It's been a long time since I last saw The Violets. Strange, considering at one point I seemed to be reviewing them, photographing them, or just enjoying watching their thrilling live shows on an almost weekly basis when I was living in London. Much has changed on both sides in the interim, but one thing remains the same, I am still captivated by their seductively complex and dark compound of artrock and new wave.
They have a new single, 'Descend / Carnival' coming out on guitarist Joe's Angular Records imprint next month, so it seemed as good a time as any to resume aquaintances, which we did in the perculiar environs of The Montague Arms, an eccentrically decorated haven, half pirate ship, half medieval castle, situated between New Cross and Peckham.
As
I arrive, The Violets have just polished off a
Sunday lunch (though drummer Andrew is
struggling with his baked apple), and
are killing time before heading on to a
video shoot for the new release.
Joe:
"We’re meeting this guy, and we’re going to check out
the proposed location for the video shoot, so that he can see
what he can do with the lighting and the space that we’ve got."
Andrew: "He’s an old friend of ours, called Roman, I’ve
know him since we were kids. I used to be in a band with him. The video’s
really going to be a collaboration between us and him."
This will be The Violets' second video, following the darkly lit promo for previous single 'Mirror Mirror' (which can be seen on the band's Myspace page).
Joe:
"This one won’t be quite the same. The performance element
will be one part to it, but there will be other aspects to it as well."
Alexis: "This one will be more deranged and cryptic. It’s a
bit more confused and a bit more chaotic."
As
for the single itself, the two songs have been chosen from a batch of
songs that the band recorded earlier this year.
Andrew: They have been part of our set for a while, and it seems to have
been the consensus from people that come to our gigs regularly that they
would be the best choice for a single.
Alexis: "Carnival is my favourite out of the two, but I think Descent
is more easily digestible."
Joe: "It’s more immediate. It shows two sides of the band –
one short sort of pop song, and one that’s bigger sounding, and
longer.
This
will be The Violets' third single, following
'Mirror Mirror' and a split single with Andrew's
other band, The Swear. 'Descend'
takes their
sound to new heights, with an abrasive opening
salvo that tears through the rest of the track, urged
ever onwards by a bouncy rhythm, that in less managed hands could even
be considered jaunty. 'Carnival' is perhaps closer to what we've come
to expect from The Violets, a dark wave of twisted guitar noise, followed
by a wiry riff, punctuated by Alexis' yelped vocals and cryptic lyrics.