Indie-rockers CHEST release new single ‘NUMB’ + announce new EP 'never really here'

London-via-Norwich indie risers CHEST release new single 'NUMB' and announce new EP 'never really here'

Stream new single 'NUMB' HERE

Norwich-born, London-based indie-rock newcomers Chest today release their new single 'NUMB' and announce the release of new EP 'never really here' - out early 2026.

Working with producer Thomas Coath (Sam Fender, Pale Waves), new single 'NUMB' finds the band drawing influence from Sunny Day Real Estate and Placebo, capturing the hollow quiet of dissociation through waves of serrated guitars and pounding drums.

Intentionally stripping away polish in favour of something raw and exposed, Joel Reader's vocal lines are delivered cracked and unfiltered: “I had the strangest dream last night / I dreamt I tore out your insides...” - a surreal, gut-wrenching refrain that sits at the centre of ‘NUMB’.

Speaking on the release of new single 'NUMB' - the band said: 

“NUMB, a raw confession of emotional collapse, was carved from the unravelling of a relationship. Its lyrics explore the profound guilt of failing one you love, the song plunges into the torment of intrusive thoughts through a dissociative separation from reality, ultimately revealing the devastating impact of this inner turmoil on everyone involved."

Chest are quickly making their mark since moving to London earlier this year. Following summer single ‘MACHINE’, they’ve played a string of sold-out headline shows in Norwich and London, supported The Lounge Society, Bilk, and PleasureInc, and appeared at Latitude and Wild Paths, with early spins from BBC Radio 1 and BBC 6 Music.

Chest’s lyrics, throughout their upcoming EP are introspective by design, as vocalist Joel Reader explains: 

“For inspiration I tend to look inwards at my psyche and put a spotlight on dark concealed corners… Setting free and giving room to parts of yourself that often would otherwise be self-destructive. These ideas are explored through an uber-confident caricature of myself, one lacking in self-doubt, steeped in hubris.” 

Formed in Norwich, the band credit the city’s alternative spirit and genre-diverse scene for giving them the space to evolve without being boxed in. “Norwich is full of oddballs and weirdos who are unapologetically themselves – that attitude is something we carry with us.”

They resist the need to tailor their work to a listener or align themselves with a trend: “We’re reclaiming unconcern with what is cool. The art we make isn’t made with an audience in mind. We’re looking to be brazenly unapologetic, standing on the ground we stand on, not moving towards or away from anything. We don’t want fandom on the false pretence of a relationship. We want people to engage with us because they are captivated by the world we are creating with our artistry.”

Chest arrive with a sound that feels fully formed and entirely their own, and are without doubt a band to watch closely as we move into 2026.

Chest's new single 'NUMB' is out now, with new EP 'never really here' set to arrive early 2026. 

Chest are: Joel Reader (vocals), Stanley Horseman (guitar) Rusel Eldon (guitar) Teo Koschak (drums), William Booth (bass). 

LIVE DATES
13 November - Leeds, Oporto
17 November - London, Shacklewell Arms
10 January - Colchester, Three Wise Monkeys 
30 January - Stowmarket, John Peel Centre
27 February - London, The Elephants Head

Follow Chest
Instagram: @chest_band
TikTok: @chest_the_band
X/Twitter: @chestband
YouTube: @chest_band