Making a Scene Presents Gerry Casey’s Interview with Chris Chalmers

Chris Chalmers is a Belfast-based singer and guitarist best known as the frontman of The 2:19, a blues-rooted band that earned a strong reputation on the Northern Irish scene and released three critically acclaimed albums before Chalmers began exploring a new chapter under his own name.

That next chapter arrives as Chris Chalmers & The Souvenirs, a project built around Chalmers’ songwriting, voice, and lived-in feel for roots music. The band’s debut album, Way Back Home, was released May 1, 2026 and features 11 songs that lean into heartfelt, hooky Americana and blues-influenced storytelling.

A key part of the Souvenirs story is Chalmers’ longtime friendship and collaboration with Marty Young (also associated with The 2:19). Recording for Way Back Home began in April 2025 at Chris’s family home in Belfast, on the same street where Chalmers and Young grew up—an origin detail that mirrors the album’s themes of memory, home, and the pull of where you come from. Young recorded, mixed, and mastered the album, making the project as personal in process as it is in subject matter.

The release has been supported by singles including the title track “Way Back Home” and “Over the Edge,” with the latter released via CDBaby/YouTube—showcasing the band’s soulful edge and Chalmers’ direct, emotionally grounded delivery.

Chris Chalmers & The Souvenirs is, at its core, an extension of Chalmers’ history: a musician shaped by Belfast stages, sharpened by years of live performance, and now turning that experience into a project that feels both intimate and road-ready. If The 2:19 built the foundation, The Souvenirs is the sound of Chalmers widening the frame—keeping the grit and heart, while letting the songs travel further.