Some musical partnerships feel inevitable in hindsight. Ides of Sedition is one of them.
Formed in 2023, Ides of Sedition brings together Chris Bashford—an original member of seminal British punk band Chelsea, one of the key acts of the 1977 punk explosion—and Caralinda Booth, a keyboardist and arranger whose credits include Shakespears Sister, Thompson Twins and Deborah Harry. Between them, they carry decades of hard-won experience across punk, post-punk and new wave, and they’ve channelled all of it into something that feels fresh, considered and completely their own.
The band’s debut album is Perfection Is Overrated. The title is something of a statement of intent: this is music made with conviction rather than calculation, with an eye on what feels true rather than what’s fashionable. The album draws on the raw energy of Bashford’s punk roots and Booth’s sophisticated harmonic sensibility, creating a record that rewards repeated listening.
Perfection Is Overrated is available now from the Skruffy Records shop in digital and physical formats.
Chris Bashford was present at the birth of British punk. As an original member of Chelsea—one of the genre’s founding acts, formed in London in the mid-1970s—he helped shape the sound and attitude that went on to influence generations of musicians. His work with Ides of Sedition carries that same uncompromising spirit forward into new territory.
Caralinda Booth brings a complementary depth of experience from a different corner of British music. Her keyboard work and arrangements have graced recordings and tours with Shakespears Sister, Thompson Twins and Deborah Harry—artists known for their craft, their intelligence and their willingness to push boundaries.
