Following the release of Conditions III and the launch of their biggest headline tour to date, Chalk took some time to discuss their latest EP, the tour, the rising influence of Irish culture, and how filmmaking shapes their music.
With Conditions III released just last week and the tour kicking off, the band acknowledges that this is a significant moment. Ross explains, “It feels like in the last three years we have tried to go up a level every time, so it feels like that with the music as well as the shows.” Luke adds, “This is the biggest tour we have done for any of the EPs, so we see it as the tour that finishes all of the EPs strung together. It’s lots of dates, the venues are bigger, so it’s really exciting for us to close out the trilogy with a big tour like this one.”
Having recently supported acts like Sprints and Idles, Chalk reflects on the difference between opening for a major band versus headlining their own tour. Ross notes, “We haven’t done many supports, we only had one before, which was PDA—that was our first show.” Luke admits, “I was gonna say slightly more pressure, like Idles—we really look up to these guys, so there’s definitely pressure to it, but you do your 30-minute thing and you can enjoy the rest of the night. It’s a change of pace and it was definitely good for us.”
For this tour, Makeshift Art Bar is joining as support. Ben explains, “They are a bit younger, but we know them from Belfast. We are all influenced by that industrial, Gilla Band, Dublin guitar world, and an electronic Belfast music scene, so yeah, there’s some cool stuff happening in Belfast.”
The band acknowledges a cultural renaissance in Irish music, film, and art, pointing to the success of acts like Fontaines D.C., Sprints, and Kneecap, as well as films like The Banshees of Inisherin. Ross suggests, “We were talking about it with a guy we knew who had a podcast—he was talking about Normal People that came out of lockdown, and since then, it feels like the lens has been on us because we’re between Europe and the States.” Luke believes that Irish artists have a way of capturing people’s attention, adding, “There’s definitely something to it, like Irish bands or Irish artists that just get people’s ears perked up.”
There’s definitely something to it, like Irish bands or Irish artists that just get people’s ears perked up.”
Despite being placed within the indie and guitar music scene, Chalk’s sound leans heavily on electronic and rave influences. Ben notes, “Yeah, I think that’s maybe why we did not support that many bands early on. I think a lot of people said, ‘We don’t know whether to dance or march or what.’ I think there is a surprise because we have a guitar on stage—we draw from a lot of club and rave elements, also because we are a three-piece and don’t have a bass on stage. It doesn’t take much for people to get over—we felt pretty welcomed in that regard.”
Conditions III was recorded in Iceland, though the band didn’t initially set out to work there. Ben explains, “It wasn’t a decision that we needed to record this in Iceland, but it came up as a recommendation, and we thought it would suit us well. I do think it crept into the recording.”
All three band members have backgrounds in filmmaking, which influenced their decision to structure Conditions as a trilogy. Ross likens it to a box set, saying, “It made me think of like, you wanna buy a box set of whatever film, then you can get the set of Conditions on vinyl—so I, II, and III are all together.” Luke adds, “Because I mean, what even is an EP? It’s just like, you string a few singles together and chuck it out, so it was trying to make something narrative about it.” Ben agrees, “They did kinda feel like the songs are coming from the same place in the same world, so it helped us unify this as one larger body of work than just a song and other singles that are their own individual pieces.”
With the trilogy now complete and the tour underway, the band confirms that new music is on the horizon. While they’re focused on what comes next, Ross jokes, “And in 10 years, we will release Conditions 4 and 5.” Ben adds, “Yeah, like Star Wars—the ones everyone hates but will make so much money.”
When asked which bands would appear in a “For Fans Of” section at a venue like King Tut’s, Ross recalls, “I think I read it earlier—it was Nine Inch Nails, Viagra Boys, and someone else.” Luke suggests throwing in an unexpected name, saying, “I think I would go ridiculous with it, like Nine Inch Nails and ABBA, because I would have a lot of dance beats in there.” Ben adds, “Who else? Prodigy, Death Grips, King Gizzard,” before all three agree, “Underworld.”
We get a lot of Idles—it’s when they hear a shouty vocal, it’s like, ‘Tastes like Diet Idles.
Luke acknowledges that they frequently get compared to Idles, saying, “We get a lot of Idles—it’s when they hear a shouty vocal, it’s like, ‘Tastes like Diet Idles.’” Ben recalls a particularly unique description: “We got the most fun when it was like, ‘If New Order had sex with Liars and their baby…’ something like that. We hear very creative ones, which is all good.” Luke agrees, “Well, people get very juicy and weird with it.”
As for staying sane on their longest tour yet, the band is taking a relaxed approach. Ben says, “An audiobook, some comfy chairs. We’ve never done a tour as long as this, so let’s see.” Luke adds, “Yeah, get back to us in a month and we’ll see if we are still sane.”
Chalk’s tour continues across the UK and Europe until April 12th—an exciting chance to catch a band on the rise in intimate venues before they inevitably move on to bigger stages.
Interview & pictures: Dale Harvey @daleharvey