Chapel Club
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Defunct | 2013-10-17 |
| Headquarters | London , England, United Kingdom |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
Chapel Club was an English indie-synthpop ensemble based in London, comprising vocalist Lewis Bowman, drummer Rich Mitchell, bassist Liam Arklie, and keyboardist/guitarists Michael Hibbert and Alex Parry.
After transitioning from their initial indie rock sound—characterized as "moody, majestic and magnificent"—to an electronic synth and sample-oriented pop style, the group parted ways with Universal's Polydor label in March 2012. Their sophomore and final album was issued through Ignition Records in 2013.
The band declared their dissolution on 17 October 2013 during a live performance at St Pancras Old Church in London.
Formation
Chapel Club was established in early 2007 by Michael Eran Hibbert, formerly guitarist for Hope of the States and Troubles, following his relocation from Harlow, Essex to London. He initially enlisted bassist Liam Arklie, who had moved from Swindon. Several months later, Lewis Bowman joined; despite lacking prior experience in singing or lyric writing, Bowman—then a club promoter and DJ—contributed vocal melodies and lyrics to instrumental tracks, impressing Hibbert enough to secure membership. Shortly thereafter, Arklie's acquaintance Alex Parry came aboard as guitarist, with Rich Mitchell, previously of Summum Bonum and Dogs from Birkenshaw, West Yorkshire, completing the lineup on drums.
Career
Originally called Palace, the quintet rehearsed and performed around London. Due to a naming conflict with another band called Palace, they briefly adopted the name Golden Age before focusing on songwriting and recording. In August 2009, they collaborated with US producer Chris Zane in Shoreditch, London to record 'Surfacing'. Settling on the name Chapel Club—reflecting Bowman's fascination with religious symbolism and their rehearsal location near St. Luke's Church—they planned to release the single through East City Records in October. Although BBC Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe named it 'Hottest Record in the World' and it received radio airplay, its release was halted due to a copyright dispute involving "Dream a Little Dream of Me", which was eventually resolved.
In autumn 2009, Chapel Club performed their first shows under their new name at the Shacklewell Arms in Dalston, garnering media coverage and attracting label interest. After only three performances, they secured a contract with Universal Records imprint Polydor in November 2009. The agreement emphasized creative autonomy and long-term collaboration rather than immediate financial benefit. That same month saw the recording of 'O Maybe I' with Claudius Mittendorfer in New York; this debut single was released by Polydor in February 2010, earning accolades such as Zane Lowe's 'Hottest Record' and XFM's 'Record of the Week'.
Work on their debut album commenced in April 2010 with producer Paul Epworth at a South London studio. This session yielded eight tracks including the follow-up single 'Five Trees', which reached number six on the NME chart in May 2010. The album's release was postponed as Polydor encouraged extensive touring to build a fanbase. Throughout summer 2010, Chapel Club performed at prominent UK and European festivals like Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds, Pukkelpop, and Field Day.
September 2010 saw them join the NME Emerge Radar Tour alongside The Joy Formidable. October brought the release of 'All The Eastern Girls', followed by a European support tour with Two Door Cinema Club. In December they issued a limited Wintering EP during a London show that featured a more minimalistic sound paired with 'Imagist' lyrical themes.
Their debut album Palace was launched on 31 January 2011; special editions included The Wintering EP as a bonus. By February 2011, they had demoed four tracks for their second album aiming for a sonic direction akin to the Wintering EP. New material such as 'Waterlight Park' emerged online by September.
During summer festival appearances and an October UK tour, Chapel Club introduced synth-driven compositions featuring electronic percussion and no guitars—indicating a shift toward synth-pop aesthetics. Bowman later reflected that their debut lacked originality and was crafted while still defining their identity as a group. Drummer Rich Mitchell remarked that they dedicated a year to rehearsing and songwriting before performing live to refine their sound.
In January 2012, recording sessions for their second album took place in Los Angeles with producer Tom Biller; however, shortly after completion, Universal dropped them. It was reported that funding withdrawal attempts occurred just days prior to recording.
By mid-2012 unsigned, Chapel Club released new synth-based singles like 'Sleep Alone' via SoundCloud featuring electronic drums with sparse bass lines. On 29 October 2012 they signed with Ignition Records, managed by Alec McKinlay of Ignition Management.
The lead single from their second album 'Good Together' debuted on 20 January 2013. The album streamed exclusively on NME starting 7 May before its official release on 3 June. Bowman described this new direction as a conscious departure from earlier post-punk associations toward something more playful and innovative. Hibbert acknowledged that modest sales of their debut afforded them creative freedom to evolve. Alex Parry noted a division among fans between those preferring their original style and others embracing change.
Although working on fresh material described as "soul and RnB infused with loops and samples," speculation about an impending breakup circulated. On 17 October 2013 Chapel Club announced their split during an intimate farewell show at London's St Pancras Old Church—a "super special" event expected to be emotionally charged.
Post-split
On 20 October 2013, Lewis Bowman introduced new tracks on SoundCloud under the name 'Gratitude', characterizing the music as "lo-fi love songs 4 the dazed & downhearted" and "midnight folk for midnight folk". Later, on 2 November 2013, Bowman publicly recognized the artistic merit of Palace via Twitter, expressing regret over his previous critiques.
Shifting away from performing, Bowman has established a career as a copywriter, contributing to brands such as Burberry, eBay, and dunhill. Although there were initial indications that musical efforts would continue, no member of the band had issued new commercial releases or appeared live as of April 2018.
Members
- Lewis James Bowman – lead vocals (born 1981 in Greenwich, London)
- Michael Eran Hibbert – keyboards and guitar (born 1982 in Harlow, Essex)
- Liam Carl Arklie – bass guitar (born 1989 in Swindon, Wiltshire)
- Alexander David Parry – keyboards and guitar (born 1988 in Oldham, Greater Manchester)
- Richard Paul Mitchell – drums (born 1985 in Bradford, West Yorkshire)
Studio albums
| Year | Album information | Highest chart position |
|---|---|---|
| UK | ||
| 2011 | Palace
|
31 |
| 2013 | Good Together
|
— |
Singles
| Year | Single title | Peak chart position | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK | |||
| 2010 | "O Maybe I" (Vinyl only) | — | Palace |
| "Five Trees" | — | ||
| "All the Eastern Girls" | 148 | ||
| 2011 | "Surfacing" | — | |
| "Blind" | — | ||
| 2013 | "Good Together" (Digital only) | — | Good Together |
| "Shy" (Digital only) | — | ||
| "Wordy" (Digital only) | — |
Promotional singles
| Year | Single title | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | "Don't Look Down" (Vinyl only) | |
| "The Shore" | Palace |
Notes:
- The vinyl-only single "Don't Look Down" was issued in April specifically for Record Store Day, resulting in limited availability.
- "The Shore" was distributed as a complimentary download to support the promotion of Palace.