Violet Wild
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Violet Wild

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"A little Sweet, A little Nasty"


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They’re friends and band mates now, but there was a point when the singer and guitarist/vocalist of Tempe-based band Violet Wild couldn’t stand each other.

“We both didn't like each other for a very long time because of jealousy,” said guitarist/vocalist Josh Kennedy, formerly of The Black Moods. “I liked what (singer Bobby Scott, of Mink Rebellion) had. I don't know if he liked what I had or not—he might have just hated me.”

Both the guys’ former bands played on the Rock’n the Seas cruise in February 2006, which was about the same time they wanted to start new projects.

Scott said Mink Rebellion showcased to several labels, and while they were offered a developmental deal from Virgin Records, the draw wasn’t big enough for them to sign, and Scott wanted to move on.

“We all hit the ceiling a little early,” Scott said. “When you've got a product, it's got a shelf life. If everybody's already heard it, why would they want to hear it again if they already heard it the first time?”

Coming together

Meanwhile, Kennedy was interested in starting something new himself and going in a different direction from the dirty rock sound of The Black Moods, since he was feeling a lack of inspiration with writing.

“I was running out of stuff a little bit, I felt, and I knew Bobby was a great songwriter,” Kennedy said. “I thought I could have another guy I could work with.”

While they had a shared connection to their current label’s co-founder, Nancy Stevens of the local, independent label Big Panda Music, it was after they shared some drinks with other Tempe band Gin Blossoms backstage on the cruise that they saw their potential. After jamming out together that weekend, the beginnings of Violet Wild were formed.

“It was the first time we felt the cohesion we could even have,” Scott said. “People had been telling me I should work with Josh, and vice versa, but I was too firm in my ideas, and I didn't want to bend them to another person, because we both kind of ruled our bands.”

After they decided to start their new band, they played Austin, Texas’s South by Southwest music festival and signed with independent label Winsley Records, based out of Monett, Mo. They recorded their first EP last summer, which was never released because the band left the label, which they said didn’t offer enough financial support.

Despite parting ways with the label and lacking an EP, Violet Wild was determined to keep plugging away.

“We’re keeping our heads down, and we’re just a hard-working band,” Scott said. “It wouldn't matter what the project is, if you're not willing to sacrifice, then you're never going to achieve that.”

Hard to define









The band recruited drummer Joey Schwegler, who had played with both Kennedy and Mink Rebellion before. They recorded a new EP with producer Joe Marlett (The Transit War, Fenix TX), in March this year, splitting time between Signature Sound studio in San Diego and Highland Recorders studio in Phoenix. The six-song, currently untitled disc ($8) is released September 18 in local music stores and online, with a full-length to follow in January 2008, all through Big Panda.

Big Panda’s co-founder, Scott Garrison, said he’s happy to have the band on the label because he thinks they stand out among their musical peers.

“I wouldn’t sign them unless I thought they could be big,” Garrison said. “I think their music’s well-written, they have an amazing stage presence, and they have more than one hit on the record. I think there’s some longevity to it.”

Their current self-titled EP showcases their sound, which is difficult to classify. While there are some gritty rock touches and some Americana flavor, the songs would also be considered pop because of their catchy melodies.

“It’s hard to compare it to anything,” Schwegler said. “It’s the prettiest version you can find of the dirtiest and ugliest.”

Violet Wild’s music also features sing-a-long lyrics, courtesy of Scott. Scott, who said Thom Yorke of Radiohead is a major inspiration, said he writes about real-life situations that touch him, whether that means experiencing his own heartache or observing other moving events.

Scott said one song on the new EP, “Rare Disease,” is especially meaningful to him, because he wrote it at a time when he thought he might have multiple sclerosis.

“It’s just crazy when something happens and you take your very health for granted,” Scott said. “Every day you wake up, and you think you’re going to feel fine, and then, one day, you can’t shake the shakes, or some s*it happens, and you’re just like, ‘Man, what the f*ck is going on with me?’”

One Tempe fan, Ami Johnson, said she finds Violet Wild’s lyrics easy to relate to herself.

