The new record is Chad Valley's third in total and follows 2015's Entirely New Blue.

Imaginary Music is formed from the aftermath of a major loss - CV's laptop, which featured the bulk of the record, was stolen while on tour in the USA. The music was lost, but instead of trying to replicate the sounds from memory, Chad Valley set about rebuilding the LP from scratch, veering into new sonic territories and thematic environs in the process.

"'Impartial' was the first song that I wrote after returning from the tour in 2016 where I had my laptop and all my gear stolen," Chad Valley's Hugo Manuel explains. "Coming home to the small-town mentality of Oxford and working a summer job after having this crazy tour experience was a strange transition to make, and the way I dealt with that was with escapism. I tried to write something that was completely out of my head and my own personal experience and hopefully create something timeless with that. The song describes a first date and the conflict and passion that can come with it. I tried to convey the rush of adrenaline when you see someone for the first time that you know is going to be important in your life. It was inspired in equal parts by Prince’s drum programming and Sade’s sophisticated cool."

Chad Valley will be taking the new noises on tour across North America and Europe later this year, with headline shows in London, Manchester, and Glasgow confirmed for May. Find out the full details.