Chime School

The love-affair with San Francisco is real. Chime School are the latest in a run of acclaimed Bay Area groups to hit the UK. Marrying the pristine jangle of electric 12-string guitars with nervy, hooky songs, Chime School conjures a unique and instantly recognisable form of indie pop, rooted in the buoyant, driving pulse of the genre's 1980's and 90's forebears, while still locked in a kaleidoscopic stare with its 1960's originators. Guided by San Francisco musician Andy Pastalaniec, Chime School began as a solo home recording project, paying homage to the formative jangle of The Byrds by way of early Primal Scream; the production and pop sensibility of Biff Bang Pow and The Razorcuts; and the spirit of great singles labels like Creation, Subway, Postcard and Sarah. Though it would have fit with any of those labels, Chime School found a natural home with Slumberland Records, releasing a self-titled debut in 2021, and a follow-up 7 single in 2023. In its wake, Pastalaniec assembled a live group comprised of Bay Area indie vets, touring up and down the US West Coast, playing with many of the contemporary indie cognoscenti, from labelmates The Umbrellas; The Reds, Pinks & Purples; and Papercuts; as well as Cindy, Blues Lawyer, The Smashing Times, and others.