Band of the Day: Violet Crime w/ Emo Inspired EP (Exclusive Interview)

Violet Crime may have only formed 6 months ago but they have already put out an EP titled “Home Movies” that will blow your mind. RTP’s favorite song from this 3 song EP is “Sights & Sounds.” This track starts with a soothing acoustic guitar and vocals intro that really channels the likes of Death Cab For Cutie and Plain White T’s acoustic hits. Don’t get used to that sound though because the band transitions quickly into a more pop punk vibe with pounding drums and explosive electric guitars. This band has a sound that feels familiar but also fresh. Violet Crime does an incredible job at capturing the spirit of emo and pop punk in one 3 song EP. You’ll be grateful that their sound is being transmitted to your speakers now…

We had the unique opportunity to interview the band! Enjoy:

RTP: Where is the band based? Is that where all the members are originally from?

VC: Violet Crime and our members are from Chicago. Most of us work in tech startups.

Our drummer Kevin and I were on drumline together in college. Our guitar player Tom and I were in jazz band together in high school.

Our bass player Kasey is the founder of an education startup, Packback, that on the side curates notable Chicago talent to perform at their open mic night. That’s where Kasey, Selina, Kevin and I all met and everything started.

RTP: What is the inspiration behind the song “Sights & Sounds”? Who writes the songs in the band?

VC: Sights & Sounds was written by myself. It came up during the start of what I realized was a failing relationship.

We all write together, but our drummer Kevin or myself will usually bring forward an initial concept.

RTP: How old are the band members?

VC: Jeff Mills; vocals/guitar/keys – 24, Kasey Gandham; bass – 28, Kevin Nagel; drums – 24, Tom Goier; lead guitar – 23

We also just started playing with Selina Doran from time to time (and hopefully more often!). She’s 26, sings and plays guitar.

RTP: Who are your greatest inspirations?

VC: Hippo Campus, Maroon 5, John Mayer, Tom Misch, The Beach Boys. We definitely have an underlying emo/pop punk edge too that’s just sort of baked in to our DNA.

RTP: What’s your favorite thing about music? What about your favorite thing about being in a band? From what I hear, it sounds like you guys have incredible chemistry, especially to play this well after only 6 months…

VC: Music is such a mysterious phenomenon – it is so powerful and so accessible. Creating music of your own is beautiful because you feel a sense of pride, but also a sense of awe because something new exists that is separate from you.

With all of us working in startups or being really serious about our careers, there’s something cool about how much this whole thing pushes us to constantly be uncomfortable.

What if we put out a shitty release? What if we play a terrible set? That feeling of being constantly uncomfortable or paranoid is the same in a startup. This band is our startup too!

RTP: What do you want the world to know about this song?

VC: The song is partially fictional, it’s a story that is inspired by real events.

Have you ever been in a relationship where you sort of shut everyone else out?

The first verse is “like a lost ghost tracing the shore, you are shapeless and homeless in your own skin” – I realized the person I was with wasn’t comfortable with themselves and it sort of turned into this toxic thing where we isolated ourselves from the outside world.

We tried to make the song feeling very “wandering”. The vocals are a hair behind the beat. The snare sounds like its in a massive room. Lead guitar slowly goes up the scale in intervals through the verses. Hope you enjoy it!