Band Of The Week #305 - Chartreuse
This week's Band of the Week is Chartreuse- who have just released their second album 'Bless You & Be Well' via Communion Records.
For Chartreuse, the rural Icelandic studio Flóki served as a refuge in a myriad of ways. Set in a secluded location on the northern tip of the island, a five-hour drive from Reykjavík, the Black Country band’s two-week stay here in the summer of 2024 was one of escape, connection and understanding. They returned home with a special, urgent and necessary new album, Bless You & Be Well.
Following on from their 2023 debut album Morning Ritual, the Back Country four-piece’s latest album, which blends elements of atmospheric indie, folk and jazz, sees them laying bare new emotional depths. Each of the band members’ personal experiences with grief, anxieties and fears are all explored vividly, making for an album that’s both cathartic and captivating in equal measure.
We spoke to Hattie Wilson from the band to discuss the album in more depth.
Hey there Chartreuse, how are you? So your album is out now – how does it feel to have it out there?.
Hey! We're good thank you, deep in album world! It feels great to have it out, we always love releasing a record and hearing which are people's favourite tracks and what songs they're connecting to the most, that's always cool!
It is called 'Bless You & Be Well’ – what is the meaning behind that?
It's the title track from the album and the oldest song on there. It felt like an intriguing statement; a sort of a parting of ways, but soft enough to encapsulate the feelings of the record. We went through a lot of life shifts when writing and recording the album, so it felt fitting to lead with this statement.
The album was recorded out in Iceland. How was this experience for you all? Any behind the scenes stories you are willing to share?
It was incredible, being in the middle of nowhere and shut off from our normal lives which meant we could just lock in and focus on the record with our producer Sam and Oli. Erm... there were many bizarre things to be honest. A sauna, a free bar, a rich couple arriving by helicopter, horseback riders asking for beers, a policeman delivering food. Yeah, it was a vibe!
What are the key influences behind the album?
We really wanted to write something more band driven, slightly more sonically hopeful and punchy but with reflective and sometimes sad lyrics. That’s kind of what we stuck to. We listened to a lot of Talk Talk, Arthur Russell and Here We Go Magic when making the record, so maybe they influenced us in some way!
If the album could be a soundtrack to any film – which one and why?
The Core! We found it on DVD when we started writing the album and loved it. Would just be kinda funny to have our music in that.
Do you have a favourite lyric on the album? If so, which one and why?
My favourite is “There's a slice of vocal cord / Here on the ground / It made sense / I was moving my lips, without a sound”. I just think it’s so visual, I always think of an actual piece on the floor and I think that's the sign of a good lyric, you can actually see it.
Now the album is out there – what’s next for you?
We're touring the record in October / November in the UK, heading to Europe in Feb next year for some shows and then hopefully onto album three!
Chartreuse Live Dates:
(*) with support from Moreish Idols
(+) with support from Lavender
(**) co-headline with Moreish Idols
Thursday 28th August - The Bread & Butter Collective, London (album release party)
Saturday 30th August - Banquet Records, Kingston (in-store)
Sunday 31st August - Rough Trade, Bristol (in-store)
Monday 1st September - Truck Records, Oxford (in-store)
Tuesday 2nd September - Crash Records, Leeds (in-store)
Thursday 30th October - Green Door Store, Brighton (+)
Saturday 1st November - Bradshaw Hall, Birmingham (+)
Tuesday 4th November - King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow (**)
Thursday 6th November - Three Tanners Bank, North Shields (*)
Friday 7th November - Deaf Institute Lodge, Manchester (*)
Saturday 8th November - Mash, Cambridge (*)
Monday 10th November - The Lanes, Bristol (*)
Tuesday 11th November - Forum, Royal Tunbridge Wells (*)
Thursday 13th November - St Peter’s Church, Poole (*)
Friday 14th November - Bush Hall, London (*)
Saturday 15th November - Live at Leeds in the City
2026 EU Tour Dates:
Monday 2nd February - DR Studio 3, Copenhagen
Wednesday 4th February - Paradiso, Amsterdam
Thursday 5th February - Lutherse Kerk, Groningen
Friday 6th February - Artheater, Cologne
Saturday 7th February - Molotow, Hamburg
Sunday 8th February - Bergahin Kantine, Berlin
Tuesday 10th February - Supersonic Records, Paris
