Q&A: Chameleons Reignite Their Legacy in a Post-Punk Renaissance with New Album, Tour
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY KIMBERLY KAPELA ☆
Photography Credit: Mick Peek
CHAMELEONS RETURN WITH THEIR MOST AMBITIOUS ALBUM YET — Few bands can claim the kind of lasting influence and underground reverence that the Chameleons have cultivated since their inception in the early 1980s. Their distinct blend of melancholic yet electrifying post-punk, hypnotic guitar riffs, and timeless lyricism has made them a dominant force in the realm. Now, in a thrilling resurgence, the band is embracing a new chapter—one that vocalist and bassist Vox describes as their most exciting yet.
“We feel the band is better than ever, and it’s nice to see so many people responding to it,” Vox says, reflecting on the wave of renewed interest in the group. The past few years have been a whirlwind for Chameleons, who have reemerged with newfound energy and purpose. In 2024, they released Where Are You?, their first collection of new material in over two decades, alongside Tomorrow Remember Yesterday, a reimagining of archival tracks. But the momentum doesn’t stop there—the band is now gearing up for the release of Arctic Moon, their first full-length studio album since Why Call It Anything in 2001.
“It’s quite different from anything Chameleons has done before, and I know this will probably polarize the legacy audience, but we’re quite excited about how it’s developing,” Vox says. “I think the songwriting is much more mature in a lot of ways, which is to be expected, I suppose, given our age, but I, for one, really believe we’re taking the band forward, and I’m quite excited about it.”
For long-time fans, Chameleons’ return is not just a moment of nostalgia but a testament to their enduring relevance. The band’s early albums—Script of the Bridge (1983), What Does Anything Mean? Basically! (1985), Strange Times (1986) and Why Call It Anything (2001)—have long been hailed as pioneering works, inspiring generations of post-punk, shoegaze and indie artists.
Chameleons have always thrived on a unique tension: a sound that balances brooding introspection with soaring, anthemic power. Their legacy is one of evolution, a trait they seem eager to embrace once more. For fans old and new, this Arctic Moon renaissance is an invitation to rediscover a band that helped define a movement and to witness their next artistic leap.
As Chameleons stand on the precipice of a new era with Arctic Moon, their resurgence feels less like a reunion and more like a reinvention. Their influence on post-punk, shoegaze, and indie rock is undeniable, yet they refuse to be confined by nostalgia. Chameleons are not just revisiting their legacy; they are expanding it. And as Arctic Moon approaches, one thing is certain: their story is far from over.
Photography Credit: Mick Peek
LUNA: Chameleons are experiencing a true renaissance. How does it feel to see a new wave of fans embracing your music, and what do you think draws younger audiences to your sound?
VOX: Well it feels great obviously, especially as they seem to be really embracing the single and EP we released last May and the reactions at the shows have been brilliant. Why? I have no idea, one would need to ask them.
LUNA: You’ve released your first studio recordings in over 20 years with Where Are You? and Tomorrow Remember Yesterday. What was it like to step back into the studio after so long, and how did you approach balancing nostalgia with evolution?
VOX: We made the deliberate decision that we would try to distance ourselves from the nostalgia aspect as much as possible. For one thing one of the guitar players left the band 20 years ago and we didn’t want to steal his sound for the sake of pleasing legacy Chameleons fans, we wanted the new recordings to reflect who the band is now rather than who we were 40 years ago. Once the writing and the recordings were underway, it felt very fresh and exciting. Everything came together quite naturally.
LUNA: Your upcoming album Arctic Moon is set for release later this year, marking your first full-length record since 2001 and huge congratulations! What can you share about the inspiration and sonic direction of this new work?
VOX: Well it is different in tone and sound from anything we’ve done before. Personally, I think it’s more accessible and could aid our appeal to a wider audience than the dark wave, post-punk type audiences we’ve attracted over the last 30 years. We’re excited by what we’ve done and that fits with the philosophy we always had about pleasing ourselves first and foremost. It will probably polarize our audience, but I’m quietly confident we’ll attract more new listeners than we’ll lose from not trying to sound like the band we were 40 years ago or whatever.
