London indie-pop upstarts Chest share new single ‘SO BETTER NOW’, new EP 'never really here' out 27th February

London-based indie-pop upstarts Chest today release their new single ‘SO BETTER NOW’, the latest taste of their new EP ‘never really here’, out 27th February. The band will mark the EP’s release with a show at The Elephant’s Head in London on release night (27th Feb), followed by a Norwich Arts Centre date on 28th Feb.

Produced by Thomas Coath (known for his work with Sam Fender, Pale Waves) – with the band describing the song as "a sardonic pop anthem for a world burning" – 'SO BETTER NOW' is restless and deceptively buoyant, with a chorus that sounds almost celebratory, even as the lyrics lean into unease – anchored by two real-world images that became fixed points during writing.

Built on energetic drums, tightly wound guitars and glowing electronic flourishes, ‘SO BETTER NOW’ keeps the intensity of recent singles ‘MACHINE’ and ‘NUMB’, shifting focus toward the strange theatre of the outside world.

Speaking on the release, vocalist and lyricist Joel Reader said:

"The song came from two images stuck in my head. A McDonald’s sign on fire in the LA wildfires, an incredibly sardonic image of American excess literally fuelling its own destruction. And the moment after the Trump attempt, his fist raised dripping in vulgarity and violence. The song grew from the feeling those two pictures created together exploring the irony and humour in nihilistic release. Lyrically it is the most outward looking track we’ve released, it’s a commentary on the world rather than self exploration."

'SO BETTER NOW' represents a broader shift across the band's upcoming EP, which moves between inward psychological pressure and external chaos.

Formed in Norwich, the band credit the city’s alternative spirit and genre-diverse scene for giving them the space to evolve without being boxed in. “Norwich is full of oddballs and weirdos who are unapologetically themselves – that attitude is something we carry with us," the band said.

Since moving to London earlier this year, Chest have played headline shows across the country, played festivals including Latitude and Wild Paths, received early airplay on BBC Radio 1 and BBC 6 Music, and have supported bands including The Lounge Society, Bilk and PleasureInc.

Harbouring an intense, immersive energy, Chest arrive with a sound that feels fully formed and entirely their own, and are without doubt a band to watch closely as the year unfolds.

Chest's new EP 'never really here' is out 27th February. The band will play The Elephants Head in London to celebrate the release that same evening, with a homecoming show at Norwich Arts Centre on 28th February. New single 'SO BETTER NOW' is out now.

Chest are: Joel Reader (vocals), Stanley Horseman (guitar), Russell Eldon (guitar), Teo Koschak (drums), William Booth (bass)

LIVE DATES

30 January - Stowmarket, John Peel Centre

27 February - London, The Elephants Head

28 February - Norwich, Arts Centre

10 April - Bury St Edmunds, The Apex