The Chameleons | Interview | New EP, ‘Where Are You?’
The Chameleons are tearing across the U.S., dragging ‘Strange Times’—their game-changing 1986 masterpiece—into the present, like it was always meant to be heard live.
After decades of lingering in the shadow of post-punk glory, they’ve erupted back onto the scene with the new single ‘Where Are You?,’ their first fresh music in over 20 years. This isn’t just some nostalgia trip—Mark Burgess and the gang are playing ‘Strange Times’ in its entirety, and it’s hitting harder than ever. The band’s signature blend of atmospheric guitar work and raw emotional depth resonates even louder today, and the audiences are feeling it. With Burgess reflecting on how this album marked a huge creative leap for the band, the live shows aren’t just concerts—they’re a reckoning. Get ready to dive deep with The Chameleons; this is a band that never stopped evolving.
“We’re halfway through the new album”
‘Strange Times’ has been hailed as an album of maturity and evolution for The Chameleons. What was the real atmosphere like in the studio back in ’86? Were you guys genuinely trying to evolve, or was it more of a “let’s see what happens when we throw this against the wall and see what sticks” approach?
Mark Burgess: Well, the studio we were working in was a very relaxed, residential environment, so we greatly enjoyed the whole experience. We approached it the same way we’d approached every record previously. We got the ideas together in pre-production and then evolved them in the studio. Neither of those descriptions really apply. We only ever pleased ourselves. If we liked the ideas, that was enough for us. We never really set out to please anyone else. We had a lot of confidence in each other and the material.
Performing an entire album live is a high-wire act, isn’t it? You’ve mentioned that initially, you weren’t a fan of these kinds of tours. What was the “aha” moment that made you change your mind? Was it during rehearsal, on stage, or maybe after a pint or two?
When we initially performed the album in the UK a few years back, the record was both challenging and enjoyable to do. Add the fact it had never been performed in the U.S., where it was most well received, and it became something I personally was looking forward to. The reactions seem to bear that out, and they’ve been fairly spectacular up until now.
Your new single ‘Where Are You?’ is your first release in over 20 years. Be honest—did you feel any pressure to live up to your past work?
Initially I did, yeah, for a while. Until Reg reminded me that it had never mattered before, so why should it suddenly matter now? That was enough to quell any misgivings I may have had. At that point, though, we didn’t have much more than a few sketched ideas. Once the songs took shape in the studio, which they did very quickly, I ceased to have any doubts whatsoever. We’re all really happy with what we’re doing. I was very vocal about not trying to emulate what we’d done in previous decades, because one of the guitarists responsible for that sound left the band 20 years ago, and it was important to me that whatever we did reflected who we are now, rather than who we were 30 or more years ago.
The Chameleons have influenced a swath of bands from Oasis to Interpol. How do you feel about being the unsung heroes of post-punk?
I don’t really think about it at all; it honestly doesn’t matter to me. Obviously, it’s nice to be name-checked by bands that have come through that you like, but it doesn’t really matter to me much more than that. I think perhaps it would mean a lot more if praise came from artists who had actually inspired us, but most of those are dead.
There’s a real electricity in the recording of ‘Where Are You?’—but what about the studio? Do you guys still have that raw energy when you’re recording?
Yeah, of course, otherwise we wouldn’t bother. Actually, the album version of the song, which we’ve completely re-recorded, is much better than the single version in my view, which is probably due to us going out and playing it this last month or so.
Your live shows are known for their intensity and emotional depth. What’s your pre-show ritual?
We don’t really have one other than trying to be as relaxed as possible. We love doing what we do, and we’re always eager to get up and do it, especially in some of the nicer rooms we’ve been playing lately. Personally, I feel this is the best band I’ve ever played with, and I can’t wait to get up there.
Mark, your lyrics have always had a way of slicing through the noise and hitting the listener right in the gut. What’s your secret? Do you have a ritual for tapping into that raw honesty, or does it just pour out of you?
It just comes very naturally. I just have to stay honest to what’s going on around me at the time and not think about it too much until it’s time to deliver.
The Chameleons have always seemed like a band that operates on a different frequency—like you’re tuned into some secret channel the rest of us can’t quite access. What are you guys listening to these days?
Each other. I’ve been listening to a lot of classical music lately, to be honest. Our influences lately have come more from the kinds of artists that made us want to play in the first place, from the ’60s and ’70s mainly.
You’ve added another leg to your Strange Times tour, hitting the Midwest and Southeast. What’s the weirdest or wildest thing that’s happened so far on tour?
San Francisco was the wildest, I think, because we just partied hard for the two days that we were there. But I can’t get into that. What happens on the road stays on the road.
Looking back over the years, is there anything you’d do differently?
No, nothing I can think of. I mean, I wish we’d found a proper manager earlier, but I believe that everything that happens, happens for a reason, and I’ve had a great life thanks to The Chameleons, so no, I have no regrets.
Your music has always had this haunting, ethereal quality. Do you think that’s something that was consciously cultivated, or did it just sort of emerge from the collective psyche of the band?
Yeah, it just naturally evolved with playing together. There was nothing contrived about it whatsoever.
Let’s talk about the future. ‘Where Are You?’ has already made waves—what’s next? Another album? More tours?
We’re halfway through the new album, so we need to finish that, obviously. Dates are going in for next year, so we’ll continue performing, although I don’t think we’ll be doing as many as we have been. We have lives outside music that we don’t want to neglect as much as we have been doing. I, for one, have things I want to do outside of the music that I’ve neglected and wish to pursue.
What’s the most bizarre fan interaction you’ve had on this tour so far? We’re talking weird autographs, strange gifts, or even stranger requests.
The strangest gift was a full box of psilocybin chocolate, which I made good use of. The most bizarre for me has been a few encounters with very young fans, as young as 10 years old. I met one 14-year-old who I’d assumed had come on account of his father, but his father told me it had actually been the other way around. The boy had insisted that his father bring him; he’d been right at the front singing every line along with me. That was rather wonderful.
If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing? And we’re talking wild dreams here…
I’d be a nomad, traveling the world by sailboat.
Thank you. Last word is yours.
Thank you.
Be all you can be and let nothing stop you.
Klemen Breznikar
Headline photo: Mick Peek
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