CHEVELLE vocalist/guitarist Pete Loeffler spoke to the KFMA 102.1 radio station about what it will take for him and his bandmates to feel comfortable about returning to the road during the pandemic. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “We’re all kind of waiting and watching — waiting for them to open up the vaccines to younger people. If somebody called me and said, ‘Come out and get it,’ I would get in my car and go. Anything to start the process of getting back to normal, I’m up for. I’m a big believer in the progress we’ve made over the last hundred years — two hundred years, or whatever it is — of vaccines eradicating diseases. So I’m on board. I wanna get back to work, I wanna have fun, I wanna get back to what we do, and I want everyone else to as well.
“The music business has been decimated through this,” he continued. “That’s my world. But I know the world has — every industry has been affected in a bad way. We’ve gotta pull ourselves out of this in some way. I’m hopeful. We have shows booked for the second half of the year, starting as early as July. They’re outdoor festivals. We’ll see if they happen. I’ve been watching Europe, and, unfortunately, they’re canceling some festivals. And I don’t know what’s gonna happen there; I don’t know how many are gonna go off at all. It makes me a little worried, but I’m just waiting and watching.
“I’ll keep working,” Pete added. “We’ll keep writing music and preparing for the next [album] if we don’t go on the road. But I want full circle; I want us to get back to it, like everyone.”
CHEVELLE‘s latest album, “Niratias” (Nothing Is Real And This Is A Simulation), was released on March 5. The follow-up to 2016’s “The North Corridor” was recorded throughout 2019 and 2020 with longtime producer Joe Barresi (TOOL, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE), CHEVELLE.
“Niratias” bowed in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200. It debuted at No. 9, and was the first new release to chart within the Top 10 in over three weeks. In addition, “Niratias” achieved several other accolades. This week, the LP impressively debuted at No. 1 on several Billboard charts, including Rock Album, Alternative Album, Hard Music, Overall Album, Digital Album and Internet Album. “Self Destructor”, the album’s acclaimed lead single, also reached the summit of the Active Rock radio chart this week, marking CHEVELLE‘s 12th No. 1 single at the format.
“The North Corridor” debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 album chart and produced a No. 1 Mainstream Rock single, “Joyride (Omen)”.
