I intended to post this a while ago – but other things got in the way. I live in Leicester and one of the initial intentions when launching Sonic Breakfast was that I’d feature the many quality bands from these parts.
I don’t know if it’s because they’re shy or if it’s because they consider a blog post from Sonic Breakfast as career limiting but, by and large, Leicester based bands rarely get in touch. This is a shame.
Such shyness is not part of the make-up of Violet Cities. In a previous life, I managed their lead singers previous band. It was great fun working with the James Lewis Band but when their time in the local limelight was done so was my brief foray into band management. James continues to be an exceptional songwriter and frontman and it’s no surprise to me that the band he’s now fronting, Violet Cities, are building an impressive profile that reaches wider than the city of Leicester. I’ve kept a keen eye on their progress and a couple of months ago wrote the following about them –
Dig around their twitter feed and you might come to the conclusion that Violet Cities are the latest in a long line of boy bands. It’s certainly true that the looks and talent of these four young men haven’t escaped the attention of teenage girls (and boys) keen to find a new poster for their bedroom walls.
But, this is only half the story. Boy band can be a maligned term and there’s nothing manufactured about James, James, Paul and Dan. Quality musicianship, songs about their day jobs in which they graft, clever harmonies and a live show that will appeal to teeny bopper, indie blogger and your granny alike. There’s a freshness, friendliness and honesty about their approach that delights all who see them.
2014 has been a stunning year for Violet Cities during which, through hard work and tenacious talent, they’ve shown how they can support out-there indie acts such as Ezra Furman whilst not being out of place sharing a festival main stage with Labrinth and UB40 or headlining their local Oxjam event. 2015 is set to be even better.
This is more Beatles than Boyzone. You’d be crazy to miss out on this bandwagon.
Violet Cities recently launched the video to their latest single, ‘Run’. Filmed in Skegness in the summer, it captures the innocence, the joy and yet the underlying unrequited sadness that exists within their writing. It’s worth a watch.
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