Split Chain

534 fans

There’s a phrase you’ll hear repeatedly when in the company of Split Chain: “The Chain does what it wants”. As mantras go, it’s used by the Bristol, UK quintet as a means of encapsulating the broad-minded, unconstrained creative freedom with which they approach their art, as well as a means through which to try to make sense of the sky-rocketing trajectory the band have found themselves on.

Call it instinct, fate, divine intervention, whatever – the whims of ‘The Chain’ have led to a moment where one thing is abundantly clear: Split Chain are one of the hottest, zeitgeist-capturing new bands in the world.

“Split Chain is something that none of us feel like we have any control of,” says frontman Bert Martinez-Cowles. “Split Chain simply does what it wants and what it needs.”

It is at this juncture in Split Chain’s journey that debut album motionblur arrives. Described by Bert as “a coming of age story”, the album channels the conflicting and contradictory angst, excitement, joy and pain of growing up and discovering your true sense of self. motionblur presents a story that speaks to both Split Chain’s members’ personal experiences and those shared together in the past few dizzying years; a visceral, kaleidoscopic wall of sound where unsettling, disorientating confusion meets a fevered adrenaline-rush. motionblur is an album to experience, to feel, to engulf; it’s the blissful sense of euphoria that comes with drowning in its waves.

There are shades of the quintet’s beloved Deftones, Superheaven, Narrowhead; bursts of nu-metal, and ripples of shoegaze. An emo melancholy hangs heavy. Grunge swerves in and out of view. Metal crackles under the surface. Its beauty lies in its skillfully crafted coalescence, no mean feat for an album so richly varied yet singularly focused. motionblur is at once a nostalgic homage to its 90s and early 00s cultural reference points while never once sounding anything less than thrillingly vibrant, a captivating depiction of rock’s burgeoning present and future.

As a singular statement, motionblur “is a record that tells you that it’s okay to be your authentic self”, Bert says. “This is the story of what we’ve been through, and this is the story of who we are today. You either let the things you have experienced define you, or you choose a different path. You can be whoever you want to be. If there’s one thing I hope people take from the album, it’s that.”

As for Split Chain themselves, motionblur is another bold step into an unknown of which they could only dream a few short years ago. The Chain, as they say, does what it wants. The key, Bert nods, is continuing to put their faith in its ways, to let their fiercely DIY ethics and purity of creative vision that has served them so well carve the path forward, organically and authentically.

“We let chaos reign,” Bert says. “And we just try to hold on.”
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Top tracks

01
(Re)-Extract
Split Chain
(Re)-Extract
03:02
Writer: Roberto Martinez-Cowles - Jacob Reid - Oliver Bowles - Aaron Black - Thomas Davies - Mercedes Arn-Horn - Phoenix Arn-Horn / Composers: Roberto Martinez-Cowles - Jacob Reid - Oliver Bowles - Aaron Black - Thomas Davies - Mercedes Arn-Horn - Phoenix Arn-Horn
01
who am i?
Split Chain
who am i?
02:49
Writer: Roberto Martinez-Cowles - Jake Reid - Oliver Bowles - Tom Davies - Aaron Black - Jordan Round / Composers: Roberto Martinez-Cowles - Jake Reid - Oliver Bowles - Tom Davies - Aaron Black - Jordan Round
01
I Don't Wanna Be Me
Split Chain
I Don't Wanna Be Me
03:49
Writer: Peter Steele / Composers: Peter Steele
01
Future
Split Chain
Future
02:40
Writer: Roberto Martinez-Cowles - Jacob Reid - Oliver Bowles - Thomas Davies - Aaron Black / Composers: Roberto Martinez-Cowles - Jacob Reid - Oliver Bowles - Thomas Davies - Aaron Black
01
Subside
Split Chain
Subside
02:41
Writer: Roberto Martinez-Cowles - Jake Reid - Oliver Bowles - Tom Davies - Aaron Black - Jordan Round / Composers: Roberto Martinez-Cowles - Jake Reid - Oliver Bowles - Tom Davies - Aaron Black - Jordan Round
01
I'm Not Dying To Be Here
Split Chain
I'm Not Dying To Be Here
03:24
Writer: Roberto Martinez-Cowles - Jake Reid - Oliver Bowles - Tom Davies - Aaron Black - Jordan Round / Composers: Roberto Martinez-Cowles - Jake Reid - Oliver Bowles - Tom Davies - Aaron Black - Jordan Round
01
Get Inside
Split Chain
Get Inside
03:08
Writer: Roberto Martinez-Cowles - Jacob Reid - Oliver Bowles - Thomas Davies - Aaron Black / Composers: Roberto Martinez-Cowles - Jacob Reid - Oliver Bowles - Thomas Davies - Aaron Black
01
Extract
Split Chain
Extract
03:00
Writer: Roberto Martinez-Cowles - Jacob Reid - Oliver Bowles - Thomas Davies - Aaron Black / Composers: Roberto Martinez-Cowles - Jacob Reid - Oliver Bowles - Thomas Davies - Aaron Black
01
Haven
Split Chain
Haven
03:11
Writer: Roberto Martinez-Cowles / Composers: Kel Pinchin - Roberto Martinez-Cowles - Jake Reid - Oliver Bowles - Tom Davies - Aaron Black
01
Fade
Split Chain
Fade
02:46
Writer: Roberto Martinez-Cowles - Jacob Reid - Oliver Bowles - Thomas Davies - Aaron Black / Composers: Roberto Martinez-Cowles - Jacob Reid - Oliver Bowles - Thomas Davies - Aaron Black
01
Chalk
Split Chain
Chalk
02:29
Writer: Roberto Martinez-Cowles - Jacob Reid - Oliver Bowles - Thomas Davies - Aaron Black / Composers: Roberto Martinez-Cowles - Jacob Reid - Oliver Bowles - Thomas Davies - Aaron Black
01
Descend
Split Chain
Descend
03:40
Writer: Roberto Martinez-Cowles - Jacob Reid - Oliver Bowles - Thomas Davies - Aaron Black / Composers: Roberto Martinez-Cowles - Jacob Reid - Oliver Bowles - Thomas Davies - Aaron Black
01
bored. tired. torn.
Split Chain
bored. tired. torn.
02:43
Writer: Roberto Martinez-Cowles - Jake Reid - Oliver Bowles - Tom Davies - Aaron Black - Jordan Round / Composers: Roberto Martinez-Cowles - Jake Reid - Oliver Bowles - Tom Davies - Aaron Black - Jordan Round

