The Chantepleures

"...bleed 80’s alt rock like Jesus and Mary Chain and The Cure.
...the four-piece beach natives exude romanticism with nods to Jim Reid's breathy aesthetic and pastel guitar color, exemplified in their 2012 EP "Feels Like Heaven," and later in the single "All Our Days" - The Deli

For me, C86 was the golden age of alternative music. Filled with the chiming guitars and pop sensibility of The Wedding Present, The Mighty Lemon Drops and Aztec Camera, they created what has now morphed into “indie-pop”. Heavily influenced by The Smiths, the genre was instantly radio-friendly (in the UK, anyway) and wildly popular. Since then, a slew of bands have tried to recreate the sound and feel of this magical time, with limited success. Enter The Chantepleures, from San Diego, who’s first EP is as close to the real thing as anything I’ve heard in years. Show me a band that instantly makes me think of The Psychedelic Furs and The Smiths, and I’ll be the first in line to sing their praises. Band members Brent Felix, Noelle Felix, Jared Mattson and Jonathan Mattson took a few minutes with the always charming Amy to talk about their influences and the weight of grand comparisons.

TDOA: For me, this track “Feels Like Heaven” is everything this last Shins album was supposed to be, with a little The Smiths thrown in. Can you elaborate a little on the musical similarities between The Chantepleures and The Shins/The Smiths?

Brent: Wow! I’m not sure how to answer that… (laughs) Well, the The Smiths are probably my all-time favorite band. Actually I think I can safely say they’re a huge influence on everyone in the band. As for similarities, maybe because we’ve all listened to them so much, perhaps that comes out somehow in our music? Johnny Marr’s signature sound in The Smiths was his 12 string Rickenbacker played through a chorus pedal. Similarly, some of the guitar parts on our songs like ‘Holland’ and ‘Heartbreak Girl’ were played by our guitarist, Jared Mattson, on a vintage 12-string Burns guitar played through an Ibanez chorus pedal. So maybe that’s where some of the similarities lie…? As far as The Shins go, I think they’re a fantastic band! James Mercer is an amazing songwriter and has a wonderful voice that’s able to convey terrific emotion. I read that he recorded their first album, ‘Oh, Inverted World’, in his parents basement on a Pro Tools 001 which I think is pretty rad! One thing I also like about The Shins is their songs always have a strong sense of melody. The instrumentation never gets in the way of that. I think we strive to do that as well, make sure we have a strong melody before we do anything else.

Jared: Yeah, Johnny Marr’s approach to layering and orchestration of guitars is unmatched. It’s definitely influenced me sonically… Not copying riffs he uses, but in applying his sensibilities to my own playing. Basically I have set chords I use but what I do is apply a lot of arpeggios and use different guitars for each part. That’s why I use acoustics, 12 strings, Teles, 335s, Jaguars, Les Pauls, and Brent’s Gretsch! Haha!

Jonathan: I’m actually very inspired by Mike Joyce. He’s an incredible drummer, I’ve never heard anyone who matches his precision and reserved style of playing. I think his drumming was one of the components that really gave The Smiths their sound. They wouldn’t be the same band without him, he kinda reminds me of a more polished Ringo Starr.

TDOA: What about the use of noise in the beginning of the track – what is that supposed to convey?

Noelle: Well, the female voice at the beginning of ‘Feels Like Heaven’ is something that Brent and I recorded in France the last time we were there. We heard it over the intercom at a train station and we were like, “Hey, that sounds cool. Maybe we should record it and use it for something!” …And so we did!

Brent: Yeah, and then the noisy part underneath that is a guitar part Jared played that we reversed and then added some distortion and modulation to, using some of the Universal Audio plug-ins. We just experimented until we had something we thought sounded good. Pretty much all of the cool, weird guitar stuff you hear on the songs is Jared experimenting with guitar sounds.

Jared: I’m very into experimental music and effects, influenced by Robert Fripp and Eno sounds. So that’s where that’s coming from. More than that, I enjoy making noise and uncommon sounds!

TDOA: Am I the only one who thinks that the lead singer sounds like Morrissey? Massive compliment or ridiculous expectation to live up to?

Brent: Whoa… I guess I would have to say it’s both! I have heard that comparison before, but I do feel it’s a little crazy to compare myself to Morrissey! Besides, if Moz ever got wind of that comparison, it might SERIOUSLY depress him. (laughs) All kidding aside, Morrissey is such a distinct singer that I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone who comes even close to matching his style and panache. Or the ability to write lyrics like he does! He’s like Frank Sinatra for Generation X.

Noelle: Did you really just use the word ‘panache’?

TDOA: The sounds seems very beachy and laid back – is this a part of your San Diego roots?

Brent: Well I’m originally from Central California, the same part of the state that - The Dumbing of America

"...thoroughly enjoying the vibe. I hear echoes from Richard Butler of The Psychedelic Furs and the jangle-core of one of my favorite bands from Hershey, PA: The Ocean Blue. Thanks to The Chantepleures for animating my psyche on this another sleep-deprived day!" - Heroes of Indie Music

"...They play this beautiful indie pop/shoegaze-influenced-guitar-sound you will fall in love with. They just put out their new EP called “Feels Like Heaven”, so check below and introduce yourself to the sound of The Chantepleures." - Studio Eleven (from Brazil)