VIOLET ISLE
Portland, Oregon, United States | SELF
Music
Press
[HOOK HEAVEN] Portland is home to so much musical creativity that sometimes it can be refreshing to come across a homegrown act that follows an age-old formula. In this case, the mode is pop rock, something Violet Isle excels at. From 2010’s I Am Ivy to current material that will make up a release set for sometime in March, the quintet’s catalog has remained consistently infectious. That’s not to say Sean Garcia and company aren’t subject to lengthy lapses of gummy, linear musical prose. But VI offers just enough crests to outnumber the troughs, making it game for some real offers from labels when it packs up for SXSW after tonight’s show. - WILLAMETTE WEEK - March 2012 - By Mark Stock
Wow, the 94/7 Alternative Portland contest to open for Foster the People yielded some videos from some ridiculously talented local bands. We found a video by Violet Isle that made us want to check them out. So we did, last night at Back Space. They did not disappoint. In fact, they were awesome! They played with another alternative band called Leaves Russel that blew our minds - keys, drums, violin, and standing bass! Not even a single guitar for some of the songs. Both bands seemed influenced by Radio Head even though both were so different. - SOTSmusic.com - December 4th, 2011
...later this month - this concert at Boon’s Treasury will be the only chance to check out Salem favorite Symmetry/Symmetry around town this Fall. The experimental alt-pop combo is teaming up with Portland buddies Violet Isle, which features Salem resident Alva Valencia on bass. Violet Isle has been making waves in the super-competitive indie pop scene in Portland lately, landing a spot on the MusicFestNW bill and performing at the Crystal Ballroom last spring. If you’re interested in modern alternative and like McMenamins, I highly suggest this show. - Salem Weekly- Music/Nightlife Posted Wed. 10-19-11 WillametteLive.Com
[FOSTER THE NEXT GREAT MUSICIAN] In this shitty time of economic doom, the arts have become the new rain forest: Slashed and burned from many of our public landscapes. Music in the Schools (MITS) is trying valiantly to counter the trend, raising much-needed dough for music-education programs in local high schools. The MITS October showcase features a bucket-full of Portland talent, including grungey rock quartet Groves and uber-personable experimentalists Violet Isle. Education is the name of the game. Students get half-priced tickets and listeners are more than likely to learn about a bright, young band they never knew existed. - Willamette Week - By Mark Stock
Violet Isle – an already great group – continues to get better and pairing with Brothers Young makes this (CHEAP) show a very worthwhile end to your work week!
Violet Isle plays the Den. This group has been on the rise all year and you can expect even more good things to start happening for them. Catch them while they’re still “undiscovered!” - ROCK, RINSE, REPEAT.
Wonderfully multifaceted the Violet Isle's can be both bold and detailed. Their rich acoustic pop provided each song with a beautifully distinct flavor and their live show provides a lovingly fresh insight into their music that should not be passed up.
- BY THE LIGHT OF THE STEREO - MusicFest NW show review @ Jimmy Maks 9/10/11
"Portland locals, Violet Isle, take everything we know about the modern Indie Rock gem and add a well-versed variety of Sonic Exploration to the mix to create a batch of damn good tunes." - THE PAT'S DISTRICT BLOG- Back Space Show 7/22/11
....Their biggest strengths were Garcia's voice and the sound of the melodies. Garcia's ability to hit every note, high, low and in between, brought chills running down my spine. I think most of the women in the audience would agree.... - MT HOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE-THE ADVOCATE - Oct. 15, 2010- By Jon Fucillo
“an arresting blend of simple melodies, thoughtful lyrics and spirited and sometimes complex lead guitar.”
- THE PORTLAND TRIBUNE-August 2010
“It’s a well-intentioned recording brimming with radio-friendly alternative rock songs—there is no shortage of hooks here—capped by the inviting voice of frontman Sean Garcia.”... - THE PORTLAND MERCURY-August 2010
...I thought I knew the band (Violet Isle) inside and out, but this week I received an advanced copy of their album “I AM IVY” and I have been re-learning why I am a not just a friend, but also a fan.
- THE THOUGHTS OF A CLOWN- Daniel Ouchida-Walsh 6/22/10
"Sean Garcia, playing early in the night, was fantastic. He walked the tightrope between indie sensibility and radio-friendly acoustic pop." - OREGON MUSIC NEWS - Brandon Ellison- February 3rd, 2010
These four twenty-somethings from Portland might just restore your faith in "good music," unless you like that crap on the radio....
