Student band The Crying Violets have just released their new single ‘Broken Dreams Club’ which, if their other songs are anything to go by, will no doubt be a massive hit within the Nottingham music scene.
Combining soulful warmth and daydream-esque melodies, The Crying Violets are an indie-pop trio based in Nottingham (above), producing tunes perfect for sunny Sunday afternoons. Katie and Elliot came together in 2019 after years of playing together, further welcoming Dan to complete the band with his swooning bass lines. The band have been referred to as “one of Nottingham’s most promising emerging three-pieces” by The Mic Magazine.
Below is an interview with Katie the lead singer who has revealed the band’s inspiration for their new single along with her experience studying at Confetti and how it has helped the band progress within the music industry.
Hi Katie! Can you tell us how you got involved in the Confetti Single project?
Me and Elliot are currently studying in our third year of the BA Music Performance at Confetti, and we were offered the opportunity to submit our song to be considered for the project. We had been working on the single ‘Broken Dreams Club’ for a little while actually and had a rough demo, that probably would have ended up being released how it was, but the track got chosen – so we got to re-record it with an amazing producer Mo Hausler, and this improved the sound of the track so much and we were super thankful for the opportunity.
How important has it been to have a mentor who has real music industry experience – have you been given any advice that’s really stuck with you?
It has been fantastic because music is all about making connections and putting yourself out there. It’s important to look up to those above you with lots of experience because they can offer so much, and this project has allowed us to work with so many amazing people. Nottingham has an amazing little music scene with so many fantastic people to work with and learn from!
I think the best piece of advice would probably be to just keep putting stuff out. Don’t hold your work close to your chest, put it out there, and tell people about it, because for quite a while I was way too nervous to release what I was producing and promote it because I didn’t feel it was good enough, but things have really changed since I got past that.
Can you tell us a bit about ‘Broken Dreams Club’ – what inspired this single? What does this song mean to you and your band?
So, I wrote the chorus of Broken Dreams Club, and the idea came to mind of a concept of this bar, where people who hadn’t quite achieved what they set out to do would go to have a drink and cheers to their failed dreams. We all have things we haven’t quite achieved, and I don’t think that’s a bad thing, because our life usually moves certain ways for whatever reason, but I think it’s kind of nice to acknowledge that everyone goes through this. I love conceptual songs, that envision times or places, and this was kind of what inspired this song because I can envision this sort of place in my mind.
I brought the chorus to Elliot and Dan, and we constructed it further, and we carried on working on it, editing sections until we were happy with it. It has a chilled happy upbeat feeling, all the whilst having a pretty sad lyrical meaning and we like this juxtaposition.
What’s next for The Crying Violets? What’re your plans for the future in the music industry?
I think our main goal is to just keep writing and keep releasing! We are just super excited to continue putting out new music as this is our favourite thing to do.
We are all super passionate about all forms of music, and love getting immersed in the industry in whatever way that may be. So, there will probably be lots of projects in the works! Also, we are just excited to perform live. It’s been so long, and we are hoping to get back on stage in front of real people as soon as we can!
What’re your top three bits of advice for anyone looking to write their own single?
I think I would firstly say just write and don’t be too self-critical. Because the more you do it the better it will get. It’s taken me so long to find the sound I enjoy playing and I still feel I have a long way to go,
Secondly, don’t be afraid to work with new people. There are so many people looking for people to collaborate with and you never know where this will go. It might not work, but it might also help you produce the best music ever.
Finally, stick to you and your sound – play the music that you love, because at the end of the day that’s the most important thing and that will show through in your music. Being original is important because there is no one else like you.
We were lucky enough to host the launch of the Confetti Single at Metronome. Have a look through some of the photos below from the night!
You can watch back The Crying Violets’ single launch over on our Youtube channel.
To understand more about the mastering process here is a video from one of our tutors explaining what the process was for the Confetti Single.
Are you interested in studying a music degree at Confetti? Book onto a virtual open day to find out more about all that Confetti has to offer.
