Punk veterans Chelsea have announced a release date for their long-awaited 12th and final album, which has been funded by their fans.
Meanwhile Gardens will finally see the light of day on Westworld on May 28 – seven months after it was originally due to drop.
Formed in London in 1976, Chelsea were one of the first wave of punk bands, but, unlike the Sex Pistols and The Clash, never made it big.
Three of the four original members went on to form Generation X, but vocalist Gene October stayed put, and has been recording and touring with various line-ups ever since.
The band never enjoyed a big hit, but their 1977 single Right To Work is regarded as a punk classic. It was part of the soundtrack for Derek Jarman’s cult film Jubilee.
Many of the tracks for the new album were written on the road during Chelsea’s 2019 European tour, and recording was done in-between lockdowns in 2020. The cover was designed and drawn by the band in the back of the tour bus.
Meanwhile Gardens sees Nic Austin on guitar and bassist Mat Sargent delivering the trademark Chelsea sound, while frontman October adds his distinctive vocals.
There are also contributions from ex-Chelsea members from over the years as guest musicians, including Martin Stacey and Bob Jessie from the 1977 line-up, James Stevenson from the debut album, and Rob Miller from 1994’s Traitors Gate album, while Mike Spenser from garage punks The Cannibals guests on harmonica.
Meanwhile Gardens is available to pre-order on digipak CD HERE and on limited edition blue vinyl HERE.
