Chloe Alper
Chloe Alper (2008)
Chloe Alper (2008)
Background information
Born (1981-09-13) 13 September 1981
OriginReading, Berkshire, England
Genres
Instrument(s)
Years active1997—present
Member of
Formerly ofPeriod Pains
Websitetinygiantmusic.com

Chloë Alper (born 13 September 1981) is a British singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. She began her music career in 1996 with Riot grrrl punk band Period Pains and is now a member of the English rock band James and a founding member of the British new prog rock group Pure Reason Revolution. Her solo release, "Juno", featured on the original motion picture soundtrack to Maniac. Another solo release, "True Love", is the title track to the American supernatural horror film Amityville: The Awakening.

Biography

Period Pains

Born 13 September 1981, from the age of 13, Alper fronted the cult Riot grrrl punk band Period Pains, based in Reading. The band formed in 1995 with Alper on vocals, Felicity Aldridge on guitar, Laura Warwick on bass and Laura Viney on drums. Viney was later replaced by Magdalena (Magda) Przybylski.

Their 1997 anti-Spice Girls single, "Spice Girls (Who Do YOU Think You Are?)", was released on Damaged Goods. The disc received airplay from John Peel, for whom they later recorded a session which was later released as an EP.[1] The band were highlighted by John Peel in his Festive 50 for 1997.[2] The band were covered by publications including The Daily Mail and Just 17 but only played a few live shows, notably opening in the Dr Martens tent for the 1997 Reading Festival.

Pure Reason Revolution

Alper performing with Pure Reason Revolution

Alper then joined Reading-based band The Sunset Sound, which eventually became Pure Reason Revolution, contributing vocals, picking up the bass guitar later after the previous bassist left.[3] Alper also plays keyboards, including a midi sample-triggering keyboard during live performances. In shows in 2010 and 2011 she also played an Epiphone SG guitar on certain tracks.

The band signed to Alan McGee's Poptones label for a one-off release of "Apprentice of the Universe",[4] which peaked at number 12 in the indie charts. Signing to SonyBMG in autumn 2004, the following year saw Pure Reason Revolution releasing two singles and one mini-album, followed by the full-length debut The Dark Third in 2006, with producer Paul Northfield.[5] During this time, PRR supported Mew, Hope of the States, Porcupine Tree, Secret Machines and Oceansize, as well as headlining their own gigs, and recorded sessions for Mark Radcliffe's BBC Radio 2 show and XFM.

The band's second album Amor Vincit Omnia was released in March 2009 on Superball Music, and accompanied by an extensive headline tour of Britain and Europe.[6] The band were track of the week on Kerrang! Radio and track of the day in Classic Rock Magazine.[7] The new music was darker and more electronic than previous offerings, qualities that were largely retained for 2010's third studio album, Hammer and Anvil, also released via Superball. Hammer and Anvil opens with a track sung exclusively by Alper, Fight Fire, which received lengthy airtime on XFM and other radio stations.[8]

Pure Reason Revolution split on good terms in November 2011, with members choosing to pursue other projects. A final series of concerts in the UK saw the Dark Third album played in full for the first time.[9][10] A final EP entitled Valour was also released as a download-only in conjunction with the break up, with proceeds donated to charity.

Alper in 2010

On 12 October 2018, Pure Reason Revolution announced that they were re-forming with Jon Courtney and Chloe Alper being the only members of the original lineup to return. Their comeback album, "Eupnea", was released in April 2020 on InsideOut. "Eupnea" reached number three in the Official UK Rock Album Chart.

Chloe Alper with Pure Reason Revolution @ Midsummer Prog Festival 2019

Solo releases

In 2013, Alper began work on a solo project for which she recorded songs in collaboration with Tom Bellamy (of The Cooper Temple Clause and Losers), who worked on Pure Reason Revolution's final album, Hammer and Anvil) and Robin Coudert (of Phoenix).[11] "Juno", written by Alper and Coudert, is featured on the original motion picture soundtrack to the 2013 film Maniac.[12][13]

Tiny Giant

In 2015 Alper announced she had formed a new band – Tiny Giant – with her co-writer; the Grammy and MOBO nominated multi-instrumentalist Mat Collis. Their first single "Joely" was released on 9 May 2016 which won them a nomination for the Limelight (New Band) award at the Progressive Music Awards Eon Music.[14] They released a further three singles, School of Hard Knocks, Draw me a Line and Thirsty & Sad. A leaked album track soundtracked Vanity Fair's "Playhouse Presents" series for Sky Arts[15]

DJ

Alper often performs under the pseudonym 'Chloe Ramone'.

References

  1. ↑ "Radio 1 – Keeping It Peel – 19 August 1997 Period Pains". BBC. 19 August 1997. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
  2. ↑ "BBC - Radio 1 - Keeping It Peel - Festive 50s - 1997". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  3. ↑ "Global Fender". Fender.co.uk. Archived from the original on 7 August 2011. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
  4. ↑ Dave Simpson (7 April 2006). "CD: Pure Reason Revolution, The Dark Third". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
  5. ↑ "Pure Reason Revolution – The Dark Third – Review". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on 10 May 2012. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
  6. ↑ "Pure Reason Revolution – March 2009 UK Tour". Getwokingham.co.uk. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
  7. ↑ "Classic Rock " Blog Archive " Track of the Day: Pure Reason Revolution". Classicrockmagazine.com. Archived from the original on 17 February 2012. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
  8. ↑ "Live Shows + Fight Fire on the Radio! van Pure Reason Revolution op Myspace". Myspace.com. 6 December 2010. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
  9. ↑ Reviews, Media (9 August 2011). "All Media Reviews: Pure Reason Revolution BREAK UP". Allmediareviews.blogspot.com. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
  10. ↑ "Pure Reason Revolution – break up and cancelling tour " Muzikantenweb Magazine". Musiccredo.wordpress.com. 30 November 2011. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
  11. ↑ "Upcoming Events - O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire". O2shepherdsbushempire.co.uk. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  12. ↑
  13. ↑ "Maniac (2012)". IMDb.com. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  14. ↑ "Progressive Music Awards 2016 Announced".
  15. ↑ "Watch". Sky.com. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
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