- THE CLARK COLLEGE INDEPENDENT- Vancouver WA-May 13th, 2009 By Editor Amanda Martin-Tully
Hawthorne Theater Show for KZME Radio Benefit 12/27/08
Jan 1st, 2009 by Charley McGowan, Portland Oregon
"These guys are pretty good. They're all nice guys and their music was entertaining. It was very Modest Mouse sounding, except their singer was better than MM's."
- CONCERT CO-OP PORTLAND OR- Charley McGowan of Honest to Empire & DJ for OSU KBVR Radio
Tyler Stenson and Sean Garcia were featured in Concert at the 2007 March Showcase at Mississippi Pizza.
Sean Garcia delighted the crowd with several originals ….Sean’s guitar work is clean & vibrant, it nicely
compliments his writing style and clear vocals.
Tom Arnold & Dan McIlhenny PSA Board Members - PORTLAND SONGWRITERS ASSOCIATION - Spring 2007 News Letter
Fifteen minutes after all 10 singers had performed at this year finals of the Portland Songwriters Association Best Songwriter of 2006, the judges, (called “mentors” by the songwriters asso.) were having a major problem. They were split four to four on the winner. …The mentors deliberated, argued, even discussed flipping a coin & then deliberated whether the coin toss should be best two out of three. Sean Garcia appeared to be the youngest out of the bunch…Whether by coin toss or other means, Stenson won and Sean Garcia was second - THE OREGONIAN (A & E) Feb 2007 by Tom D'Antoni
Discography
"I AM IVY" Violet Isle's debut album!
"EVERY MACHINE MAKES MISTAKES" A Tribute to Radiohead featuring "Lucky" performed by Violet Isle
Photos
Bio
Violet Isle has been steadily playing their infectious style of music in the NW since August of 2008. Their sound has been aptly described as, “Finely crafted, song driven, indie rock!” and have been compared to early "The Velvet Teen". They have proven themselves to be an up & coming band to watch. In Spring of ’09 they were selected through a Sonicbids.com band search conducted by Chicago based label, Failure to Communicate Records, to be part of the labels Radiohead tribute album, "Every Machine Makes a Mistake". They appear on the record with their version of "Lucky" along with 21 other bands, including Amanda Palmer of The Dresden Dolls and Scotland band, Frightened Rabbit. In spring of 2010, through another Sonicbids band search, they were also selected by legendary producer Ron Nevison as a potential band to produce. They ran a successful album fund-raising campaign through Kickstarter.com where Fan pledges helpled fund the production of their debut album. In August 2010 the band released that album, “i am ivy” to an enthusiastic crowd at one of Portland's premier night clubs, the Doug Fir Lounge.
Violet Isle’s music is a fresh take on the indie rock music scene. They have built their music around the strong melodies and unique chord progressions of lead vocalist and acoustic guitarist, Sean Garcia. Garcia originally started out in 2006 as an acoustic singer/songwriter with the goal of eventually expanding his music to a full band. In 2008, that goal came to satisfying fruition. He recruited Nick Gable on Drums, Alva Valencia on Bass. In June 2010, the formidable Jordan Clark was added at Lead Guitar. Clark replaced original VI member Kevin Jones who appears on "i am ivy".
2011 saw some exciting changes and happenings for the band. Violet Isle was added to Octopus Entertainment's Band Roster; a Portland based full service agency featuring a who's who line up of amazing talent. They had the opportunity to perform as openers for a "MIKE THRASHER PRESENTS" show featuring Damato and HUGO. During the summer they completed their 1st west coast tour where they hooked up with LA based rockers, "OSLO" for several shows on the tour!! In Sept. they were selectied to play in the 2011 Annual Portland music festival "Musicfest NW". They added a 5th member, Kelly Gable, at key board and backing vocals. They saw the departure of original Vi member Alva Valencia at Bass last fall. That left Vi searching for the right fit & replacement for that very importand part of their sound. The talented Zee Farrouge stepped to the plate on some key shows and proved himself a viable asset to the band. With these changes, you have a group that is rich in musical skills and lush harmonies that shine through and complement Garcia’s powerful hooks and vocals.
2012 is shaping up to be an eventful year as well with the band having the opportunity to open for NYC rockers "Atomic Tom" in January. They are currently in production of their new EP. This highly anticipated sophomore album is scheduled for release in spring 2012 and coincides with a spring tour that will take them to Austin TX to play in Portland's "unofficial" music showcase at SXSW which will include 18 of some of Portland"s best bands! Then on to San Antonio for "The Big Spill" Music Festival where they'll continue to tear it up in Texas!
Whether the venue is a college campus, music festival or a rockin' nightclub, VI puts on a great live rock show! You’ll not be disappointed you took the time to see Violet Isle perform live. They are indeed a musical group worth the time and a band that is definitely on the rise!
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