Chevelle (Credit: Steve Thrasher)
Three decades into their career, Chevelle remain one of America’s most enduring heavy rock bands. With their tenth album Bright as Blasphemy, brothers Pete and Sam Loeffler continue to push forward on their own terms. Sam Loeffler reflects on the themes behind the new record, the risks of self-producing, the energy of touring, and what keeps the band’s fire alive.
Bright as Blasphemy is a provocative title for your new album. How much of this album was influenced by current events or the broader mood of the times?
I think the title is really about how cool it sounds. It’s difficult to come up with a title that includes the ideas of all 9 songs. Of course, all the songs are influenced by what is going on in Pete’s world. He pulls from everything around him.
There’s a tension running through ‘Rabbit Hole’ and ‘Jim Jones.’ What inspired those two lead tracks?
They basically deal with a certain type of “coward.” Someone who can speak and be loud about something that they believe is true and then they don’t follow what they are preaching.
You’ve never chased trends, but the new material feels timely in its heaviness. Do you think the world needs heavier music right now?
We really just work on songs that are moving us at the time. Subjects that we find interesting and chord progressions that we want to play every day. The heavy stuff just inspires us. And yes, the world needs heavy music.
What risks did you take on this record that you might not have dared 10 years ago?
Pete produced this album. We worked on all of this from our studio and only our studio so that was a risk in itself. We didn’t know if it would work. I think that with Kemble engineering, we were able to put so much of what we have learned over the years into real practice.
What’s kept the fire alive for 30 years when so many peers have burned out or faded?
Wow, that’s a big question. Truthfully playing the songs live is its own inspiration. It’s the final part of seeing all the songs through to the end. It would feel unfinished if we didn’t get to play them live.
As brothers, how have you managed to stay creatively aligned, and emotionally intact, over such a long and intense partnership?
A big part of it is having a single vision throughout most of the project. Allowing someone to get the whole idea out before someone else weighs in. It makes all the difference and it is probably true for most things.
You’ve got a packed tour lined up. What can fans expect from your forthcoming shows and do your festival dates differ?
We only have the one festival date at the end and it’s not the whole tour. I think these shows have been amazing. People like the lineup for sure. As for what can you expect? Our production has really tried to be next level and it shows. Robb at somidwest.com has killed it. The show just ramps up the whole time.
How do you measure success today?
As for a metric, ticket sales are a good one. But my personal success in this band has already been achieved. I have done everything I could want to do. The rest is all gravy. I am grateful every day.
Looking back at your debut album, what advice would 2025 Chevelle give to Chevelle in 1995?
Start playing to a click right away and keep working on the songs until they are done, for real.
What do you want Bright as Blasphemy to say about where Chevelle is in 2025?
We write what we want to play and basically do whatever we want now. It’s a good place to be. Probably the best place anyone can ever be in music.
