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Artist Interviews
Q&A: The Violet May
By CMU Editorial | Published on Wednesday 9 June 2010
Formed in 2009, The Violet May are a five-piece hailing from Sheffield. Having earned a reputation and fervent following for their raucous live shows and high energy, loud lunatic tunes, they were proclaimed as one of the Guardian’s top tips for 2010, and have won support from Jesus And Mary Chain member Douglas Hart, and Radio 1’s Rob Da Bank and Huw Stephens. Set to play a string of festivals this summer, including Secret Garden Party and Standon Calling, and having just released their debut single ‘Bright Or Better/This Crowd’ via Oh! Inverted World, we caught up with the band to find out more.
Q1 How did you start out making music?
When the band started just over a year ago it was more of a side project at the time, all the other lads were playing in other Sheffield bands and putting nights on all over the place. I think we were all drawn together by a desire to do something different to what else was happening in the city. Everything just fell into place very quickly and this band took over. Now it’s about trying to push the sound and live shows as far as they can go, we’re getting closer to the music we want to make all the time, gigging and recording as much as we can. It looks like being a really interesting year for us all.
At the moment it’s the live stuff that is really making us buzz, the sound’s just getting bigger all the time and people really seem to relate to what we’re doing; us British just love a loud, dirty, rock and roll band and long may it continue! It’s an awesome feeling when a little venue just goes off! We’re just looking forward to taking that to the festivals this summer.
Q2 What inspired your latest album?
Ask us this in a year when we have made our classic album, haha. We’re currently working towards our debut to be honest. All a young band can do in this turbulent time in music is concentrate on being the best in the world, and hope that somebody with the attitude and purse strings sees that, or be given the chance to build something with force independently. Everyone in the music industry seems to be shitting themselves, but we’re thinking this is brilliant, this is the perfect time for a band like us to do what the hell we want.
Q3 What process do you go through in creating a track?
Our guitarist John Kubicki writes the bulk of the songs on his own, then he brings them to the practice room where the band will work on all the sections and melodies until we find something that fits. Everyone brings something different to the band, so we always try a few angles before we settle on the sound, more guitars, synth, different tempos and keys etc… each track has then gotta prove its worth in the live show before it gets a permanent slot. We’re always tearing songs apart and putting different parts together, what we’re left with is a lean and tight sound with no filler.
The lyrics are an amalgamation of Chris and John’s and it works, so best not to fuck with anything that ain’t broke. Give it three albums and we’ll try writing whilst travelling through the Himalayas, until then we’ll stick to what we know.
Q4 Which artists influence your work?
All the mundane indie bands that have been churned out since 2005. They made us want to enter the music industry through the roof, not through the side door. In terms of our sound, I think if you listen there is definitely an American tinge running through it. John listened to a lot of dark American guitar bands, while our drummer’s into electro and heavy metal, and Jono into blues. I’m into geezers music. After you throw all that in the oven for 30 minutes on a low heat you get The Violet May. I read an interview with Serge from Kasabian the other day where he remarked that he thought Arctic Monkeys and Kasabian were the last of the real British guitar bands. I like Serge a lot, but sadly he ain’t heard The Violet May yet.
Q5 What would you say to someone experiencing your music for the first time?
Alright mate, do you want a CD? It’s my band The Violet May, we are fucking brilliant and people need us. Hope you like us.
Q6 What are your ambitions for your latest album, and for the future?
Well, we’ve just put out our debut release ‘Bright Or Better/This Crowd’ (through Oh! Inverted World Records), the video was filmed in Stringfellows night club and directed by Jesus And Mary Chain’s Douglas Hart. We have a headline show at London’s Koko in June, a residency at Death Disco and are playing Secret Garden Party and Leeds Festival, and that is all off our own back with just a bag of enthusiasm. I wanna see how far we can go, if anyone has a positive attitude then they are welcome on board. We want to quit our jobs, of course, and take The Violet May round the world, recording some classic albums in between, until then let’s see what happens…
MORE>> www.myspace.com/thevioletmay
