“In the past, I lacked the tools to narrate the story.”
— Chilli Jesson This spark of inspiration soon expanded beyond life on the road, making its way into the studio thanks to Fontaines’ Carlos O’Connell, who utilized his production skills to enhance all the gritty, glitchy elements within Chilli’s new songs. “Carlos is at the peak of his abilities,” Chilli affirms, “nobody can match this guy. He has an old-school approach, but it’s his innovative experimentation that I find thrilling. Honestly, he’s a true wizard!” Reflecting on how their collaboration began, he shares: “It’s incredibly nerve-wracking to showcase your work to peers, worried they might think it’s awful! We had a few drinks, and I played him some demos, and the next day he asked if I wanted to record the album. I initially planned to do it myself, but everything fell into place so naturally. He completed the entire album in about four days. I conveyed to him that I wanted to create an atmosphere that reflected the chaotic disarray of loss, and I believe he really grasped that and got excited by it. I granted him complete creative freedom, and I think that really shows.” Given that this project is deeply influenced by a significant part of Chilli’s life, which has shaped him in many ways, he was eager to revisit his youth, drawing inspiration from some of the most prominent names in late ‘90s and early ‘00s indie rock and alt-folk, blending visceral catharsis with lyrical sincerity to reflect the peculiar journey of grief and loss. “While reflecting on influences, I kept thinking back to my childhood with my cousins who introduced me to the Smashing Pumpkins and Elliott Smith, so I aimed to incorporate elements of that musically. I delved deeply to create an accurate representation of that time in my life, ensuring a philosophy complemented the sounds.” “All the vocals sound a bit off because we recorded everything live,” he goes on to say, “I was rejecting the pop realm in every way possible. I didn’t make many musical decisions, except that if anything made me even slightly cringe, it didn’t make the cut; Rudy [Greaves, co-founder of Dead Dads Club] and I only pursued what genuinely thrilled us.” This is an album that Chilli would have preferred never to write, yet it’s challenging not to view this moment in his career as predestined. “Becoming a dad, feeling inspired by the guys in Fontaines – I don’t want to come off as cliché – but I genuinely feel fortunate. Everything converged perfectly at once. They say it’s never the right time, but I can’t express how right this moment is for me to undertake this.” ‘Dead Dads Club’ will be released on January 23, 2026, through Fiction.
We will be going back to the East London venue to celebrate our brand new double issue on December 9th.
For their fourth album, 'The Clearing', Wolf Alice has transitioned to a more spacious hotel room in the astral realm. There’s a shine contrasting with the roughness of...
Alanis Morissette is set to perform a number of major shows in the UK next year. The iconic rocker delivered an impactful performance at Glastonbury this past summer, featuring
North London artist and producer Jasper Tygner has announced the release of his debut album 'Blue' on March 6th, 2026. He is recognized for his intricate sound design and
Tourist is back with a fresh album titled 'Music Is Invisible.' The producer has turned back to his trance origins for this new project, incorporating elements typical of club music into a
Other acts that have been confirmed to perform at the North Yorkshire event include Fat Dog, Sorry, Jasmine.4.t, The New Eves, and several others.
Following a time in the musical wilderness and an unexpected invitation to tour with Fontaines DC, Chilli Jesson felt reenergized and prepared to confront his greatest challenge to date: processing the sorrow of losing his father through his new project, Dead Dads Club.