Muse’s Chris Wolstenholme has launched a new band called Chromes and dropped two new singles – check them out below.
The project and new singles by the band were first shared earlier this year, when the musician created new social media platforms for the group and dropped hints to fans about his new venture.
While Wolstenholme is best recognised as bassist and backing vocalist for Muse – and has gone on to take on various roles as a producer – this new endeavour sees him take on the role of frontman. For ‘Imaginary World’, he creates a straightforward rock anthem that seems to make a nod to the same energy and upbeat riffs seen in pop-punk classics.
“Tired of these highs / So I’m not going back, I’m all out of whack / Fighting to be free/ Crying to leave and this newfound love,” he sings, before the song drops down ahead of the chorus: “I’m living in an imaginary world / Stay close because I’m loving every word / Find me in my imaginary world / Locked in, there is no other way to turn.”
‘The Good Life’, on the other hand, is a much more sombre track. It begins with a moving, melancholic piano melody, as he gently sings: “Time has stood still again / A thought that will never end”.
From there, the song progresses into an elaborate, cinematic anthem, introducing a growing drum rhythm and a huge guitar solo towards the end. “Take my hand / Show me the way / Tell me I’m worthless then throw me away / I’ll open my heart and hope and pray for your love,” he sings, introducing a vocal melody that seems inspired by his Muse bandmate Matt Bellamy.
Check out ‘Imaginary World’ above, alongside a new lyric video, and listen to ‘The Good Life’ below.
At time of writing, little is known about the artists involved in Chromes, although the band have posted various abstract clips together on social media.
Wolstenholme’s turn to lead vocals comes after he sang lead and wrote lyrics for songs on the Muse’s 2012 album ‘The 2nd Law’. This saw him take on the main role for ‘Save Me’ and ‘Liquid State’.
Around the time of that album’s release, the bassist opened up to NME about his battle with alcoholism.
In the interview, he revealed that the problem had become so consuming by the time Muse went to record their 2009’s ‘The Resistance’ that his bandmates Matt Bellamy and Dom Howard were often left to work on their music alone.
“Drinking all day every day is pretty bad. It’s when you start getting to that point where you realise you can’t function without it, where you wake up in the morning shaking and the first thing you do is go to the fridge and down a bottle of wine. That’s how bad it was. I was incredibly unhealthy, overweight, a mess,” he said.
Wolstenholme went on to reveal that he managed to beat his addiction after sessions with a cognitive behavioural therapist, and wrote ‘Save Me’ and ‘Liquid State’ about his battle with alcohol.
“Both of those lyrics were written at that time when I’d stopped drinking. ‘Liquid State’ was written about the person you become when you’re intoxicated and how the two of them are having this fight inside of you and it tears you apart. ‘Save Me’ was about having the family, the wife and kids and, despite all that crap that I’ve put them through, at the end of it you realise they’re still there and they’re the ones who pulled you through.”
As for more recent Muse news, earlier this year Matt Bellamy welcomed his second child with partner Elle Evans, and revealed that he has named him after his famous father.
Before then, the frontman recorded a score for an Audible version of 1984, and shared behind-the-scenes images of the process. It was done for a new audio thriller based on George Orwell’s dystopian classic, which was shared on April 4 – exactly 40 years after the date of the protagonist’s first diary entry.
