The Chameleons Announce 3-Song EP + U.S. Tour
Photo Credit: Mick Peek
The Chameleons are one of the more influential post-punk bands and their cult following continues to grow. Fans of The Chameleons will now get to hear the first new material from the band in more than two decades with the EP Where Are You?
“It’s exciting to finally be putting out fresh Chameleons material for the first time in over twenty years, although initially I found it quite daunting. The question about new music is one I had been asked the most from people coming to the shows, a great many of whom weren’t even born when those records were originally made but nevertheless were excited and inspired by the music enough to catch multiple shows on multiple tours.”
- admitted vocalist/bassist Mark Burgess
The title track of Where Are You? features a catchy guitar hook courtesy of guitarist and original founding member Reg Smithies. The guitar alongside Burgess’s signature vocal style on “Where Are You? will delight old fans and will certainly attract new ones. The pair were able to reach new heights by recruiting talented musicians to join them. The band is now rounded out with guitarist Stephen Rice, keyboardist Danny Ashberry, and drummer Todd Demma.
“By the time we’d gotten through COVID, Reg and I had a very solid band in place, people whose talent we trusted in to bring out the best in whatever ideas we were able to get off the ground.”
- said Burgess
The new blood infused into The Chameleons has been revitalizing for the band. The departure of guitarist Dave Fielding and the death of drummer Jone Lever left a void that Burgess admitted was hard to fill.
“For the first time since the death of John and the departure of Dave, I felt we were a proper band capable of creating some interesting and exciting music.”
- said Burgess
Photo Credit: Mick Peek
The Where Are You? EP features three tracks. Joining the song “Where Are You?” on the EP are the acoustic ballad “Forever” and the classic “Endlessly Falling” which was a favorite from the early days of The Chameleons’ career. The Where Are You? EP will be followed by a full-length album later this year titled Arctic Moon.
“At this moment, we’re halfway through, but already everyone in the band is excited by what they’re hearing. We’ve managed to transcend the confines of our own legacy and finally forge something fresh. It’s undoubtedly The Chameleons to everyone that has heard the direction the band is now heading in.”
- said Burgess
Part of the legacy that Burgess refers to is the influence The Chameleons have had on countless bands. The Verve, Oasis, White Lies, The Slow Readers Club, Interpol, The Killers, and Editors are just some of the bands who cite The Chameleons as fundamental to their musical education.
The Chameleons played a pivotal role in inspiring the shoegaze, indie and alt-rock scenes.
As if fans of The Chameleons didn’t have enough to get excited for already, the band has also announced a North American tour in which they will perform their 1986 album Strange Times. The album is considered a breakthrough for The Chameleons and produced the hit singles “Tears” and “Swamp Thing.”
“I initially wasn’t a huge fan of album performance tours. I believed instead that they ought to have been confined to one-off, special events. Performing Strange Times changed my mind. For one thing, the album marked a significant evolution by the band both in its sound and the maturity of the writing. Secondly, it’s a challenging album to perform live and thus, it’s much more fun to play. When all is said and done, we look forward to recreating this particular album for our North American fans!”
- Burgess admitted
Where are You? Will be released on May 24, 2024, via Metropolis Records/Strange Times Entertainment and is available for pre-sale/pre-save and via Bandcamp.
