The Identity of Chip Chrome

 
Cover Artist: Mikayla Alpert

Cover Artist: Mikayla Alpert

As it may be Hard to Imagine The Neighbourhood Ever Changing in 2018, the cherished indie-alternative band has discovered an alternate identity within their unique concept album Chip Chome and The Monotones. Frontman, Jesse Ruthorford, introduces a persona to his listeners - covered head-to-toe in glistening tin-man silver, we meet the hero that is Chip Chrome. Discovering an identity as a music artist is a challenging game yet the process can open up so many doors regarding the creative autonomy of the artists’ inner-self. Listeners may feel as though they understand what Chip is all about, however, the persona is more than just a soulful inspiration drawn from David Bowie’s alter-ego Ziggy Stardust. 

Chip Chrome is a rock-n-roll character/art project made to display the image that has been projected onto Ruthorford throughout his career. Chip is a star although he may not believe it yet - this idea is evident in The Neighbourhood’s ‘Stargazing’ music video as Chip is met with people who have had a connection to Ruthorford’s reality. All of the people who he encounters such as Lana Del Ray and Jaden Smith, also have gone through similar journeys in fame. This idea is also appreciated through tracks such as ‘Devil’s Advocate’ as the message behind the song can be interpreted that The Neighbourhood would rather be little-known than facing the constraints of fame. 

After their heightened success of ‘Sweater Weather’ in 2013, they have been travelling at lightspeed in success since then. Chip Chrome is here to test the waters, as he sings in ‘The Shining’, “you’ve got a heart of gold / and mine’s always broken / so i’ll just paint it chrome”. The action of painting something chrome may be a metaphor for something that only Ruthorford understands, however, he is allowing his audience to create that metaphor for themselves as they see fit.

Jesse Ruthorford essentially ‘killed off’ his online personal identity as he disabled his Instagram account @jesseruthorford when he turned 27-years-old. He took a break from social media and then soon created what the world now knows him as @chipchrome. His personal online identity was dead at 27, a subtle reference to the 27 Club as he felt as though The Neighbourhood was struggling to discover an identity while living in a social media immersed society. In a Coup De Main Magazine interview with The Neighbourhood from 2018, Jesse Ruthorford’s 27th birthday is brought into the discussion as he states “I’m almost there. I’m ready for the afterlife. I’m ready to shed my skin”. This article was written prior to the release of the Chip Chrome and The Monotones album and we can see Ruthorford questioning the band’s identity before Chip made his debut. 

Now that Rutherford has had his chance in the spotlight, he introduces Chip Chrome to enter a new era for The Neighbourhood. As they have been avidly known as the alternative indie band who produced their massive hit ‘Sweater Weather’ under an unidentifiable persona - to imagine the band changing their sound would be a shock to the audience yet undeniably refreshing.

Chip Chrome’s star-studded exterior is a nod to the appearance of Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust. Chip is described by Ruthorford as more of an art project rather than an alter ego. Bowie had a fascination with space travel, represented strongly across his records ‘Space Oddity’ and ‘Life on Mars?’. According to Rolling Stone, Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust was the story of a starman coming down to Earth to deliver a message of hope. When Bowie passed, people began to listen to his music again and create sounds inspired by the icon, however, the essence of Ziggy Stardust was now absent in the industry. The story of Ziggy ends with him being destroyed by his own excesses and the adoration of his fans. Drawing from this inspiration, it was time for a rebirth of an era and Chip was born. 

The Neighbourhood never really had a prominent identity. At the beginning of their career, in 2012, they had an affiliation of monochrome aesthetics and a darkened sound circulating the ambience. Now, they show the world a technicoloured, fluorescent side of them. Even though they have altered their sound to a more vibrant envelope of noise, the romantic expressionist lyrics from Ruthorford’s smooth vocal tone continue to provide us with messages of hope and desire. Chip, originally meant to be an independent project for Ruthorford, has advanced the band to a place in the industry that they haven’t been to before. The four other members of The Neighbourhood become known as the Monotones, shadowing as silhouettes of the silver-studded hero. Although Chip is a star, he can only be discovered with the help from his stardust trail - gaining a new rendition of the group’s chemistry. The concept album of Chip Chrome and The Monotones pushes The Neighbourhood into an undiscovered dimension of their creative autonomy. 

You may be asking, what does it mean to have an identity as an artist? Being an artist is all about finding your voice, figuring out who you want the world to see you as and exploring your personal identity. Even if it may be a one-project deal, Chip Chrome is here to stay as Ruthorford has created an iconic figure in the industry that will linger on for light years ahead - possibly becoming an inspiration for a future artist. Since The Neighbourhoods debut in 2012, it wasn’t until Ruthorford imagined the idea of a chrome man to bring the world hope, that he had finally found his voice. Taking at least 30 minutes in the hair and makeup chair to transform into Chip, Rutherford can still find himself with a simple swipe of makeup remover.

Chip Chrome takes to Instagram at the debut of the Deluxe version of Chip Chrome and The Monotones that “it really feels like we made the best version of @thenbd we could’ve made at this point in our lives. Now I find myself in 2021 with a renewed sense of self.”

Stay shining Chip!

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Regan Charterisbatch 6