Chamberlain first sprouted as the ’90s hardcore band Split Lip, its teenaged members brooding and bouncing between Bloomington and Indianapolis. They parted ways by 1999, but when several of the members found themselves at the South By Southwest music festival in 2008, they spontaneously played a showcase that “felt natural” for all.
In 2009, they reunited for a Chicago-based release party celebrating the book “Burning Fight: The Nineties Hardcore Revolution in Ethics, Politics, Spirit and Sound.” Bass player Curtis Mead said that after playing three shows in the Midwest around that time, all of the band’s members found it “kinda mind-blowing to know there were people who still knew our songs and still cared about them.”
Serendipity reared its pretty head when The Gaslight Anthem (which placed No. 28 in Rolling Stone Magazine’s “40 Reasons to Get Excited About Music” issue in April) asked Chamberlain to tour along with them and acoustic artist Tim Barry (vocalist of Avail), organically nudging them “in the van again” 15 years after their beloved “Fate’s Got a Driver” album. The tour started July 16 in St. Louis.
Mead spoke to Metromix just before hitting the road.
How do you predict touring now versus all the touring you did back then will compare?
We were still in high school on our first tour (as Split Lip) and we toured every chance we got. What we’ve realized in practicing lately is we’ve clicked back into the same roles we were in then, but now we’re adults and so many more important things have happened, so you have to learn how to deal with each other’s quirks. I’d like to think we have, anyway. Ask me again after tour.
What has each of you been up to since breaking up?
David (Moore) and Clay (Snyder) stayed in Indiana, have three kids each and real jobs. Both have a good chunk of life carved out in Indiana. David put out a solo album. Adam (Rubenstein) has done solo records and works for Doghouse Records. Chuck (Charlie Walker) has been plugging away at music the whole time. He’s done session gigs, played with New End Original and toured with Gavin Rossdale’s band, Institute.
I’ve filled in on bass for various bands and play with my band in Los Angeles, Model/Actress. I’m also co-founder/creative director for new website seenallover.com.
Any plans of recording and releasing anything new together?
We thought tour might be a good reason to. Adam had been writing acoustic tracks, which he sent to us. We decided we were only going to do it "if it sounded good." We recorded one song in four different studios from three different states, which is available for free digital download now.
Then Brian from the Gaslight Anthem said he’d do vocals for us; he did the remake of “The South Has Spoiled Me,” an old song that’s the B-side of the new Raise it High EP. It’s a 500-pressing 7-inch that’ll also be in digital release. The EP should be in the van, still warm off the press, when we leave for tour.
Why aren’t you playing Indianapolis on this tour?
We’re rehearsing there. The timing was so tight with juggling everybody’s lives and schedules. We’d love to play the Murat. That’d be awesome. Maybe in the fall…
