The promising nu-gaze band Split Chain from Bristol has announced today the release of their debut album "motionblur" for July 11 on Epitaph Records (Indigo).
Bassist Tom Davies says about the album: "motionblur is both a coming-of-age story and a celebration of our youth and the things that have defined us. We wanted to capture the feelings of fear and isolation that so many young people struggle with - but just as importantly, we wanted to honor the things that shaped us: the lifestyles, the music, and the pop culture that became part of our identity.
This album is a fusion of our individual and collective experiences. Although the themes can be dark, at its core, motionblur is about resilience - about getting through it without being weighed down by those experiences. For us, it was important to create an album that feels like a cohesive work of art, yet is sonically diverse. We wanted to capture the feeling of having grown up in a time when albums were more than just collections of songs - they were experiences to be played from start to finish and over and over again."
About the new single 'bored.tired.torn.', frontman Bert Martinez-Cowles says: "'bored.tired.torn' deals with the difficulties and pain of growing up in a broken home. Thematically, the song revolves around the question of whether someone has to endure the crap inflicted upon them by relatives just because they are family. The song is a declaration against that and tries to convey the message that no one has to put up with it just because they are related to the people who hurt them. Don’t feel bound by it just because society expects it of you, but always make the best decision for yourself, regardless of what others make of it. You will be grateful that you did."
BORED.TIRED.TORN can be seen and heard here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHhlWDo-mBM
There’s a phrase you hear repeatedly when in the company of Split Chain: "The Chain does what it wants." This mantra is used by the quintet from Bristol, UK, to encapsulate the visionary, unrestricted creative freedom with which they approach their art, and to try to understand the rapid evolution of the band. Call it instinct, fate, divine intervention, whatever - the whims of 'The Chain' have led to a moment where one thing is abundantly clear: Split Chain is one of the hottest, zeitgeist-capturing new bands in the world.
"Split Chain is something that none of us feels we have control over," says frontman Bert Martinez-Cowles. "Split Chain just does what it wants and what it needs."
Right at this point in Split Chain's journey, the debut album motionblur arrives. Described by Bert as "a coming-of-age story," the album channels the conflicting fears, excitement, joy, and pain of growing up and discovering the true self. motionblur represents a narrative that reflects both the personal experiences of the members of Split Chain and the shared experiences of the past dizzying years; a visceral, kaleidoscopic wall of sound where disturbing, confusing chaos meets a feverish adrenaline rush. motionblur is an album to experience, to feel, to devour; it is the blissful feeling of euphoria that sets in when you drown in its waves.
There are echoes of the quintet's beloved Deftones, Superheaven, Narrowhead; bursts of nu-metal and hints of shoegaze. An emo melancholy hangs heavily in the air. Grunge appears and disappears again. Metal crackles beneath the surface. The beauty of the album lies in its skillful interplay, which is no easy feat for such a versatile yet uniquely focused album. motionblur is at once a nostalgic homage to the cultural touchstones of the 90s and early 00s, while never sounding anything less than excitingly alive, a captivating portrayal of the emerging present and future of rock.
As a unique statement, motionblur is "a record that tells you it’s okay to be your authentic self," says Bert. "This is the story of what we’ve been through, and this is the story of who we are today. You either let the things you’ve experienced define you, or you choose a different path. You can be whoever you want to be. If there’s one thing I hope people take away from this album, it’s that."
For Split Chain themselves, motionblur is another bold step into the unknown that they could only dream of a few years ago. The Chain, as they say, does what it wants. The focus, according to Bert, is on placing their trust in their paths, their DIY ethic, and the purity of their creative vision, which has served them so well, to organically and authentically pave the way forward.
"We let chaos reign," says Bert. "And we just try to hang on."
In June, Split Chain will be seen live in Cologne as support for Amira Elfeky and will also be present at the Jera On Air festival!
