Ahead of the release of their second studio album Faux Animoux, I caught up with Sarah and Sam Gotley of alternative, electronic rock duo Blue Violet to talk inspiration, the human race, and their upcoming UK tour.
Let’s start with the new album’s writing process. Was it always such a conceptual piece of work, or something more pieced together?
We really like to write a collection of songs. We recorded our first album just before Covid and it would’ve been weird to release it and not tour it, so we waited and began writing some of these songs in 2021/22 – we had a long time to see what worked.
(Sam)
We’d been developing a song that already existed and the title Faux Animoux became a lyric in one of the songs, and then we started noticing that there were a lot of themes that were coming up. A lot of it was observational on human behaviour, how we interact with each other, and power. Given the situation in the world at the time, and now still, particularly today, it’s interesting that it all still feels relevant.
(Sarah)
Were there any specific events at the time that inspired these tracks?
Barefoot On The Seine is a romantic song but it alludes to protest. We started writing it around the time of a lot of Black Lives Matter protests in America and in Bristol, which is near where we’re from; and Paris, which is known for revolutions.
(Sam)
The idea is really to look at how we go against our natural instincts and do a lot of things that are regressing us as a race – the huge rise in AI, the political situation across the world, and all of these things that have been really prevalent in society at the moment. There’s definitely a serious side to it, like on Barefoot…, but also a new single we have is more tongue-in-cheek about how we behave as humans.
(Sarah)
The production on Barefoot… is excellent. There’s a real contrast between the light and airy verses and the raw, loud choruses that really smack you in the face. Was this intentional?
Yeah it was. I was demoing this lovely mid-tempo ballad, but thought it would be cool if suddenly there was a key change and a heavy guitar.
(Sam)
If you feel angry or upset about something, sometimes the best way to do it is to be quite in your face or suddenly quite riled up. It’s almost like it lures you into a false sense of security and then BAM! Here’s what we actually want to say!
(Sarah)
Looking at the tracklist for the new album, there’s some great titles, like The Librarian and Teeth Out. Are there any tracks you’re particularly excited for people to hear?
Funny you mention those two because Teeth Out is Sarah’s favourite song and The Librarian is a very personal one for me, so those two! They’re sad songs essentially.
(Sam)
Our previous album had a lot more stripped-back, personal songs. Because this album is more of a general commentary, everything’s a lot more upbeat and fun, but at the heart of it we are very drawn to that kind of music where you pour yourself out, and those two songs are exactly that.
(Sarah)
Teeth Out was an interesting one because I wanted to write a song about someone who is really sad about the state of the world and not being able to make sense of it, and the impact that has on your psyche and how that makes you behave.
(Sam)
On our EP with a song called Favourite Jeans and on the first album the song Rabbit Hole, there’s a female character we’ve carried through. She has a lot to say but she’s quite hurt. It can be really difficult and exhausting to always be thinking about the state of the world, so it’s giving a little bit of comfort and power to that person to be able to say I’m angry or I’m feeling these things.
(Sarah)
The tour with Echobelly starts next week. It comes across that the live experience is an important element of the band you for.
For us, it’s always been the human connection with music; being able to actually turn up and meet people for real. There’s that kind of circular interaction where you give them the song and they give back the feeling. When we didn’t have that during Covid, it was really weird. As much as online is an amazing tool to promote yourself, I just don’t think anything replaces the feeling of being on stage.
(Sarah)
You’re playing lots of great venues, including the legendary King Tuts in Glasgow. Is there anywhere you’re particularly excited for?
We’ve played a lot in Scotland, and we always get a lovely reception. To be honest, it’s just really nice to be on the road; everywhere is calling out to us at the moment.
(Sarah)
There’s some nice places on the tour. It’s not just a Manchester, Newcastle, London kind of thing but we’re hitting up some smaller cities as well. I’ve had my eye on the Old Fire Station in Bournemouth for a while but never done the for some reason, so I’m looking forward to playing there.
(Sam)
Blue Violet’s new album ‘Faux Animoux’ is out on January 24 2025.
2024 TOUR DATES:
NOVEMBER …
Fri 15 NEWPORT Corn Exchange
Sat 16 GLOUCESTER Guildhall
Mon 18 BIRMINGHAM Rainbow
Tue 19 BIRKENHEAD Future Yard
Wed 20 STOCKTON Georgian Theatre
Fri 22 EDINBURGH Cabaret Voltaire
Sun 24 GLASGOW King Tuts
Mon 25 YORK Crescent
Tue 26 GRIMSBY Docks Academy
Wed 27 NOTTINGHAM Metronome
Fri 29 BOURNEMOUTH Old Fire Station
Sat 30 EXETER Phoenix
DECEMBER …
Sun 01 BRIGHTON Concorde 2
Tue 03 LEEDS Brudenell Social Club
Wed 04 SHEFFIELD Network 2
Thu 05 CAMBRIDGE Mash
Tickets available here: https://www.songkick.com/artists/10169018-blue-violet
Words by Tom Pilkington.
Featured Image courtesy of Stuart J Clapp.