Six of the Best – CHAT

We’re willing to bet that Sunderland synth pop duo CHAT were expecting sunnier days to accompany their latest single release, Alfresco Bitch! Penned during the 2020 lockdown, the track aims to capture “the carefree spirit of sunny days spent sipping drinks outdoors with nowhere to be”. Fingers crossed their appearance at The Cumberland Arms for NARC. Fest on Saturday 13^th July will be more in the spirit of their track!

Here, they offer up a Six of the Best which delves further into their inspirations…

MUSIC – Pet Shop Boys – Please

The Boys’ debut album, featuring loads of hits (West End Girls, Suburbia, Opportunities) has been a huge influence on Chat. Pet Shop Boys hadn’t planned on playing live when they initially released this album and subsequently had to work out how they were going to perform their music live and make it exciting. At the moment, we perform as a duo, but it would be great to incorporate lighting and video to add to the theatre at our shows in the future!

FILM – Wayne’s World

Party time, excellent! Both of us have grown up watching Wayne’s World, well before we became marras, going in guitar shops (R.I.P. Sound World) lusting over expensive Strats and dreaming of ‘Mr Biggg’ from Sharp Records pulling up in his limo to give us a record contract. We’ve even dubbed Beccy’s van the Mirthmobile, as it’s shares the bluish hue… It’s missing flame decals on the sides though…

TV – Life on Mars/Ashes to Ashes

Jord: I’ve rewatched both series watched it loads of times over, but Beccy has recently watched it for the first time. I find the concept of time travel really fascinating and the detailed aesthetic and soundtrack of both series make it one of the best British TV shows of all time.

Beccy: Our Chat fashions definitely give a nod to Gene Hunt and Alex Drake.

LIFE

Beccy: The trials and tribulations of love are a big influence on the lyrics I write for Chat, usually transforming situations I discuss with my friends – be it mine or theirs – into something tongue and cheek and relatable.

ART – Pop Art

Taking something familiar and making it into something new like screen printing a tin of soup or a comic book makes art easily accessible to the average consumer. With Chat we have tried to take the familiar sounds of the 80s – Moog and Dx7 synths, 808 cowbells, Linndrum samples – and make them sound fresh using modern production techniques and technology. Hopefully giving some familiarity for those who experienced the 80s first time round and to people like us, who grew up listening to our parents pop records.

CULTURE – Clubs

Club culture is a massive influence on the Chat vibe, not the Haçienda or Fabric kind of club, but the humble social club. These places aren’t just somewhere that sell cheap pints and class snacks, but are community hubs for the working class people. We cut our teeth performing in covers bands and taking part in talent shows in these fine establishments, but now we prefer sitting in the lounge, having a bit crack over a pint of Stones Best Bitter.