09.06.25 Cologne, Club Bahnhof Ehrenfeld (w/ Amira Elfekey)
26.06.25 NL - Ysselsteyn - Jera On Air Festival
Bassist Tom Davies says about the album: "motionblur is both a coming-of-age story and a celebration of our youth and the things that have defined us. We wanted to capture the feelings of fear and isolation that so many young people struggle with - but just as importantly, we wanted to honor the things that shaped us: the lifestyles, the music, and the pop culture that became part of our identity.
This album is a fusion of our individual and collective experiences. Although the themes can be dark, at its core, motionblur is about resilience - about getting through it without being weighed down by those experiences. For us, it was important to create an album that feels like a cohesive work of art, yet is sonically diverse. We wanted to capture the feeling of having grown up in a time when albums were more than just collections of songs - they were experiences to be played from start to finish and over and over again."
About the new single 'bored.tired.torn.', frontman Bert Martinez-Cowles says: "'bored.tired.torn' deals with the difficulties and pain of growing up in a broken home. Thematically, the song revolves around the question of whether someone has to endure the crap inflicted upon them by relatives just because they are family. The song is a declaration against that and tries to convey the message that no one has to put up with it just because they are related to the people who hurt them. Don’t feel bound by it just because society expects it of you, but always make the best decision for yourself, regardless of what others make of it. You will be grateful that you did."
BORED.TIRED.TORN can be seen and heard here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHhlWDo-mBM
There’s a phrase you hear repeatedly when in the company of Split Chain: "The Chain does what it wants." This mantra is used by the quintet from Bristol, UK, to encapsulate the visionary, unrestricted creative freedom with which they approach their art, and to try to understand the rapid evolution of the band. Call it instinct, fate, divine intervention, whatever - the whims of 'The Chain' have led to a moment where one thing is abundantly clear: Split Chain is one of the hottest, zeitgeist-capturing new bands in the world.
"Split Chain is something that none of us feels we have control over," says frontman Bert Martinez-Cowles. "Split Chain just does what it wants and what it needs."
Right at this point in Split Chain's journey, the debut album motionblur arrives. Described by Bert as "a coming-of-age story," the album channels the conflicting fears, excitement, joy, and pain of growing up and discovering the true self. motionblur represents a narrative that reflects both the personal experiences of the members of Split Chain and the shared experiences of the past dizzying years; a visceral, kaleidoscopic wall of sound where disturbing, confusing chaos meets a feverish adrenaline rush. motionblur is an album to experience, to feel, to devour; it is the blissful feeling of euphoria that sets in when you drown in its waves.
There are echoes of the quintet's beloved Deftones, Superheaven, Narrowhead; bursts of nu-metal and hints of shoegaze. An emo melancholy hangs heavily in the air. Grunge appears and disappears again. Metal crackles beneath the surface. The beauty of the album lies in its skillful interplay, which is no easy feat for such a versatile yet uniquely focused album. motionblur is at once a nostalgic homage to the cultural touchstones of the 90s and early 00s, while never sounding anything less than excitingly alive, a captivating portrayal of the emerging present and future of rock.
As a unique statement, motionblur is "a record that tells you it’s okay to be your authentic self," says Bert. "This is the story of what we’ve been through, and this is the story of who we are today. You either let the things you’ve experienced define you, or you choose a different path. You can be whoever you want to be. If there’s one thing I hope people take away from this album, it’s that."
For Split Chain themselves, motionblur is another bold step into the unknown that they could only dream of a few years ago. The Chain, as they say, does what it wants. The focus, according to Bert, is on placing their trust in their paths, their DIY ethic, and the purity of their creative vision, which has served them so well, to organically and authentically pave the way forward.
"We let chaos reign," says Bert. "And we just try to hang on."
In June, Split Chain will be seen live in Cologne as support for Amira Elfeky and will also be present at the Jera On Air festival!
09.06.25 Cologne, Club Bahnhof Ehrenfeld (w/ Amira Elfekey)
26.06.25 NL - Ysselsteyn - Jera On Air Festival
