Propelled by the band’s distinctive relentless energy, ‘Don’t Wanna Go Out‘ reflects on feelings of FOMO and the pressure to go out and socialise. Raging with seething hooks and front woman Katie Hall’s fiercely raw vocals, it offers a compelling slice of biting garage-rock; a relatable and dance-able anthem that’ll cement itself in the ears on first listen, demanding multiple plays immediately.

Currently in Korea, playing DMZ Peace Train Festival, CHROMA are excited to share their debut album with the world. Entitled Ask For Angela, it shares its name with the UK wide campaign to prevent sexual assault in the UK, and showcases the band’s knack for creating empowering, inclusive offerings covering poignant topics ranging from trans rights and violence against women, to their experiences of growing up in the Welsh countryside. Of the album, they add:

This album takes us in a direction that we as a band feel as if it affirms the sound that we’ve always wanted to create, and with thanks to Steffan Pringle and Tom E1 Mastering and Duplication, they’ve helped bring these songs to life. ‘Ask For Angela’ is no longer just ours, but it’s yours, now and forever. We hope you find as much joy in this record as it was for us to create.”

And, on their return from Korea, they’re heading straight up to London next Friday 8th September to headline for us at Shacklewell Arms – we couldn’t be more excited. It seems to be their only London show for a while, so do come and join us in moshing along to their gritty energy in a fairly intimate venue, before they hit the stadium next year!


Ask For Angela, the debut album from CHROMA, is set for release on 20th October via Alcopop! Records. Pre-order here. And make sure you don’t miss them live at Shacklewell Arms on 8th September, with support from Leeds band wormboys and Brighton’s UrgentSea – nab tickets here!

Mari Lane
@marimindles

WATCH: HMS Morris – ‘Family Souls

Family Souls’ – the latest single by the Welsh art-rock band HMS Morris – is as fun and surreal as the band’s name suggests. A joyful collage of a song, it brings together elements of soul, funk and indie to create a bouncy pop banger that’s both experimental and perfectly polished.  

Reminiscent of Tuneyards, ‘Family Souls’ quickly wedges its way into your brain, as front person Heledd Watkins unleashes the song’s infectious, angular hook. When she dreamily utters “yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah” it blends jerky instrumentation with sweet pop harmonies like a wonky ’60s girl group. 

At the heart of the song is a creative conundrum. The lyrics explore why Watkins finds it hard to perform in front of her family or, as the band put it: “the dissonance between Heledd’s roles as a dutiful west-Walian daughter on one hand, and as a badass creative force to be reckoned with on the other.” As the front person of a band with such vibrant eccentricity, it’s hardly surprising that Watkins wrestles with this. But I hope she resolves it soon; if this song and the incredible video are anything to go by, her family are missing out on an incredible performer! 

Created by Trigger Happy Creative, watch the new video below:

‘Family Souls’ is out now via Bubblewrap Records.

Vic Conway
@thepicsofvic

Track Of The Day (Comic Review): Seazoo – ‘Throw It Up’

The latest in our ‘Comic Reviews’ feature – where illustrator Sally-Anne responds to a new track with her wonderfully unique drawings – we checked out the jangly scuzz of Welsh band Seazoo‘s new single, ‘Throw It Up’.

 

‘Throw It Up’ is out now, have a listen below. And, if you’re at End Of The Road Festival this weekend, catch Seazoo live on Sunday, 1st September.

 

Sally-Anne Hickman
@sallyshinystars