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  • Discography
Singles
℗ 2025 Epitaph
05-06-2025
who am i?
01
who am i?
Split Chain
who am i?
02:49
Writer: Roberto Martinez-Cowles - Jake Reid - Oliver Bowles - Tom Davies - Aaron Black - Jordan Round / Composers: Roberto Martinez-Cowles - Jake Reid - Oliver Bowles - Tom Davies - Aaron Black - Jordan Round
℗ 2025 Epitaph
30-04-2025
Subside
01
Subside
Split Chain
Subside
02:41
Writer: Roberto Martinez-Cowles - Jake Reid - Oliver Bowles - Tom Davies - Aaron Black - Jordan Round / Composers: Roberto Martinez-Cowles - Jake Reid - Oliver Bowles - Tom Davies - Aaron Black - Jordan Round
℗ 2025 Epitaph
27-03-2025
bored. tired. torn.
01
bored. tired. torn.
Split Chain
bored. tired. torn.
02:43
Writer: Roberto Martinez-Cowles - Jake Reid - Oliver Bowles - Tom Davies - Aaron Black - Jordan Round / Composers: Roberto Martinez-Cowles - Jake Reid - Oliver Bowles - Tom Davies - Aaron Black - Jordan Round
℗ 2025 Epitaph
17-01-2025
I'm Not Dying To Be Here
01
I'm Not Dying To Be Here
Split Chain
I'm Not Dying To Be Here
03:24
Writer: Roberto Martinez-Cowles - Jake Reid - Oliver Bowles - Tom Davies - Aaron Black - Jordan Round / Composers: Roberto Martinez-Cowles - Jake Reid - Oliver Bowles - Tom Davies - Aaron Black - Jordan Round
℗ 2024 Epitaph
17-10-2024
I Don't Wanna Be Me
01
I Don't Wanna Be Me
Split Chain
I Don't Wanna Be Me
03:49
Writer: Peter Steele / Composers: Peter Steele
℗ 2024 Epitaph
17-09-2024
(Re)-Extract
01
(Re)-Extract
Split Chain
(Re)-Extract
03:02
Writer: Roberto Martinez-Cowles - Jacob Reid - Oliver Bowles - Aaron Black - Thomas Davies - Mercedes Arn-Horn - Phoenix Arn-Horn / Composers: Roberto Martinez-Cowles - Jacob Reid - Oliver Bowles - Aaron Black - Thomas Davies - Mercedes Arn-Horn - Phoenix Arn-Horn
℗ 2024 Epitaph
13-06-2024
Haven
01
Haven
Split Chain
Haven
03:11
Writer: Roberto Martinez-Cowles / Composers: Kel Pinchin - Roberto Martinez-Cowles - Jake Reid - Oliver Bowles - Tom Davies - Aaron Black
℗ 2024 Epitaph
17-04-2024
Descend
01
Descend
Split Chain
Descend
03:40
Writer: Roberto Martinez-Cowles - Jacob Reid - Oliver Bowles - Thomas Davies - Aaron Black / Composers: Roberto Martinez-Cowles - Jacob Reid - Oliver Bowles - Thomas Davies - Aaron Black
℗ 2024 Epitaph
09-02-2024
Fade
01
Fade
Split Chain
Fade
02:46
Writer: Roberto Martinez-Cowles - Jacob Reid - Oliver Bowles - Thomas Davies - Aaron Black / Composers: Roberto Martinez-Cowles - Jacob Reid - Oliver Bowles - Thomas Davies - Aaron Black
℗ 2024 Epitaph
20-10-2023
Chalk
01
Chalk
Split Chain
Chalk
02:29
Writer: Roberto Martinez-Cowles - Jacob Reid - Oliver Bowles - Thomas Davies - Aaron Black / Composers: Roberto Martinez-Cowles - Jacob Reid - Oliver Bowles - Thomas Davies - Aaron Black
℗ 2024 Epitaph
18-08-2023
Extract
01
Extract
Split Chain
Extract
03:00
Writer: Roberto Martinez-Cowles - Jacob Reid - Oliver Bowles - Thomas Davies - Aaron Black / Composers: Roberto Martinez-Cowles - Jacob Reid - Oliver Bowles - Thomas Davies - Aaron Black
℗ 2024 Epitaph
09-06-2023
Future
01
Future
Split Chain
Future
02:40
Writer: Roberto Martinez-Cowles - Jacob Reid - Oliver Bowles - Thomas Davies - Aaron Black / Composers: Roberto Martinez-Cowles - Jacob Reid - Oliver Bowles - Thomas Davies - Aaron Black
℗ 2024 Epitaph
14-04-2023
Get Inside
01
Get Inside
Split Chain
Get Inside
03:08
Writer: Roberto Martinez-Cowles - Jacob Reid - Oliver Bowles - Thomas Davies - Aaron Black / Composers: Roberto Martinez-Cowles - Jacob Reid - Oliver Bowles - Thomas Davies - Aaron Black