Chew Lips looked like they could be on their way to stardom at one point, but sadly it wasn’t to be. One critically acclaimed album and a few singles are all we have, which is a great loss for all of us.
There was quite a buzz around Chew Lips when they started performing as a three-piece, and a few singles on Kitsuné records brought them rave reviews and some mainstream airplay. The début LP Unicorn came out in early 2010, and it was during the promotion of this record that I saw them for, sadly, the only time. They did an in-store show in the basement of a clothes shop in Cabots Circus, Bristol. It was a great performance, especially given the restricting nature of the venue.
Singer Tigs was far from the first vocalist to be compared to Debbie Harry, but there’s more substance to that comparison here. Her voice and mannerisms when performing seemed to owe something to her illustrious predecessor.
I don’t know how well Unicorn sold, but it got some good reviews, and attracted the attention of major label Sony, who signed them up for their second LP. This is where things seemed to get more difficult. Will Sanderson moved on, but there were bigger problems ahead - Tigs had some serious health issues which she has subsequently talked about in interview.
A couple of singles were released on Sony, but it became clear from band tweets that relationships were strained with the major. It appears that a second LP got recorded, but never saw the light of day.
Tigs subsequently announced that the band was over and she would be concentrating on writing for other artists.
If you like this, there are a few remixes, and an acoustic version, linked below. All worth checking out, I suggest.
