The Chords UK were formed in 2012 by Chris Pope, the chief songwriter/guitarist of the highly regarded late 70’s new wave pop act The Chords.

Commonly associated with the mod revival, the band released several singles in 1979-80 that flirted with the Top 40 plus one solitary album that hit the Top 30.

Over three decades on, original lead singer Billy Hassett had relocated to Tokyo and was performing the band’s repertoire as The J-Chords, so Pope decided to create a UK version in order to continue playing the likes of ‘Maybe Tomorrow’, ‘So Far Away’, ‘The British Way of Life’ and other songs that he had written just after leaving school and was juggling his writing responsibilities with the struggles involved in being a teenager signed to a major record label (Polydor).

Teaming up with the crack rhythm section of Mic Stoner (bass) and Kenny Cooper (drums) and later adding guitarist Sandy Michie, this line-up have been gigging regularly since 2014 and started recording new material a year later.

Their opening salvo was an EP entitled ‘Get Famous’, released in the autumn of 2015 and described by Vive Le Rock as “more melodic pop chestnuts from a much underrated UK songwriter.” Working with renowned producer Pat Collier, the group have now delivered a blistering debut album, ‘Take On Life’, that details Pope’s ongoing experience of London’s daily grind (‘Man On The Northern Line’) offset by the hedonistic thrill of the weekend (‘Get Me To Saturday Night’), his dissatisfaction with the elite who lord it over the rest of us (‘Pillars Of Society’), and the inevitable march of time and acceptance of ‘progress’ (‘Dreams Of Yesterday’).

Chris Pope has also recorded with the bands Agent Orange, Gatecrash Heaven and Pope, and released three acclaimed albums under his own name, the most recent of which is 2012’s ‘Peace Of Mind’.