LUNA: You’ve mentioned that Arctic Moon is quite different from previous Chameleons records. What inspired this shift in sound, and how do you anticipate your longtime fans will react?
VOX: I expect some degree of polarisation. Having said that, long time listeners that have already heard what we’re doing love it and recognise that it’s still very much Chameleons. I think it’s just the consequences of a natural maturity in the writing. I think we were always strong writers, but early on we were just coming out of punk and so that was very much our influence. These days we felt more free to explore our true influences, which was mainly the music of the 60s and early 70s.
LUNA: Christophe Bride at Oxygene has played a key role in your recent recordings. How has working with him influenced Chameleons’ sound, and what has the studio environment in Manchester brought to the creative process?
VOX: I wouldn’t say he’s influenced the sound of the band so much as helped us refine it. Christophe is a great producer and engineer, having done stellar work with bands such as Spear of Destiny and A Certain Ratio. He has a great live room that he built at Oxygene and it’s the most relaxed and enjoyable studio I’ve worked in since the Cargo/ Suite 16 days.
LUNA: What is your favorite song from Arctic Moon and why do you love this song? Is there a certain element, lyric or message that you gravitate towards the most?
VOX: It would be hard to choose a favorite at this early stage, but if pushed I’d probably go for “David Bowie Takes My Hand.” For one thing it’s probably one of the most personal pieces I’ve turned in, in fact, I ended up delivering the vocal performance quite late because it was so emotional for me I kept breaking down as the feelings that led to the piece were still quite raw. Personally, I think it’s one of the finest pieces of music I’ve ever been involved with and I’m very proud and humbled by the talent that the others brought to it from its humble beginnings on an acoustic guitar. It’s a very dark piece, but quite unlike anything we’ve ever done before.
LUNA: The band's live energy remains as captivating as ever. How do you approach performing now compared to your early years, and what can fans expect from this upcoming tour?
VOX: I enjoy it much more these days than I did back in the 80s and that enjoyment is evident amongst all of us. While the brooding intensity of our shows back then had an appeal it never really felt like we were all pulling together, but rather it felt we were all in our own separate worlds. These days we very much play together and energise each other through what we bring to the performances. I’m much more relaxed with my role these days too. As to what to expect, there are plenty of reviews out there of our shows over the last couple of years, that’s probably the best source for that kind of insight.
LUNA: You’re kicking off this tour in Minneapolis on April 25 and heading east with Twin Tribes. What are you most looking forward to on this run of shows? Are there any cities or venues that hold special significance for the band?
VOX: I just love performing, it doesn’t really matter to me where we do it, although I really like hitting places we haven’t played before, whether it be a town, state or country. Having said that, I'm looking forward to Boston and Brooklyn in particular, because I’ve had some really great times there over the years, and I really love going to Canada too.
LUNA: Do you have any specific pre-show or post-show rituals or routines that help you prepare for a big performance?
VOX: Not really no. I mean obviously I try to stay as relaxed as possible and get a bit angsty about an hour before we go on. I find that a couple of hours before the start a little tense because I’m fired up and eager to get on with it, that goes as soon as I walk out there, but no I don’t have any superstitious rituals or anything like that.
LUNA: How are you feeling in this current era of your career and what does the rest of the year look like for you that you would love to share with Luna.
VOX: I feel great about the band and the music. We’re all really happy with what we’re doing and the way things are going. We're very excited for the future and really hope we can keep the momentum going and get better and better, which is our primary aim. It would be nice to be able to afford a proper tour bus and take some of the drudgery out of the day to day travelling, but we’ll see.
Chameleons will be on a ‘Darker Skies’ co-headline tour with Twin Tribes, starting off in Minneapolis on April 25 and moving east, including shows in Chicago (April 26), Montreal (April 29), Brooklyn (May 3) before concluding in Silver Spring, MD on May 4.
Photography Credit: Mick Peek
