Chilli Jesson is stepping back into the spotlight with a project defined by raw vulnerability and a long-overdue reckoning with the past. In a move that signals a latest chapter for the musician, Dead Dads Club announce 2026 UK tour dates, bringing the visceral sounds of his latest perform to intimate stages across the country this coming May.
The announcement follows the release of the project’s self-titled debut album in January via Fiction Records. Produced by Carlos O’Connell, the guitarist for the critically acclaimed band Fontaines D.C., the record serves as a sonic exploration of childhood trauma and the enduring weight of absence.
UK Headline Tour Schedule: May 2026
The tour is designed to mirror the intimacy of the album, focusing on smaller, high-impact venues that allow for a closer connection between the performer and the audience. The run begins in the Midlands and winds through several key cultural hubs before concluding on the south coast.
| Date | City | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| May 12 | Birmingham | Sunflower Lounge |
| May 13 | Cardiff | Clwb Ifor Bach |
| May 14 | Brighton | The Great Escape |
| May 15 | Norwich | Voodoo Daddy’s |
| May 19 | London | Camden Assembly |
| May 20 | Bedford | Esquires |
| May 21 | Liverpool | Rough Trade |
| May 22 | Southampton | Zerox |
Tickets for the May 2026 tour are currently available through Ticketmaster.
Processing Grief and Inherited Loss
At the heart of Dead Dads Club is a deeply personal narrative. Jesson uses the album to navigate the complex emotions stemming from the loss of his father to drug addiction when he was only 14 years old. For years, the subject remained a private struggle, one that Jesson admits he was not equipped to translate into art during his earlier career.
Reflecting on the lyrical direction of the record, Jesson noted that the work functions as both a personal diary and a universal study of mourning. “This record can be interpreted, lyrically, as a very specific time for me, or it can be loss in general,” he said. He added, “This was an album that I’d wanted to write since I was 15, but I didn’t have the capability to get it out. I never used to really speak about it – at all. I used to be a fucking closed book with this subject.”
The creative breakthrough was partly inspired by a familial connection. Jesson’s sister, Georgie Jesson, recently released a book of poetry exploring similar themes of loss. This shared artistic exploration provided the catalyst for Chilli to finally confront his own history. He described the experience of both siblings releasing art about the same subject as “quite fascinating.”
A Career Arc: From Palma Violets to Fontaines D.C.
The emergence of Dead Dads Club marks a significant evolution for Jesson, who first gained prominence as the frontman of Palma Violets. The gap between his debut with that band and this new project spans 13 years—a period defined by experimentation and a search for a definitive musical voice. Following the Palma Violets era, Jesson explored different sounds through a short-lived project called Crewel Intentions and later released work under his own name.
A pivotal shift occurred in 2023 when Jesson joined Fontaines D.C. As a live multi-instrumentalist. This collaboration not only expanded his musical palette but also forged the professional bond with Carlos O’Connell. O’Connell’s production on the Dead Dads Club debut helped Jesson steer his bleakest personal reflections into a structured, cohesive soundtrack, blending the raw edge of his past with a more mature, focused sonic direction.
By transforming a lifetime of silence into a public performance, Jesson is attempting to find a sense of resolution. The upcoming tour represents the first time these specific songs—and the grief they carry—will be shared in a live setting.
The tour will kick off in Birmingham on May 12, 2026, marking the first live manifestation of the self-titled album. Further updates regarding support acts or additional dates are expected as the tour window approaches.
Do you have a favorite track from the debut album? Share your thoughts in the comments or let us know if you’ll be attending a date on the tour.
