Gemma Cockrell
For Impact’s ‘Spotlight On Nottingham’ series, Gemma Cockrell spoke to Katie Lyle (vocals, guitar) of the Nottingham-based indie-pop trio The Crying Violets, following the release of their latest single Broken Dreams Club.
How would you describe your sound to new fans?
I think we would describe our sound as relaxed, warm and soulful indie-pop. Music you can chill to on a summer’s day.
Were there any other bands or artists who influenced your sound?
There have certainly been a lot of artists that have contributed to our sound. Each of us has really different music tastes, which I think has contributed towards keeping our sound individual. Fleetwood Mac have been my favourite band since day one and I would say they have had a massive impact on our sound. We have also taken a lot of inspiration from artists like Tom Misch, Arlo Parks, Clairo, Wolf Alice, HAIM, Easy Life… the list is endless. We have a little playlist on our Spotify that we all add our favourite tunes to as well.
There are so many talented artists in Nottingham, and it’s such an amazing scene here
How has the Nottingham music scene influenced and shaped you as a band?
Nottingham has certainly been a massive part of it. I met Elliot (Ferrin, drummer) through attending college in Nottingham and since then, having the chance to play in great venues and connect with other amazing artists, has allowed us to grow so much as a band. There are so many talented artists in Nottingham, and it’s such an amazing scene here. There is also amazing support here offered for up-and-coming artists.
What is the story behind your latest single Broken Dreams Club?
This song is based on a hypothetical club, somewhere you go when you haven’t achieved what you set out to do. I think all of us have probably not ended up on the path we always expected to, which is a good thing! So, it’s kind of an ode to that, and the way it can make you feel.
Derry [Shillitto] really took our ideas and made something above and beyond what we envisioned
What was the experience of making the music video like, since it was the first music video you’ve ever made as a band?
It was so exciting. We worked with Derry Shillitto as part of the Confetti single release, which was just such a great opportunity. Derry really took our ideas and made something above and beyond what we envisioned. It was so much fun to film, and mine and Elliot’s housemates feature in the paint throwing scene so we basically just got to chuck paint all over our mates which was a laugh.
What was the inspiration behind the single’s artwork?
Lizzie Harvey created the artwork for us (@unknownsaddo on Instagram to see her other work). We knew that we wanted to utilise something that envisioned the idea of the ‘Broken Dreams Club’ being an actual place, and we suggested the idea of the front of the club and a neon sign. Lizzie took this idea and executed it so perfectly, it was exactly what we imagined.
Have you got any gigs or festivals coming up?
Yes! We are so excited to play live again. We are set to play Homegrown festival in Arboretum on 30th August which is super exciting and will be a chill summer afternoon. Can’t wait to be performing again.
We are already working on some new songs
Have you got any plans for releasing any new music in the near future?
Definitely. We are already working on some new songs and can’t wait to keep putting music out, so there are plenty of new tunes on the way!
Check out The Crying Violets on Spotify:
Gemma Cockrell
Featured image courtesy of Lauren Delilah. Permission to use granted to Impact. No changes were made to this image.
In-article images 1, 2 and 3 courtesy of @thecryingviolets via instagram.com. No changes were made to these images.
In-article image 4 courtesy of The Crying Violets via spotify.com. No changes were made to this image.
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