Belfast post-punk/electronic duo Chalk have shared new single ‘Pain’ and announced that they have signed with NYC based label ALTER Music ahead of a hometown support slot with and share Fontaines D.C. later this week.

‘Pain’ is the first glimpse into their debut album which was recorded in rural Northern Ireland earlier this year, mixing German-influenced techno with gothic, post-punk. Ross Cullen and Benedict Goddard have experienced a meteoric rise in 2025, with a sold-out European tour and appearances at Glastonbury.

Speaking of ‘Pain’ Cullen stated: “I started writing from the perspective of wanting to feel untouchable, but it became more about how vulnerability can overtake you. As I wrote, I realised parts of it connected to losing a friend when I was younger, and how that shaped my understanding of life’s fragility.”

“We shot the video on the same camera they used for ‘28 Days Later’. We wanted the footage to have an authentic gritty yet nostalgic texture that emphasised the ideas of the song, and the album as a whole. This is the beginning of the new era of Chalk.” adds Goddard.

‘Pain’ was produced by Chris Ryan (NewDad, Enola Gay, Just Mustard) and Ross Cullen and mixed by Andrew Dawson (The Rolling Stones, Jay-Z, Tyler, The Creator), and mastered by Chris Gehringer (Lana Del Rey, Lady Gaga, Rihanna).