Fresh off the release of their debut self-titled album, Bristol’s own No Violet are stepping confidently into a new chapter in their musical adventures. Known for their blend of grungy riffs, off-kilter rhythms, and hauntingly dynamic vocals, the band have carved out a distinctive space within Bristols alternative scene and their new record captures the raw tension and emotional grit that has made their live shows so compelling. We sat down with No Violet to talk about the journey behind the album, the creative risks they’ve embraced, and what comes next for one of Bristol’s most exciting rising acts.

Congratulations on the release of your self-titled album. How does it feel to finally have No
Violet out in the world?

Kinda surreal! The last couple of months have been such a whirlwind with the singles coming out that we’ve got a bit of whiplash! It’s also a relief that it’s out in the world, finally! We’ve been sitting on it for a while.

This is your first full-length release. What made now the right moment for a self-titled album?

We went through some changes post Covid times with Toby joining us on guitar. We had an intentional direction change with wanting to mature our sound into something a little darker.
It all came together pretty quickly and then we had to play the waiting game.
We wanted to put it out in the right way without rushing anything or doing it half-arsed due to
lack of funds.

Thankfully, Aron from Totality saw the vision and hopped on board to release
it! We are insanely grateful to him.

How would you describe the sound of the album to someone who hasn’t heard you before?

Unfiltered, chaotic, and cathartic.
Think: if Warpaint got possessed by Sonic Youth in a squat full of VHS horror flicks and
vintage pedals. Feral post-grunge with added darkness and defiance.

Were there any particular themes or ideas that drove the writing?

We were all facing some struggles independently whilst writing the album as well as a dissatisfaction / dread with the political climate. The main themes are definitely confronting demons and catharsis.
Sore relationships with others and oneself particularly come through in the lyrics. Like Ellie’s emotional diary, they’re kind of a time stamp of Ellie’s state of mind.

Can you talk about the recording process? Where did it take place and what was the vibe
like?

We recorded at Middle Farm Studios with the brill Peter Miles. It has an incredible live room, lit up with moody lamps to create ultimate moods. We recorded live to 2inch tape on a 1970s tape machine. We wanted the album to sound like you’re with us in the room and capture it in it’s rawest form. You can hear the creaks in the floorboards as we move all the amp hums etc.
We only did around 3 takes of each song and got it out in about 2 days. Apart from Ellie’s vocals and a some guitar overdubs everything is live. It’s cool to have that human element captured, with little mistakes thrown in. We even wrote the track ‘Stop Me’ in that live room.
It didn’t exist before the recording session, we were warming up and having a little jam.
Peter said he was just going to hit record after we decided a basic structure.
It was the best recording experience – we wanted to move in.

Bristol has always been part of your identity as a band. Did the city influence this album?
And what’s your favourite thing about Bristol?

Bristol has such a live and eclectic music scene that it’s almost impossible not to be influenced by it. The scene here is ever-evolving and we have access to so many different creative styles – and not even in music – the Bristol art scene in general is so influential and inspiring!
Our fave thing is definitely the sense of community. We are lucky to have such a solid network of friends that are insanely talented musicians too, not just in Bristol. We all encourage each other to be great, and to have a good time doing it.

What’s coming up next for No Violet?

We’ve got Arctangent on the list, as well as a couple other shows. We’re currently planning tours, so keep your eyes peeled!
We’ve got new songs in the pipeline and plans for album no.2.

If listeners take one thing away from No Violet, what do you hope it is?

Comfort in our vulnerability. We dig into emotions, situations, and ideas of self that can be uncomfortable and hard to face. If people can find that cathartic, that means everything.
Saying that, we don’t take ourselves too seriously – if listeners walk away feeling a little more seen and maybe even able to laugh at the chaos of the human condition with us – that’s the goal. We hope to fill your void with our own void.

NO VIOLET is out now via Totality Records and you can order it HERE