Tom Chapman
Tom Chapman
Tom Chapman, born Thomas Louis Chapman on 15 May 1972 in Chevreuse, France, is a French-British musician, producer and songwriter. He is best known as the bass guitarist for the English rock band New Order. He has also helped form ShadowParty and Sea Fever, and in 2013 began working with Rubberbear.
Career highlights
- Bad Lieutenant: In 2009 Chapman joined Bad Lieutenant as the bass player. The band, formed by Bernard Sumner, also included Phil Cunningham, Jake Evans, Alex James, Jack Mitchell, and Stephen Morris. He played on the debut album and joined the band on tour in 2009–2010.
- New Order: Chapman joined New Order for two charity gigs in 2011 (in Brussels and Paris) to replace Peter Hook for those shows. He then toured with the band from 2011 to 2013. After questions about whether he mimed on stage, the band said he performed live with his own bass part. New Order released Music Complete in 2015 and continued to perform live through the 2010s and into the 2020s, including a 2022 Unity Tour with Pet Shop Boys.
- Rubberbear: Since 2013 Chapman has worked with Steve Trafford as the duo Rubberbear. They released several EPs and performed live across the UK. They signed with Republic of Music and released the EP Other Side of the Fence in 2014.
- ShadowParty: In 2014 Chapman started ShadowParty with Josh Hager (of Devo) and Phil Cunningham, with Jeff Friedl joining later. The group released a self-titled album in 2018, featuring collaborators from bands like The Verve and Primal Scream. ShadowParty toured in the UK and Europe and appeared at several festivals through 2019.
- Sea Fever: In 2020 Chapman helped form Sea Fever with Iwan Gronow (Haven, Johnny Marr), Beth Cassidy (Section 25), Phil Cunningham and Elliot Barlow. They released the single Crossed Wires in 2020, followed by the album Folding Lines in 2021. The band released more singles in 2021–2022 and played at festivals and headline shows in the UK.
Instruments and style
- Chapman primarily plays bass, using Fender basses and a Music Man StingRay for live work. While recording with New Order in 2013–2014 he used a Fender Precision Bass. He also plays keyboards and guitar, and is an endorsed Fender artist.
Discography (highlights)
- Tribeca, Ithaca: early releases in the 2000s
- Bad Lieutenant: Never Cry Another Tear (2009); In The Ghetto (2010)
- New Order: various live releases and the 2015 album Music Complete; subsequent tours and appearances
- Rubberbear: Lets Move Somewhere Else and related EPs (2013–2014)
- ShadowParty: ShadowParty (2018)
- Sea Fever: Folding Lines (2021) and related singles (2021–2022)
Tom Chapman remains active in multiple projects, continuing to work as a bassist, producer, and collaborator across bands and solo work.
This page was last edited on 29 January 2026, at 02:00 (CET).