Rising English rockers Chappaqua Wrestling have unleashed the grungy new single “The Rift”.
Chappaqua Wrestling formed in Manchester in 2017 and are now based out of Brighton. The 2017 release EP 1 announced the quintet as an act worth following, and put them on the radar of various BBC music programs. The band hasn’t officially revealed their debut album, but they’ve spent quarantine pumping out interesting singles. The latest of these is “The Rift”.
While those crunching guitar riffs come straight from the heart, the framing of “The Rift” is undeniably heady. Chappaqua Wrestling’s primary songwriters, Jake Mac and Charlie Woods, were raised by jazz musicians and opera singers, and cite as influences experimental artists like Kandinsky and Mattisse. In this case, the lyrics were inspired by a famous poem of Percy Bysshe Shelley, “The Masque of Anarchy”. In a statement, vocalist Woods explained that it’s a response to societal discord. He said,
“‘The Rift’ is a track about conflict, acknowledging the increasing divisions within society, and calling out those that turn the blind eye. Events from the last year have got to a global boiling point and creatively this has taken us to the same place. It’s the most powerful track we’ve released so far, and it amplifies our perception on how the last year or so has felt. Lyrically it’s influence comes from the poem written shortly after the Peterloo massacre in Manchester; “The Masque of Anarchy” by Percy Bysshe Shelley. It’s an old talisman for suppressed voices in this country, and some of its verses still clearly resonate today.”
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“The Rift” comes with a video directed by Dan Bolland. It’s shot in black-and-white, and showcases the band playing their instruments in the dramatic lights of two projection screens. Check it out below.
Earlier this year, Chappaqua Wrestling shared the singles “Football” and “Early”.
