THE CHOP release debut album “It’s The Chop”
THE CHOP — It’s The Chop
FFO: Robert Wyatt, Young Marble Giants, Klang, Novak, Colin Newman, Dome, Clinic, Space, Life Without Buildings, Current Obsessions, Spike & Debbie, AC Marias, Slint, Broadcast.
Glasgow-based husband and wife art-pop duo The Chop (Gemma Fleet & Andrew R. Doig) present It’s The Chop, their 10-song debut album.
Both musicians currently play in Glasgow post-punk unit Dancer (Meritorio Records) as well as in various other projects—some ongoing, others now defunct—including Nightshift (Trouble in Mind), Current Affairs (Tough Love), The Wharves, Kasms, Spin Spin The Dogs, Trogons, The Human Race, Order of the Toad, and Robert Sotelo (Upset the Rhythm).
The concept for The Chop emerged in 2024 after the couple saw the band Guests—also a two-piece—perform locally, and were inspired by their economical set-up. Fleet and Doig began imagining a project they could take anywhere, using as little equipment as possible, creating music with a sparse and inexpensive configuration that combined their strongest individual talents while still carrying the energy of a full band.
With a surplus of unused material already on hand from Doig, the pair began shaping sketches into what would become It’s The Chop in their spare room. A turning point came when they bought a drum machine from Cash Converters that contained pre-programmed ideas from a previous owner—providing a serendipitous percussive starting point for their songs.
When the album was complete, they went to Green Door Studio to work with engineer Ronan Fay, who had previously collaborated with them on early Dancer records. Fay transferred the songs to analogue tape, giving them the warmth and texture that perfectly suited the duo’s homespun approach.
Influenced by acts like Young Marble Giants and Old Rottenhat-era Robert Wyatt, as well as duos such as Dome, Arab Strap, AC Marias, Spike & Debbie, and Tender Buttons-era Broadcast, It’s The Chop weaves brittle bass guitar patterns beneath Fleet’s striking narrative vocals, all underpinned by primitive drum machine rhythms. The result is a sound that even the duo themselves struggle to summarise.
The presence of melodica throughout seeks to capture a sense of continental melancholy, as well as the kitchen sink melodicism of the Birds of a Feather theme tune.
The Chop draw inspiration from working-class UK comedy shows of the 1980s and 1990s—such as Brush Strokes and Keeping Up Appearances—for their visual and thematic aesthetic. They aim to channel something of this drab era, reflecting the tragic yet unlikely aspirations of its characters through their songs.
When it came time to create artwork, Fleet approached Edwin Stevens—a fellow Glasgow resident just four streets away, known for his work with Irma Vep and The Web of Lies—confident that his absurdist sensibilities would complement the music. The resulting design brought the project to completion.
Following a prolific 2024 that included a full-length debut with Dancer and a collaborative 7" with Robert Sotelo & Mary Currie (Flaming Tunes), It’s The Chop marks a fresh chapter for the duo in 2025—a rewired model for a world where adaptability is key and imagination is essential.
Tracklisting
Out Of Every Night
Set The Bridge Alight
In The Hen House
Sonia's A Big Mistake
End Of The Pier
Here We Go
No Heels
The Trailer Was Better
Is It Me?
Purely Incidental
Credits
Songs written and performed by Gemma Fleet & Andrew Doig
Recorded at home
Mixed and mastered by Ronan Fay at Green Door, Glasgow
Artwork by Edwin Stevens
