Toronto-based alternative band Violet Night is gearing up to release their next album, A N T I H E R O E S, and it is definitely one that should be on your radar!
Recently, the band premiered their latest single, "evergreen" over on Substream Magazine. The atmospheric track is full of emotion and clear imagery. It paints a sweet and sentimental picture that demonstrates the band's fantastic ability to tell a story with their songs. The single, along with prior release "freak me up", act as the perfect set up to the release of their next album.
In anticipation, we spoke with the band about their upcoming release, latest single, and experiences working together. Check it out below!
How did you guys meet, and what inspired you to start creating music together?
TJ and I (Connor) met through a mutual friend and our friendship blossomed quickly as we we found our contrasting personalities to be very complimentary. We shared a love of emotionally driven music, similar films, and video games. We met our drummer Tay through our former manager, Bradley. Initially Brad put up an ad with audio from one of our songs, Tay liked what he heard and reached out, we met and the rest is history. What does your typical writing process look like?
Typically the vocal and guitar or “the skeleton” is what comes first. A lot of the synth driven songs on this record were initially written on a guitar with an octave effects pedal and then rearranged on synth. Evergreen is an example of this. In the early stages I push as hard as I can to make the song engaging and exciting when it’s stripped down to just a guitar and vocal. If you can get people excited with something in its simplest form, when you bring the whole band in to collaborate it really takes it to that next level. What inspired your latest single, evergreen?
The song was lyrically inspired by the title of the film “The Place Beyond The Pines” and the mental imagery that painted for me when I first heard it. I’ve never seen the movie, but there was something about that title that my right brain really wanted to run away with. So I let it. The result is a song about the in between, the bittersweet, the push and pull. If that leaves questions unanswered, dive deeper into the lyrics xx. How was the experience recording the music video for evergreen? What was it like to bring the song to life?
Ty Fox and I filmed the video for that song at my Uncle and Auntie’s cabin. It sits nestled among the trees, overlooking a beautiful lake. It was very fitting for the video. It was raining that day, it was cold, and there was bears roaming around in the nearby woods. We did the best we could given the current state of things, with the tools we had. What can you tell us about your upcoming album? What do you hope listeners will take away from it?
A N T I H E R O E S is a culmination of every musical style we’ve ever loved. We don’t subscribe to a genre, or create inside a box. It keeps us excited and keeps things fresh. For me (Connor), I always get bored when artists release records where every song sounds super similar. So for us, it’s never been about “what’s going to sell” “what do the fans want?. To us it’s about making honest art. ANTI is the result of writing over 100 songs and choosing 9 to represent who, and where we are now. For all of us, music has been a crutch throughout our lives. In times of darkness it’s a light, and we hope that what we’re creating can be a beacon of hope for whoever needs it. What are some challenges you have had to face as a band?
Most definitely our humble beginnings in our hometown of Chetwynd, B.C. that is scarcely populated (around 5,000 people) and an 8 hour drive to the nearest major city. What are some songs/albums you have been listening to lately? Are there any artists you would love to collaborate with?
Lately I’ve been really into the Nationals “I Am Easy To Find” , Phoebe Bridgers “Punisher” and Deal Casino’s “WOOF” records. As far as songs, I’ve had Don Broco’s “Nerve”, Trophy Eyes’ “Figure Eight” on repeat this week. We would love to collaborate with The Dessner Brothers, Matt Berninger, Chris Martin, Justin Vernon. If you put together a highlight reel of your favorite moments as a band, what would be on it?
Definitely all the shows we’ve been fortunate enough to play and all the people we’ve gotten to meet. It really is something special when you have people singing your songs back at you. Its unlike anything I’ve ever felt. Just knowing that we’re reaching out and we’re connecting with people. It means more than I could ever express in text. Thank you. - One of our funniest (yet not at the time) moments as a band was when TJ forgot to put some suitcases and Merch into the back of the Van and I backed over them and destroyed some stuff. That was a good day for us. What’s next for Violet Night? Any plans in the making?
When the world transitions to the new normal I think we would like to get out and tour. North America, Europe, EVERYWHERE. We want to give A N T I H E R O E S the love it deserves. If your band had a theme song, what would it be?
Heroes - David Bowie. No question.
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A N T I H E R O E S will be released on September 25th, 2020. You can pre-save it by visiting: Smarturl.it/ANTIHEROES.
Find more information at the links below:
Website: www.violetnight.band Facebook: www.facebook.com/violetnightmusic Instagram: www.instagram.com/violetnightmusic
Written by Caroline Moll