Quarry’s “Chemical” is one that surges through the veins

Quarry has long been lauded for his contrarian attitude to the music he makes, defying genre conventions and melting binaries with delicious confidence. Pulling from a vast array of inspirations – anything from LA Priest to Spice Girls to Jimi Hendrix - the product is a pop-infused firework of hisses, squeals, and synths. Bursting into familiar technicolour, his most recent cut, "Chemical", takes this sonic approach and applies it to the very messaging of the song itself.

“"Chemical" is ultimately about letting go of things we can’t control - like the chemicals that shape us, racing through our bodies and colouring everything we see,” Quarry explains. “We don’t get to choose how they make us feel, it’s just a reaction. Maybe today you weren’t ready for them, but if they catch you in just the right mood, those same feelings that hold you back can be what pushes you forward. The flash of inspiration, the flood of dopamine. These are all things that fly unpredictably and remind us that we still have surprises worth waiting for.”

It seems fitting, then, that the track is a tonic that takes over the body in disco-infused ecstasy. Reminding listeners that we are all just a biological mix of chemicals, it preaches the pointlessness of dwelling on every stress or emotion we feel. Instead, "Chemical" extends a warming invite to just dance through that which we cannot change.

“It’s frustrating to not be in control of how we feel, but at the same time, there’s something beautiful and inevitable about letting go,” he continues.

This impulse seems to have stemmed from Quarry’s experience growing up in a tiny village in Hertfordshire, feeling constrained by the small-town attitudes of those around him. However, 2022 is set to be a breakthrough year for the artist. Recently announced as the support act on Milky Chance’s upcoming European tour, his poised take on music and lyricism is sure to spread like a blaze on these bigger stages.

Although it seems illogical to draw a comparison to such a carefree and unconventional spirit, Quarry’s sonic palette is speckled with hints of Perfume Genius, Scissor Sisters, and Joesef Salvat. His persona, however, is impossible to box in. Nearly a year on from the Is That What You Call Love? EP, Carvell is expanding his pop mastery and "Chemical" is a liquid gold addition to this now curios discography.