Panchiko announce Chimera for 9 April 2027, with billy woods and Mei Semones among the guests

Panchiko have announced their third album. Chimera is due on 9 April 2027 through Nettwerk, and the first song from it, "One Car Hits Another" with Mei Semones, came out on 23 October 2026.

If you are new to the band: Panchiko are a Nottingham group whose first record began as a mystery. In 2016 a photo of an unlabelled demo CD found in a local shop turned up on an internet music forum, the songs spread, and the band behind them were eventually tracked down. They have made two albums since, Failed At Math(s) in 2023 and Ginkgo in April 2025.

What we know about Chimera

The album has 12 songs, recorded at the band's own studio, and it moves between ballads, hip-hop, shoegaze and pop. The guest list is long for a band this size:

• billy woods, the New York rapper, and Cotillon on opener "Day One". Woods also guested on "Shandy in the Graveyard" from Ginkgo.
• Mei Semones, the Brooklyn-based Japanese guitarist and songwriter, on three songs: "One Car Hits Another", "Glazing" and "Zinc Spark".
• Clarion on "Overwrite" and "Giorgia".
• Abby Sage and CJ's Mirra Maze on "Chimera", Lula Nova on "Passing", Hugh Pascall on "Glazing" and Korea Girl on "Zinc Spark".

The full tracklist: "Day One", "One Car Hits Another", "Runtime", "Glas Lands", "Overwrite", "Glazing", "Zinc Spark", "Chimera", "Passing", "Giorgia", "Swallowing Keys" and "Trickle". Pre-orders are open, and the band's Bandcamp page lists the album.

The first single

"One Car Hits Another" is a glitchy, bittersweet song that leans toward Britpop and indie rock. Frontman Wright has described the idea behind it as a serene waltz of a car crash.

On the road now

The album news lands in the middle of a UK and Ireland run that began tonight. The remaining dates, per the band's page:

• 24 October: Roundhouse, London
• 28 October: New Century Hall, Manchester
• 30 October: Empire Music Hall, Belfast
• 31 October: Vicar Street, Dublin

There is also a one-day merch event at JERKS and WASTE on Hackney Road in London on Sunday 25 October. Chimera dates beyond these have not been announced.