Chew Lips: the album of 2010 awaits

These contradictions are not really surprising; after all, the band is in what could currently be described as a kind of musical decompression – still adjusting to the remarkable situation they find themselves in just 18 months after forming. Their ascendancy during that time, from playing a first gig at a friend's party to being dressing-roomed between King Creole, Brian Wilson and 2ManyDJs at Electric Picnic – has been nothing short of supersonic. Right now they’re part way through a monthly London residency, killing time before New Year, which will see the launch of a debut album and inevitable mainstream recognition.

 

The fact that their management – ATC, who also count Radiohead on their roster – came to just their fifth gig, is likely to dismay those who've had to plough the circuit for years before similar recognition. Steve Lamacq also caught wind of them early on and a kick-ass performance on Electric Proms followed soon after. Before anyone thinks they got lucky though … nah. If their gig at The Fly in central London is anything to go by, Chew Lips are definitely worth the hype.

Tigs is a one-woman whirling dervish on stage, shrieking out wonderfully darkly ambiguous lyrics in a voice that bears more than just a passing resemblance to Karen O. Her right and left hand men, James and Will, alternate knob-tweaking, key-hitting and guitar strumming with the same twitchy energy. And the tunes all have that same ingredient; the something which separates bands like Chew Lips from bands that aren't like Chew Lips. Instantly memorable, instantly brilliant: it’s playful 80s electro-pop which has grown up, left home and developed a dark, brooding edge.

Chatting before the show it's clear that while the song-writing may be a democratic process, Tigs is definitely the mouth-piece of the band. Whether it’s railing against the sexist music press one minute – “I get asked a lot about the new wave of female bands; if you ever asked that to a guy it would be a complete non-starter” - or the incorrect assertion that they are a south London band, we’re rarely short of ammunition.

“The album will very much be the record of 2010,” she says, challenging me to disagree. “As a body of work it’s going to differentiate us from a lot of the people we’ve been unfairly compared to – it’s future classic pop.”

With Bat for Lashes producer David Kosten at the helm for the new album, and a creative partnership within the band that spawned 18-odd songs on their first ever day of rehearsals, the record of 2010 is very much within their grasp.

 

“We talked about making a band for rather longer than we should have done – over the course of a winter – and then we formed in spring of last year,” explains Tigs. “All of us had been split up from our previous bands for quite a while, a year or more, so there was a period where we didn’t have a creative outlet. There are still songs from that first weekend which are on the album.”

 

With a successful-ish festival summer behind them, including the highlights of seeing Kraftwerk at Bestival, and playing a stormer at Jersey Live – “we weren’t allowed to say the B word there, but I like [Bergerac legend] John Nettles”, admits Tigs – all focus is now on a small nationwide tour before the album catapults them firmly out of the ‘ones to watch’ bracket for good.

 

“We want to be a proper band, not a messy, falling over band that plays at the Old Blue Last for the rest of their lives,” says James, wrapping things up. Steer clear of the Irish mud and vomit guys and you’re pretty much there.