The Chameleons: 'Where Are You?' - brand new EP by influential UK post-punk act out 24.05.24 on Metropolis Records

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,” vocalist/bassist Mark Burgess of iconic post-punk band The Chameleons admitted recently about their brand new three song EP, ‘Where Are You?’, which is out today. Released digitally on Metropolis Records (in conjunction with Strange Times Entertainment), a limited edition 12” vinyl format is also being sold at live shows, of which a current UK and mainland European schedule can be read below. “The question about new music is one I had been asked the most by people coming to our gigs,” he continues. “Many weren’t even born when our previous records were made, but they were excited and inspired by the music enough to catch us on various tours.”

An artful combination that embraces past glories while opening their arms to creative expansion, ‘Where Are You?’ slots neatly into their oeuvre. Led with an arresting trademark guitar hook, Burgess’ familiar and immediately recognisable vocals soar effortlessly over the tight precision of the rhythm section, seemingly never missing a beat since their last studio album in 2001. “By the time we’d got through COVID, Reg [Smithies, guitarist] 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,” affirms Burgess. Recapturing their magical sound that combines post-punk, indie rock and shoegaze elements proved to be no struggle.

“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,” he explains, reflecting on the passing of original drummer John Lever in 2017 and the departure of Dave Fielding after the band’s reunion in 2000 (Burgess and Smithies explored different solo avenues before returning to The Chameleons fold that year).

The EP also includes the shimmering and mesmerising ‘Endlessly Falling’ and contemplative acoustic ballad ‘Forever’. Of the former, Burgess reveals that “it is one of the first songs we ever wrote but never completed until now. I always liked it and wanted to record it for the first John Peel sessions, but it got vetoed and discarded.”

The EP acts as a teaser for an upcoming album entitled ‘Arctic Moon’ that is planned for late 2024. “We’re halfway through it at the moment, but 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,” he concludes.

The Chameleons are currently playing dates in the UK and mainland Europe either side of a North American tour beginning in late May that will celebrate their 1986 album ‘Strange Times’. The schedule continues into December and includes a London show at O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire before winding up at the Albert Hall in their home city of Manchester. The full UK and European itinerary for 2024 is:

MAY

24.05.24 CATTON PARK Bearded Theory Festival

27.05.24 BARCELONA Primavera Festival

JULY

06.07.24 BOLTON Right To Roam

AUGUST

28.08.24 BEDFORD Esquires

29.08.24 BRIGHTON Chalk

30.08.24 HOLMFIRTH Picturedrome

SEPTEMBER

10.09.24 AMSTERDAM (NL) Melkweg

11.09.24 THE HAGUE (NL) Paard

12.09.24 BIELEFELD (DE) Movie Bielefeld

13.09.24 OBERHAUSEN (DE) Turbinenhalle Oberhausen

14.09.24 HAMBURG (DE) Gruenspan

15.09.24 BERLIN (DE) Columbia Theater

17.09.24 FRANKFURT (DE) The Bed

18.09.24 MUNICH (DE) Backstage Kulturzentrum

19.09.24 LYON (FR) L’Epicerie Moderne

20.09.24 PARIS (FR) Cabaret Sauvage

21.09.24 TOURCOING (FR) Le Grand Mix

DECEMBER

06.12.24 BRISTOL Marble Factory

07.12.24 LONDON O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire

09.12.24 DUBLIN (IE) Opium

10.12.24 BELFAST Limelight 2

12.12.24 GLASGOW The Garage

13.12.24 NEWCASTLE Riverside

14.12.24 MANCHESTER Albert Hall

UK tickets

The Chameleons have long been cited as a hugely influential act, having inspired the likes of (The) Verve, Oasis, Interpol, The Killers, Editors, White Lies and The Slow Readers Club. They are renowned for their transformative recorded catalogue and intense and emotionally charged live performances, creating a legacy that extends well beyond four studio albums issued to date. Their widely acclaimed debut, ‘Script of the Bridge’ (1983) has been described by many as a masterpiece way ahead of its time, and was followed by ‘What Does Anything Mean? Basically!’ (1984), ‘Strange Times’ (1986) and ‘Why Call It Anything?’ (2001).

The band’s unique sound has been captivating listeners for over four decades with a unique mix of melancholic yet energetic and powerful tunes, hypnotic ethereal riffs and a timeless lyrical style. One of the most important yet underrated rock bands of the 80s and 90s, they have contributed substantially to the post-punk, indie rock and shoegaze scenes of those decades and beyond