‘Arctic Moon’ is the first full-length studio album by Chameleons since the release of ‘Why call it Anything?’ in 2001.
“There is an obvious maturity to the songwriting on this record, and anyone familiar with our past work will hear that this is a positive step forward. While we’re proud of the band’s legacy, we really wanted to forge something fresh while retaining that profound and imaginative quality we’re known for. We think that we have managed to do that and deliver a very strong record!” Vox concludes.
The band will continue to tour extensively either side of album release, with dates in Spain and Portugal between 6th-19th June followed by a set at the Forever Now festival in Milton Keynes on 22nd before a return to the US for headlining shows plus a dozen with The Psychedelic Furs commencing on 26th. A further headlining tour of North American cities kicks off a fortnight after the release of ‘Arctic Moon’, plus mainland European dates in Germany and the Benelux scheduled from late October ahead of a previously announced UK tour in November.
Long cited as a hugely influential act, having inspired the likes of (The) Verve, Oasis, Interpol, The Killers, Editors and White Lies, Chameleons are renowned for their transformative catalogue and intense, emotionally charged live performances, creating a legacy that extends far beyond their four studio albums to date. Their widely acclaimed debut, ‘Script of the Bridge’ (1983) has been cited 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).
Their unique sound quickly won them an audience with its mix of melancholic yet energetic and powerful tunes, hypnotic, ethereal riffs and a potent, timeless lyrical style. They are considered one of the most influential guitar bands of the ‘80s and ‘90s, contributing substantially to the post-punk, shoegaze and indie scenes.
2024 saw the release of two EPs that kicked off a new chapter for the band. ‘Where Are You?’ consisted of three new songs, while ‘Tomorrow Remember Yesterday’ featured five re-recorded archive tracks. ‘Arctic Moon’ sees them propelling forward musically while retaining the essence that originally made them iconic.