Chalk (band)

Chalk
OriginBelfast, Northern Ireland
GenresPost-punk industrial dance
Years active2021-
LabelsAlter Music and Sun Language
MembersRoss Cullen
Ben Goddard
Past membersLuke Niblock
Websitechalkbelfast.bandcamp.com

Chalk is a post-punk industrial dance duo, formed in 2021 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, consisting of Ross Cullen and Benedict Hardie-Goddard (Ben Goddard). Their debut album, Crystalpunk, was released in March 2026 and reached 30 in the UK official Album Chart and the top spot in the UK album Dance Chart.

History

Ross Cullen and Ben Goddard met in Belfast as university film students. Goddard, the guitarist and synth player, has an English father and Irish mother, while Cullen, on vocals, has a Protestant father and a Catholic mother.[1] Originally the group had a third member, Luke Niblock on drums, but he parted company with Chalk in 2025. The now duo then signed to the New York label, Alter Music. On their late 2025 USA tour Chalk deployed Fiontan MacAleavey as their drummer.[2][3] Three of the tracks on Crystalpunk are credited to Luke Niblock as co-writer along with Chalk.[4]

Their first set of releases was a trilogy of EPs, Conditions, released in 2023, Conditions II, in 2024, and then in 2025 Conditions III, containing thirteen tracks in total.[5][6] The first EP and followup live performances received financial support from the charity PRS Foundation, through their Open Fund for Music Creators.[7] Chalk was added to the BBC Music Introducing platform of artists.[8]

The band has acknowledged the role of David Lynch in shaping the "strangeness and surealism" that feeds into Chalk's music and the visuals used in live performances. With their producer, Chris Ryan, the band loops their performances' artistry between studio and stage, taking into account how particular ideas have been received during the summer festival circuit.[9]

In interviews the duo has expressed the view that they felt "unclaimed" by traditional community labels, but it was their wish to see an end to sectarian divisions in Northern Ireland. This is reflected in their eight minute penultimate track on Crystalpunk, "Béal Feirste". NME compared the track, that uses the Irish language name for Belfast, to Born Slippy by Underworld. The refrain stresses the phrase "shoulder to shoulder", a line from "Ireland's Call", the anthem for the Irish rugby union team, that represents both Ireland and Northern Ireland. Cullen is the son of a rugby coach and grew up playing the sport.[1][5]

Live performances

Chalk, at that point a three member band, played at the Reading Festival in 2023,[10] and Glastonbury in 2025 under the BBC Music Introducing platform.[8]

In November 2025, as a duo, Chalk performed a 28 minute live session for Seattle's KEXP radio station.[3]. Chalk played at SXSW in Austin, Texas in March 2026 as part of the BBC Music Introducing and British Council Arts presentation.[11][12] In some performances since 2025, Cullen has worn a spike covered glove, which features on the cover art of Crystalpunk, as a visual anchor.[9]

Chalk have been the support band for Sprints, Fontaines D.C. and Idles.[6][2]

Reviews

Crystalpunk was included in The Guardian's June 2026 list of the best albums of the year so far, with two tracks highlighted, "Béal Feirste" and "Can't feel it". The album was described as an "instant industrial-pop classic".[13] NME described the album as genre-fluid with a message about unity within the contrasting soundscapes.[5]

The Independent's list of artists to watch in 2025 described Chalk's music as vast and ambitious, with fantastic live performances, at least for those able to cope with the constant strobe lighting.[14]

Discography

Album: Crystalpunk (2026) Peak
position
Scottish Albums (Official Charts)[15]49
UK Albums (Official Charts)[16]30
UK Dance Albums (Official Charts)[17]1
UK Album Downloads (Official Charts)[18]31
UK Independent Albums (Official Charts)[19]13
Single: Conditions II (2024) Peak
position
UK Physical Singles (Official Charts)[20]37

References

  1. 1 2 Coney, Brian (18 March 2026). "'There's no flag for people like us': electro-punk duo Chalk on spanning divides in post-Troubles Belfast". The Guardian. London: Guardian News and Media Ltd. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 9 June 2026. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  2. 1 2 Wilson, Rich. "Chalk Biography". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 16 July 2026. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  3. 1 2 "Chalk - live on KEXP". KEXP. 27 January 2026. Archived from the original on 14 July 2026. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  4. ↑ "Pain by Chalk". Apple Music. 27 August 2025. Archived from the original on 17 July 2026. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 Shah, Rishi (13 March 2026). "Chalk – 'Crystalpunk' review: a knockout collection of arresting dance-punk". New Musical Express. Archived from the original on 2 July 2026. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  6. 1 2 "Chalk". Mint Talent Group (PR agency). 31 October 2025. Archived from the original on 20 March 2026. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  7. ↑ "Chalk (Ross Cullen, Luke Niblock, Ben Goddard): Open Fund for Music Creators". PRS for Music Foundation. London. 20 March 2024. Archived from the original on 17 July 2026. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
  8. 1 2 "Chalk: BBC Introducing in Northern Ireland with Taylor Johnson". BBC Radio Ulster. 12 July 2025. Archived from the original on 17 July 2026. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
  9. 1 2 Walker, Ryan (9 March 2026). "Chalk: Crystalpunk – Album Review & Interview". Louder than War. Archived from the original on 12 July 2026. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
  10. ↑ "Velodrome by Chalk (BBC Introducing at Reading 2023)". YouTube. BBC Music Introducing. 6 March 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
  11. ↑ "Chalk". SXSW 2026 Schedule. SXSW. 17 July 2026. Archived from the original on 17 July 2026. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
  12. ↑ "Chalk: Selector x BBC at British Music Embassy, SXSW 2026". YouTube. British Council Arts. 6 March 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
  13. ↑ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (9 June 2026). "The best albums of 2026 so far". The Guardian. London: Guardian News and Media Ltd. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 14 July 2026. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  14. ↑ "From dark alt-pop to mind-melting techno-rock, the 10 acts to look out for in 2025". The Independent. London. 31 December 2024. Archived from the original on 7 January 2025. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  15. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart on 26/3/2026 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  16. ↑ "Chalk Songs and Albums | Full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  17. ↑ "Official Dance Albums Chart on 26/3/2026 – Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  18. ↑ "Official Album Downloads Chart on 26/3/2026 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  19. ↑ "Official Independent Albums Chart on 26/3/2026 – Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  20. ↑ "Official Physical Singles Chart on 20/6/2024". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
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