In Conversation with Chartreuse
We caught the Birmingham band before the release of their new single.
Photo: Stewart Baxter
We sat down with Hattie, the vocalist and keys player from on-the-rise Birmingham band Chartreuse, to talk about the band and their upcoming album, Bless You & Be Well. New single More drops today.
Q: What’s the backstory of the name Chartreuse?
A: We were struggling to pick a name for a while… Perry’s sister told us about the colour Chartreuse, we then found out about the drink meaning ‘the elixir of long life’ and thought that was quite nice so it stuck!
Q: What’s the highest and lowest moment of your career as a band in the industry?
A: To be honest, there have been loads of highs. Playing Hammersmith Apollo supporting Palace, touring America with Local Natives, and recording our new album in Iceland are all up there. One of the lowest is probably a festival we played in Cornwall years ago. The power cut out mid-set, a tug-of-war was happening while we played, and Hattie found a fingernail in her breakfast the next day. It was pretty abysmal.
Q: What’s the story behind your first ever gig and how that felt?
A: We played the basement of a local pub in Stourbridge called Katie Fitzgerald’s; it was full of our family and friends just heckling us all the way through and trying to sing along to songs they didn’t know!
Q: Where is your favourite place to go in your home city of Birmingham?
A: Favourite venues have gotta be the Hare & Hounds in Kings Heath. There are loads of good food spots in Brum; a hand pulled noodle place called Dezhou Style Braised Chicken is so good. Land is an incredible plant-based restaurant.
Q: Your record touches on a lot of personal themes. How much did the closeness you have with each other as a band help you to create this record?
A: It was vital. We were going through different things personally while making the record and taking ourselves to Iceland forced us to just be in the moment and focus on one thing, which was really helpful. We’ve often said our relationships within the band are so important and quite unique, which massively helps the way we write and connect with each other. It’s a safe space to work through things and not feel any judgment.
Q: What’s one thing you’d change about the music industry in its current state?
A: Streaming! The amount musicians make per stream is atrocious, and we feel like art should be valued much higher than it is.
Q: Considering you’re called Chartreuse, it seems fitting to ask: what are your favourite cocktails?
A: Mike, Perry & Rory love a Mezcal Negroni & Hattie’s into a classic margarita!
Bless You & Be Well is out August 29th via Communion. Pre-order from Banquet Records here.