Chew Lips

Formed in early 2008, the South London electro-pop trio Chew Lips took its name from a character in Brendan Behan’s Borstal Boy. The lineup centers on vocalist Tigs—whose delivery has drawn comparisons to Beth Ditto, Karen O, and Liza Minnelli—alongside multi-instrumentalists Will Sanderson and James Watkins. At their very first rehearsal the three wrote ten songs, and that spring they performed their debut gig in a friend’s house, where Tigs sang while perched atop a washing machine. Several subsequent shows led BBC DJ Steve Lamacq to invite the band for a session on his program and to book them on the BBC Introducing Stage at that autumn’s Electric Proms Festival. A MySpace correspondence with the head of French label Kitsune resulted in the release of Chew Lips’ first single, “Solo,” on the imprint in early 2009; the track highlighted the group’s signature blend of brassy female vocals and Casiotone-driven beats and melodies. Later that summer the follow-up single “Salt Air” arrived, accompanied by a video directed by Man vs. Magnet. January 2010 saw the arrival of both the band’s debut album, Unicorn, and the Play Together EP.