Prepare for an adventure across the spectrum of emotions as you enjoy the debut EP, Ochre, from pop duo Chain Of Islands.

Photo: Kayla Chin

Boston-formed duo Chain Of Islands are the summer pop act you didn’t know you needed until you heard it. Despite members Nick Sera and Derek Vautrinot having a background in rock and hardcore, Chain Of Islands is almost anything but aggressive with its ambling melodies and opulent textures. Borrowing snippets of R&B, the duo weave their own immersive style of pop that is coloured with a range of instrumental tones and bedazzle you with polychromatic harmonies.

The duo have just shared their debut EP, Ochre, which neatly compiles and presents a scope of emotions. Don’t be fooled by the seemingly short length of the work – spanning emotional ballads and dance-inducing bangers, it demonstrates the flexibility of the duo in their music-making and their ability to relate with you on multiple fronts through their candid songwriting.

Speaking more about this, the duo shares: 

We’re so excited to put these songs together in a collection for the first time. They are all songs we’ve been slaving over and listening to pretty much on repeat since we first came together as Chain Of Islands. Being able to put them side to side to curate an album listening experience honestly never gets old and we’re so proud to be able to share this with all of the people who have listened so far and are yet to jam along with us. Now we just need to get on stage and vibe with the family!

One of the new tracks on the EP is It’s Obvious, a glittering cut that takes listeners for a kaleidoscopic spin through zealous guitar melodies and velvety vocals. With a punchy melody and sharp lyricism that tackle on feelings of desire and flirtation, it’s sure to thrill you and send your heart fluttering with an almost-tangible electricity. It’s Obvious sounds every bit as teasing as what’s hinted by the lyrics, but we’re more than happy to take the bait and let ourselves be enticed.