The Chase follow their explosive summer EP ‘Not The F*cking Game Show’ with ‘Trumpet’, their first release for rock ‘n’ roll tastemakers This Feeling. It comes as they prepare to play their debut headline show at Roadtrip this Saturday, a gig that sold-out in just two days and more than two months in advance. ‘Trumpet’ received its radio premiere last night, courtesy of new music champion John Kennedy at Radio X.
‘Trumpet’ sees the band’s Heaney brothers – the fiery and flamboyant vocalist/guitarist Tyler and drummer Dion – channel their Caribbean roots, infusing their indie-punk sound with authentic touches of reggae, ska and dub. The result is their best track to date, and puts a modern spin on the lineage of genre-splicing bands such as The Specials, The Beat, The Dead 60s and The Aggrolites.
The brothers’ parents play a big part in the band’s sound, both consciously and subconsciously. Their mother’s family’s roots are in St. Kitts and Nevis, while their father’s family are Scottish – a mix of influences which provides a unique and genre-expanding foundation for the band. Tyler and Dion were encouraged to play music by their father from a young age, and have been in a band together since they were just 8 and 10-years-old.
Tyler says, “I think Trumpet is our boldest statement yet, it encapsulates where we are and where we are going. It’s fun, it’s catchy, it’s silly and it’s unique. It’s inspired by the likes of The Specials and Madness. I’m buzzing for you all to finally hear this one, BLOW THAT TRUMPET NOW!”
‘Trumpet’ was written in a matter of minutes on the final day of the band’s sessions with producer Nick Brine (Oasis, Stone Roses). It needed just one final element to make it burst into life – the boisterous brass that fires full-throttle throughout. Nick put them in touch with a musician mysteriously known as Underpants Man, who worked all-night to give ‘Trumpet’ that extra special touch. The version he sent the following morning was perfect, and is the same recording that you now hear.
The Chase were formed on a Nottingham council estate by Tyler and Dion, the duo’s island roots further flavoured by recruiting their cousin Luke Childs on bass, while James Cahill contributes everything from psych-tinged keys to honky tonk piano. Their sound evolved through their early singles, taking in influences from The Beatles and old school Stax-style R&B before honing in on their sound with the‘Not The F*cking Game Show’ EP.
The band are natural in the live arena. Tyler is surely the only builder by day who performs like Marc Bolan by night, while their instinctively tight musicianship gives their raucous songwriting a real intensity. They have just completed a co-headline tour with label mates Spangled, and have previously played shows with The Skinner Brothers, The Rifles and The K’s, plus festivals such as The Isle of Wight, Truck, Y Not? and The Great Escape.