Scottish rockers The Violet Kind prepare to push boundaries with the release of their captivating concept EP,
OXTR, out on 16th March 2018 via Kindness Records.
OXTR acts as a poignant reminder of the reality of rape culture and a means of catharsis for the survivor of
sexual violence. In a brave endeavour to tackle a heavy subject, The Violet Kind show a sensitive and powerful
regard to survivors by championing those who are brave enough to speak out and standing with those who
aren’t able to. Influenced by film scores, the compositions each contain a motif; descending melodies to
represent the villain and ascending melodies to represent the hero. The same rhythm appears throughout OXTR
to showcase the repetition of gender based violence within society.
Although each song tackles a different issue within the main topic, the trio’s bright chords, delicate melodies and intelligent songwriting remains a constant. Lead single Speakeasy immediately introduces front woman Katya Mansell’s dynamic lead vocal, sounding akin to the likes of Paramore’s Hayley Williams. Whilst every song is stylistically varied, The Violet Kind stay true to their indie rock roots to create something both purposeful and undeniably catchy.
Katya (vocals / guitar) and Liam Duffy (Bass) met in Edinburgh at the Hard Rock Cafe’s Hard Rock Rocks festival in 2015. With a previous drummer in tow, they received critical acclaim for their debut single Walk Away. In 2017 Kyle Hamilton (drums) joined and the band have since gone on to be shortlisted to perform at Glasgow’s O2 ABC in association with The Pogues and Academy Events. The Violet Kind have also already received support form the likes of PRS’ M Magazine, The National and Tenement TV to name but a few. Check out the band’s latest single Speakeasy below!
We managed to catch up with the band as they talk about their upcoming EP and more!
So how pumped are you for the release of OXTR?
Yeah, we’re delighted! We had a great time creating OXTR so it’s really exciting to get it out there and hear what people think about it!
What is your favourite track from the EP?
Honestly, this changes every time we play the songs together! Each song has it’s own importance to each of us but if we had to choose right now, we’d probably say Speakeasy. It’s the first song that’s been released and we’re super happy with how the video turned out!
How has the release of Speakeasy gone down so far with fans?
Amazing… So they tell us! No, seriously, we’ve had a lot of positive feedback and we’re really thankful for that!
Can you tell us something about the track no one else knows?
Ok, since it’s you, Original Rock 😉 We love using irregular time signatures but in a way that is subtle. In Speakeasy, not a lot of people realise that the chorus is actually in 7/4; this was done to create a sense of uneasiness which fits with the theme of the song!
If you could work with any band on a new song, who would it be and why?
We’d really love to work with Foals – they’re very creative with their song structures and not too dissimilar to the way we write; with lots of energy but a focus on melody.
How have the guys at Kindness Records helped you become the band you are now?
Kindness Records is our label and we’ve worked really hard to get where we are today!
If you could play at any venue in the world, where would it be and why?
The Scottish crowd are renowned for being one of the best in the world so we’d love to play venues we’ve seen bands at since we were kids, such as the Barrowlands! We pass The SSE Hydro every day and set our sights on playing there one day!
What do you get up to in your spare time when not working on music?
Everything from vegan food, social care and cocktails to football and reading literature. Lots of coffee too.
What was the first gig you ever attended?
There were some respectable choices like Arctic Monkeys, but Katya threw a rock at Mel C at her first concert (disclaimer: the rock was pretty and did not hurt her).