Chatterton Unveil Heartfelt New EP ‘Tiny Empire’

Photo Credit: Madison Quinn

Longing for the 2010s indie rock revival that made it mainstream just to prove the irony in recognition? Chatterton’s EP drop, Tiny Empire, is out now.

Chatterton’s duo of Brock Pierce and Logan Scrivner, hailing from Oxnard, California, is back with this EP following last year’s debut Fields of This. “We didn’t really go into this planning to do an EP. It just kind of ended up happening like that,” Pierce says. “We originally went into these sessions just to record our next album but found ourselves just recording everything. Kind of just trying to strike the iron while it’s hot and keep things fresh. By the end of it, we were left us with a lot of songs with nowhere to go. We felt like a few of them fit together nicely but not quite enough to compile for a release. So we decided to go back and book more studio time to record a few additional songs to round it out. We really had no idea what [Tiny Empire] was gonna end up being and if it would even be released. I think it worked out better like that in the end.“

This five-song EP opens with an instrumental track called "Source 2," a marimba-dense tune featuring an unexpected flute solo that invites you on a journey where you may fall into more genre-crossover amalgamations.

While on the journey, you fall into the next song, “Explainin’,” an acoustic ballad with a bubbly synth that feels like a warm send-off to the end of summer. The lyric “when you think of pretty things… do you think of me?” leads into a reminiscence of a fling that ended with lingering questions.

It ends quickly to shift gears into “Bite Down” and “Punching Bag,” both of which hold small revelations of sensitivity. The latter closes with the poignant statement: “You act like you're better, you're no patron saint.”

The last song on Tiny Empire, “Blouse,” brings in additional vocals from Lily Piette, adding a brightness to the track. Amongst the layered harmonies, you’re carried by luscious saxophone and trumpet accents that lift the catchy song even higher. “I do it with my heart on my sleeve,” Pierce sings, as each track on Tiny Empire reveals more of the duo’s inner world.

Make sure to check out the video for “Blouse” and give the full EP a spin:

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