Belfast post-punk/electronic specialists Chalk announce Conditions III EP, set for release on 21st February 2025, and share new track ‘Tell Me’ via Nice Swan Records (English Teacher, Sprints, Opus Kink). Arriving alongside news of an extensive 2025 UK/IRE/EU tour, including a headliner at London’s Village Underground on 6th March ‘Tell Me’ marks the first reveal from their upcoming third EP, titled Conditions III and ends the trilogy that launched their career. Fusing elements of heavy guitar music, electronica and breakbeat into a euphoric and frightening finished project, and recorded against the backdrop of bleak landscapes and Nordic vistas in remote northern Iceland, Chalk show another evolution in their already confrontational sound. The track is produced by Chris Ryan (NewDad, Enola Gay, Just Mustard) and Chalk’s frontman Ross Cullen. Discussing their latest effort, Cullen explained:
“‘Tell Me’ is the first release of our trilogy-ending third EP Conditions III. For this track, we conjured up a world in which the song’s protagonist is running away from a dark past into unknown territory, encountering an unsuspecting new acquaintance on their journey. It’s a song that dives head-first into themes of the unknown, breaking norms, and a feeling of running away and never wanting to return again. It explores the idea that life is moving rapidly around us and the lack of belonging, confusion, and disassociation one experiences on their journey, growing older in an increasingly discouraging and bleak urban landscape. These are themes of which we’ve scratched the surface with Conditions and Conditions II; but we want to delve even deeper into their grittier sides as we continue to figure ourselves out along the way.”
Detailing the accompanying visuals, guitarist Ben Goddard added:
“Within the ‘Tell Me’ video we wanted to focus on creating a pressure cooker of tension encapsulated in the confined space of a car and heightened by the physical presence of a guilty conscience. Visually, we were inspired by the dramatic lighting of 1970s Italian horror films, such as Suspiria. We wanted to add further intensity and stylisation to the video through the use of constant heavy rain and hand-built a rain machine to achieve this effect. We were able to realise this vision with our fantastic cast and crew, including Desmond Eastwood, Venetia Bowe and our director of photography, Alba Fernandez.”
Chalk Tour Dates
2025
February
7 – King Tuts, Glasgow
28th Feb 2025-Band on the Wall, Manchester
March
1 – Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
4 – Bodega, Nottingham
6 – Village Underground, Village
7 – Strange Brew, Bristol
8 – Concorde 2, Brighton
9 – Heebie Jeebies, Liverpool
12 – Paradiso, Amsterdam
13 – Trix Bar, Brussels
14 – La Lune des Pirates, Amiens
15 – Maroquinerie, Paris
17 – L’Astrolab, Orleans
18 – Marché Gare, Lyon
20 – Artteater, Cologne
21 – Kantine am Berghain, Berlin
22 – Turmzimmer, Hamburg
26 – Locomotiv, Bologna
27 – Arci Bellezza, Milan
29 – M4music Festival, Zurich
April
10 – Ulster Sports, Belfast
12 – Whelan’s, Dublin
For more information on Chalk please check their facebook and instagram.
