We'd been keeping an eye on CHROMA for a bit. People had said good things about them playing for the Young Promoters Network at Swn, and then they'd developed via the Forte Project.
Both tracks have been engineered, recorded, mixed, produced and mastered by the patient and ever encouraging Charlie Francis (REM, Future of the Left, Manic Street Preachers) at Musicbox in Cardiff, the sessions were funded by a Launchpad Fund grant to help develop the band further.
Charlie tipped off Jarrett about the recordings in the pub. Matt reckoned they were a no brainer. It seemed just the thing for us, a Welsh band who weren't another male 5 piece, who didn't sound like Gorky's, and didnt even have a six string guitar. Just something totally different.
Phone calls were made, a night of beers in Roath's Albany hotel with Zac and Katie followed and a single deal was agreed in Wrexham Central after their Focus Wales 2018 appearance.
The band sit somewhere between the vocal power of the Gossip and the lo fi angle of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, the drive of Le Tigre and the grunge of the Breeders. Theres no lead guitar, just Zac's drums and Bev's lead bass. As for Katie, well you're best off watching them live just to see why.
They've already played Reading / Leeds 2017, Radio 1's big weekend, Focus Wales 2017 and 2018 and Swn 2016. They've even had 3 songs broadcast live on Huw Stephen's Radio 1 show.
Girls Talk is fairly self explanatory in terms of subject matter. It's lyrically the best record we've yet released and we only hope it'll become a dance floor anthem. Most importantly it's the first track we've released with cowbell on it. Not sure how that took so long....
Nos Da Susanna is a welsh language (also a first for us) tale for those who have lost I guess. It's the other end of the spectrum, slower...with time to soar. It's a bit 90's tinged, in a ballad like way.
We've pressed 500 only on purple vinyl, and there will be no repress.
Again the records will be hand stickered and numbered.
This is the first time we've gone directly to digital streaming, and so both tracks (and the bands previous single Vampires) have been licensed via Ostereo.
www.ostereo.com
Extra special thanks / much love to the following for all their help :
Charlie Francis, Nicky Wire, Huw Stephens and all at Radio 1, Bethan Elfyn, the BBC Horizons team and the Launchpad Fund, Jeremy Grange, Adam Walton, Richard Haswell, John Morris at PRS, Gary Lloyd, Miss Emma Morley and class 12DAR1 at Bosworth Academy, Rhian Jones, Laura Wilding, Justin Pritchard, Ramin Boston and Matt Drayton at Ostereo, Bernie at Music Box, Glyn Allen for helping Dan with Hoo Ha. And of course everyone else already on the Popty Ping Roster and everyone who's ever bought one of our records.
#iManon
CHROMA were awarded a financial grant from the BBC Launchpad Fund to complete these recordings (which are owned by the band and licensed for use on this release to the Popty Ping Recording Company) :
Supported by the Horizons Launchpad fund 2016/17 (delivered by BBC Cymru Wales in partnership with Arts of Council Wales with the National Lottery)
Gyda chefnogaeth cronfa Lansiad Gorwelion 2016/17 (a ddarperir gan BBC Cymru Wales mewn partneriaeth â Chyngor Celfyddydau Cymru a’r Loteri Genedlaethol)
released November 9, 2018