Chloe Alper

Chloë Alper (born 13 September 1981) is a British singer-songwriter, vocal arranger and multi-instrumentalist. She began her music career in 1996 with Riot grrrl punk band Period Pains and is now a member of the English rock band James and is credited with additional vocal arrangements on their 2024 studio album '' Yummy'', which reached number one in the UK's Official Albums Chart Top 100. Alper is also a founding member of the British new prog rock group Pure Reason Revolution. Her solo release, "Juno", featured on the original motion picture soundtrack to "Maniac". Another solo release, "True Love", is the title track to the American supernatural horror film " Amityville: The Awakening".

Biography

Period Pains

Born 13 September 1981, from the age of 13, Alper fronted the cult Riot grrrl punk band Period Pains, based in Reading. The band formed in 1995 with Alper on vocals, Felicity Aldridge on guitar, Laura Warwick on bass and Laura Viney on drums. Viney was later replaced by Magdalena (Magda) Przybylski.

Their 1997 anti-Spice Girls single, "Spice Girls (Who Do YOU Think You Are?)", was released on Damaged Goods. The disc received airplay from John Peel, for whom they later recorded a session which was later released as an EP. The band were highlighted by John Peel in his Festive 50 for 1997. The band were covered by publications including ''The Daily Mail'' and '' Just 17'' but only played a few live shows, notably opening in the Dr Martens tent for the 1997 Reading Festival.

Pure Reason Revolution

Alper then joined Reading-based band The Sunset Sound, which eventually became Pure Reason Revolution, contributing vocals, picking up the bass guitar later after the previous bassist left. Alper also plays keyboards, including a midi sample-triggering keyboard during live performances. In shows in 2010 and 2011 she also played an Epiphone SG guitar on certain tracks.

The band signed to Alan McGee's Poptones label for a one-off release of "Apprentice of the Universe", which peaked at number 12 in the indie charts. Signing to SonyBMG in autumn 2004, the following year saw Pure Reason Revolution releasing two singles and one mini-album, followed by the full-length debut '' The Dark Third'' in 2006, with producer Paul Northfield. During this time, PRR supported Mew, Hope of the States, Porcupine Tree, Secret Machines and Oceansize, as well as headlining their own gigs, and recorded sessions for Mark Radcliffe's BBC Radio 2 show and XFM.

The band's second album '' Amor Vincit Omnia'' was released in March 2009 on Superball Music, and accompanied by an extensive headline tour of Britain and Europe. The band were track of the week on Kerrang! Radio and track of the day in Classic Rock Magazine. The new music was darker and more electronic than previous offerings, qualities that were largely retained for 2010's third studio album, ''Hammer and Anvil'', also released via Superball. Hammer and Anvil opens with a track sung exclusively by Alper, Fight Fire, which received lengthy airtime on XFM and other radio stations.

Pure Reason Revolution split on good terms in November 2011, with members choosing to pursue other projects. A final series of concerts in the UK saw the Dark Third album played in full for the first time. A final EP entitled ''Valour'' was also released as a download-only in conjunction with the break up, with proceeds donated to charity.

On 12 October 2018, Pure Reason Revolution announced that they were re-forming with Jon Courtney and Chloe Alper being the only members of the original lineup to return. Their comeback album, "Eupnea", was released in April 2020 on InsideOut. "Eupnea" reached number three in the Official UK Rock Album Chart.

Alper continued with the band for their next album, ''Above Cirrus'', released 2022, but then left the band.

Solo releases

In 2013, Alper began work on a solo project for which she recorded songs in collaboration with Tom Bellamy (of The Cooper Temple Clause and Losers), who worked on Pure Reason Revolution's album ''Hammer and Anvil'') and Robin Coudert (of Phoenix). "Juno", written by Alper and Coudert, is featured on the original motion picture soundtrack to the 2013 film ''Maniac''. "True Love", written by Alper and Coudert featured on the original motion picture soundtrack to the 2017 film '' Amityville: The Awakening''.

Tiny Giant

In 2015 Alper announced she had formed a new band – Tiny Giant – with her co-writer; the Grammy and MOBO nominated multi-instrumentalist Mat Collis. Their first single "Joely" was released on 9 May 2016 which won them a nomination for the Limelight (New Band) award at the Progressive Music Awards Eon Music. They released a further three singles, School of Hard Knocks, Draw me a Line and Thirsty & Sad. A leaked album track soundtracked Vanity Fair's "Playhouse Presents" series for Sky Arts

DJ

Alper often performs under the pseudonym 'Chloe Ramone'.

References

External links

Woman Rock interview with Alper, 2005Disorder magazine interview, 2006BBC Interview with Pure Reason Revolution by Linda Serck 23-03-2009

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alper, Chloe
Living people
1981 births
British rock bass guitarists
British rock keyboardists
British women bass guitarists
Musicians from Reading, Berkshire
21st-century women musicians
21st-century English bass guitarists
Pure Reason Revolution members