CHARTREUSE

For Chartreuse, the rural Icelandic studio Flóki served as a refuge. Set on the island’s northern tip, a five-hour drive from Reykjavík, the Black Country band’s two-week stay in summer 2024 was one of escape, connection and understanding. They returned with a special, urgent new album, Bless You & Be Well. Their 2023 debut, Morning Ritual, introduced a group that rejected indie-rock tropes in favour of unusual instruments and production. “We’ve always almost been anti-band,” says guitarist and singer Mike Wagstaff. “Whenever we hear something familiar, we try to fuck it up.”