Webb Chapel
Webb Chapel operates on impulse, chance, and what sounds right. Since 2022’s Moverama, the project’s freewheeling approach to tape recording has yielded an enigmatic collection of raw art rock and guitar pop unattached to any one specific sound or idea. Thus far, primary songwriter Zack Claxton has taken a singular approach to Webb Chapel by binge-writing in seclusion and steering clear of anything resembling a press photo. Now reimagined as a full band, Webb Chapel enters the studio for the first time; World Cup is the sound of a rapidly evolving project leaning into collaborative trust and doubling down on creative instinct.
Recorded and mixed over six days with engineer Dan Angel, World Cup was beholden to fate and changes in both scenery and personnel. “Alone at the Fair” was reworked after studio soundcheck, as listening back gave the song more context. “There’s something about hearing people playing things in a room,” Claxton explains, “Sometimes you’ll listen back and be like ‘What’s going on here?’” The immediate challenges of recording with a full band forced Claxton’s hand in more deliberate arrangement decisions while entrusting the band with making creative decisions themselves.
Rachel Gordon (Nine of Swords, Greg Electric) takes vocal duties for highlights “Black Car” and leadoff cut “Springtime,” pushing Claxton further into the directorial role of “background lead.” A cruising intro prefaces the latter track’s crushing percussive backbone, capturing the full band’s urgency to let listeners know Webb Chapel is alive. Gordon’s restless wail is passionate and instantly gripping, setting the tone of side A beside thrilling uptempo cuts like “Pretty” and “Shipping Containers Anonymous.” With Josh Lesser (Blue Smiley, TAGABOW) on guitar and Christian Millieux (Sweepers) on drums, World Cup finds Webb Chapel rounding out their live roster with some of Philly’s finest.
No stranger to a speedy recording process, Claxton was right at home with World Cup’s one-week turnaround. Webb Chapel’s home recordings were often written and recorded in one day, but World Cup marks the band’s fluid evolution from bedroom afternoons to coordinated studio sessions. The intentions Webb Chapel set with World Cup lay the foundations for the city’s best new secret; an unpinnable project, faceless and shapeless, cemented in trust and intuition.
CONTACT
Booking: zwclax[at]gmail.com
Press: caroline[at]clarioncallmedia.com
Website: https://geocities.ws/webbchapel/
PRESS
“The song opposes the familiarity of typical chords, melodies, or structures with a grainy, non-conformist, almost impressionistic interpretation of art-punk music. ‘Springtime’ creates an atmosphere of intense suspense and queasy unrest. The raw, immediate sound, heavily inspired by the 80s No Wave or underground punk of the same era, is fast and dynamic but also lies thick like a heavy fog at midnight on a ghoulish Halloween. ” – Post Trash
“[T]he lead single off the Philadelphia band’s forthcoming LP World Cup…explores themes of life, death, and rebirth. ” – Northern Transmissions
“Springtime is going to have some serious appeal for fans of early indie/college rock, and for anyone that likes more than a little feedback.” – If It’s Too Loud...
“[Springtime] blends raw art rock with vibrant guitar pop and angsty post punk, capturing the band’s evolving sound and collaborative spirit.” – Last Day Deaf
“There’s still a thrill when a song pulls you under, tossing and turning you over and over until you crest and the song unrolls before you, like this new single from Webb Chapel. Nearly a minute is spent mixing textures and noise, then angular guitars rip through the speakers, almost operating as a rhythmic pulse that feels harrowing, despite its pop nods.” – Austin Town Hall
“for those who like everything from odd-ball balladry to the lo-fi prairie hum and quintessential pop hooks, well Webb Chapel is most certainly your one stop shop.” – Sun-13
“SPEEDING is an album grounded in a rich history of post-punk and psych-pop while bringing a fresh attitude of sonic deconstructionism; it’s a celebration of influences both old and new.” – Sub//Genre
“Lofi bonkers alien nowave rock from the other side of Philly (that means nothing). Would not be far off the early OC’s beaten path” – Sims Hardin (u2_is_a_government_drone)
“Speeding is one of those albums that eases the burdens of your day. Stick it on at the end of the day and tell us otherwise…” – Sun-13
“triumphantly lo-fi but undeniably focused, a wash of experimentation both bleak and warped.” – Post-Trash
“Krauty, wonky, psych rock with many layers of riffs, noisy blips, and samples captured in warm tape saturation.” – Sims Hardin (u2_is_a_government_drone)
“Even with the gnarled production, [Speeding] is an addictive listen with impeccable songwriting and masterful musicianship. I could listen to these tracks over and over again without getting bored and as they say, the louder the better! This is a fantastic release that certainly deserves top tier recognition.” – The Dungeon In Deep Space