“If you’re not pushed to the absolute edge, the end result won’t be your best”: Inside Split Chain’s intense debut album

More people could do with admitting that they don’t really know what they’re doing. Take Split Chain vocalist Bert Martinez-Cowles, for example, a man at peace with the fact that he and his fellow Bristolians are pretty much winging it, trusting in their guts to lead the way on what feels good and what feels right. So far, it’s worked a charm.

The quintet – completed by bassist Tom Davies, guitarists Oli Bowles and Jake Reid, and drummer Aaron Black – will be hoping that approach pays off on their debut album motionblur, too. The new Epitaph Records signees have only been a going concern for two years, but in that relatively brief spell they’ve already amassed millions of streams, built a dedicated global fanbase and shared stages with the likes of Thursday, Silverstein and Boston Manor.

It’s all thanks to their intoxicating blend of woozy heaviness and pop sensibilities – an effortless fusion of impeccable tastes and influences worn proudly on their collective sleeve without ever slipping into pastiche.

Give us the elevator pitch on motionblur…
“It’s an album about growing up, going through all the shit we needed to go through to get to the place we are now. A lot of it’s personal, dealing with broken family life, understanding mental health and struggling with imposter syndrome. It’s about learning, pushing through difficulties and figuring out who you are.
“We called it motionblur because everything from our teenage years to now feels like one huge blur. We don’t really know what’s going on or why us, but it’s a story of discovery. It’s about accepting that we don’t have control over this, but here we are. We’re living in a dream and it feels like we’ve been set free.”

By all accounts the recording experience was “stressful” – how come?
“You watch these music documentaries of bands in the studio for a year and it all seems so nice. Unfortunately, in this day and age, things have changed. We had 30 days [at Middle Farm Studios in Devon] and the learning curve was intense. We were living in the studio, in the middle of winter, with the clock constantly ticking. There was barely any room to breathe. You were either in your bunk, the kitchen or the control room. I would say 80 – 90 per cent of the lyrics were written in there as well.
“But without that pressure, we wouldn’t have this album. As stressful as it was, we went in with nothing and came out with a record we love. If you’re not pushed to the absolute edge, the end result won’t be your best. We lived this album for a month and we’re all really proud of it.”

How hard is it to put raw emotions into music and share them with the world?
“I’ve always been an instrumental songwriter before a vocalist, so I never consciously decide, ‘I should write about this!’ It’s more like word vomit that needs to come out. And what comes out is the truth, so there’s no point in hiding it. I can see why people might expect that to feel vulnerable, or even something to hide away. But life is hard.”

There’s a recurring theme of devils and inner demons throughout. Do you feel like making the record helped exorcise some of your own?
“Oh, 100 per cent. Writing lyrics and creating songs has always felt like a kind of therapy. Even if you’re not in a band, just writing down what you feel helps so much.”

Who Am I tackles imposter syndrome – something many people struggle with. How do you deal with those feelings now that the band’s success is snowballing? Does it amplify doubts or quieten the negativity?
“It honestly amplifies them. We all feel we’re not the best at what we do. I’m not insanely talented at singing, it’s something I’m still learning. This is even Tom’s first band. It’s all so hard to come to terms with. It’s a cliché, but we’re just five regular guys. Why are we playing these huge festivals? Why are we supporting our favourite bands? We never have expected any of this. It’s impossible to process.”

Do you think the catharsis of creating motionblur was more about healing, or about accepting that some wounds never fully close?
“I feel like we’re at a place in the world where people are always looking for a cure. But there needs to be a reality check — life isn’t perfect. Without the bad stuff things would be fucking boring. If you can accept that, it helps a lot. You’re always going to carry the troubles of your past. You don’t need a magical cure for them. Life’s just complicated.”

As the record explores the chaos of growing up and self-discovery, what’s one piece of advice you’d give your younger self now, looking back?
“Stick to what you know and love and be completely true to yourself.”

Split Chain started as a way to help Tom through a tough time but has since grown into something much bigger. How does that spirit guide the band today?
“Everything’s good. It started as way to help Tom get sober and he hasn’t touched a drop since. But it’s taken on a life of its own — so much so that we still leave everything up to ‘the entity’ itself. It’s been fuel for all of us to make better decisions and come out as better people. If this had happened five years ago we’d have broken up in a week. We’d have been complete idiots about it, drunk all the time and doing stupid shit.
“It’s so much better now because we can enjoy everything. We’re a little bit older, a few of us did bands back in the day and literally got nowhere, so this feels like the reward for trying to better ourselves as people. It feels like the entity is saying, ‘This is what you should be doing. This is how you should be living your life.’ I feel like our origin story is going to stick with us until this thing dies out – if it ever does. I don’t know if it’s cliché, but it’s just really cool that a group of friends came together to help with a problem. And now, this is our reward. Changing your life for the better and seeing results that are like actual dreams come true is insane.”

motionblur is due out on July 11 via Epitaph Records. Split Chain play Slam Dunk Festival in May – get your tickets now.

Read this next:

• 10 reasons why you need Split Chain in your life
• Static Dress: “I don’t have the ‘cool guy’ mentality… I still freak out that I get to do this”
• From Earl Sweatshirt to Erykah Badu: The icons who inspired Loathe’s Kadeem France