Belfast post-punk/electronic risers Chalk announce Conditions II EP, set for release on 1st March via Nice Swan Records. There is a limited vinyl run of 300 copies available to purchase. In addition they share new single ‘Claw’. Inspired by the ferocity and live performance of Dublin’s guitar scene, coupled with the sweaty, hardcore dance landscape in their native Belfast, ‘Claw‘ is the product of these two worlds colliding. However, Chalk bring in additional elements, with distorted vocals and tension in the soundscape so the listener is never too sure what to expect.
Speaking ahead of their second EP reveal, vocalist Ross Cullen explained:
“’Claw’ is about falling in love inside a nightmare. There’s a mixture of loss and relief that we wanted to capture. Subconscious feelings are at the crux of most of our tracks – something that we started on Conditions EP. We still feel like we’re in that universe of figuring ourselves out as people and using our sonic palette to make sense of it. There’s still a few feelings we want to explore and staying in the world of Conditions is something we’ve grown to enjoy – we don’t want to leave just yet”.
Chalk won ‘Best Live Act’ at Northern Ireland Music Prize 2023, and with a debut appearance at SXSW locked in for March before their biggest headline tour later in the month there will be plenty of opportunity to see them live before the festival season kicks in. With the lead single from the EP ‘The Gate’ landing on the BBC 6 Music playlist, this is band are on the up. See them in these intimate venues while you can.
Chalk Live Dates
MARCH
11-16 – SXSW, Austin, Texas
20 – Hare & Hounds V2, Birmingham
21 – Oslo, London
22 – Soup, Manchester
23 – Ritual Union, Bristol
25 – Clwb lfor Bach, Cardiff
27 – Green Door Store, Brighton
28 – Hyde Park Book Club, Leeds
29 – McChuils, Glasgow
APRIL
12 – Limelight 2, Belfast
For more information on Chalk, including details on how to order the limited edition EP please check out their facebook and bandcamp.