“Violet wild can be compared to Lucky Charms,” Johnson, 22, said. “Like the cereal, they have that classic style about them, but laced in-between is a new and vibrant surprise. There is no other live perf - ampd.az


"Radio Review"

Robin Nash:

Bobby and Josh merged together from 2 former local bands (Mink
Rebellion & Black Moods). Once they discovered each other's talents,
they knew the combined efforts of bobby's voice and josh's insane guitar
playing, they'd create one of the most dynamic sounds in today's
alternative rock and pop rock music. With the addition of their drummer
Joey, and bass player Edmond, they produce incredible 3 tier harmonies
and a style that clearly stands apart from any other. With bobby's
"jared leto" like appearance, josh's "robert plant hair & shirtless
guitar riffs", joey's 70's porn nostalgic resemblance, and edmond's
straight up boy toy look....these guys are the next big thing.


- The EDGE 103.9


"Get Out Phoenix"

“Violet Wild has that charisma, that thing, that ‘it’ factor. When they’re on stage, you can’t take your eyes off of them. And when they’re off stage, you can’t get their songs out of your head.”Kelly Wilson, Writer, Get Out Magazine
- Kelly Wilson, Get Out Phoenix


"Robin Nash, KEDJ"

Bobby and Josh merged together from 2 former local bands (Mink Rebellion & Black Moods). Once they discovered each other’s talents, they knew the combined efforts of Bobby and Josh’s insane guitar playing, they’d create one of the most dynamic sounds in the alternative rock and pop rock music. With the addition of their drummer Joey, and the bass player James, they produce incredible harmonies and a style that clearly stands apart from no other. With Bobby’s “Jared Leto” like appearance, Josh’s “Robert Plant hair and guitar riffs”, Joey’s 70’s porn nostalgic resemblance…these guys are the next big thing.
Robin Nash, KEDJ - Phoenix Midday’s
- KEDJ Web


"New Times"

This may be the first you've heard of Violet Wild, but that's bound to change quickly with this foursome. Keep your eyes peeled for these guys — debuts like this don't come around often.
Brendan Joel Kelly, Phoenix New Times
- Brendan Joel Kelly


"Arizona Republic - Violet Wild"

Violet Wild: “They’re just like straight-up rock and roll, and there’s no other way to describe them. There’s no façade over it, it’s just, this is what it is. That includes taking your shirts off and doing screaming guitar solos for the ladies. They are genuine, pure, rock and roll, no strings attached to it. That’s really exciting and a really raw sound.” James, Arizona Republic
- James


"Dead Air Dave on Violet Wild"

Take your favorite soaring vocal melodies, add the kind of guitar virtuosity you can only dream about, then squeeze it all into tight jeans and you have Violet Wild.” Dead Air Dave, Uncle Promotion. LA
- Uncle Promotion


"Amp - Arizona Republic"

They’re friends and band mates now, but there was a point when the singer and guitarist/vocalist of Tempe-based band Violet Wild couldn’t stand each other. “We both didn't like each other for a very long time because of jealousy,” said guitarist/vocalist Josh Kennedy, formerly of The Black Moods. “I liked what (singer Bobby Scott, of Mink Rebellion) had. I don't know if he liked what I had or not—he might have just hated me.”
Both the guys’ former bands played on the Rock’n the Seas cruise in February 2006, which was about the same time they wanted to start new projects. Scott said Mink Rebellion showcased to several labels, and while they were offered a developmental deal from Virgin Records, the draw wasn’t big enough for them to sign, and Scott wanted to move on. “We all hit the ceiling a little early,” Scott said. “When you've got a product, it's got a shelf life. If everybody's already heard it, why would they want to hear it again if they already heard it the first time?”
Coming together
Meanwhile, Kennedy was interested in starting something new himself and going in a different direction from the dirty rock sound of The Black Moods, since he was feeling a lack of inspiration with writing. “I knew Bobby was a great songwriter,” Kennedy said. While they had a shared connection to their current label’s co-founder, Nancy Stevens of the local, independent label Big Panda Music, they soon saw their potential. And the beginnings of Violet Wild were formed. “It was the first time we felt the cohesion we could even have,” Scott said. “People had been telling me I should work with Josh, and vice versa, but I was too firm in my ideas, and I didn't want to bend them to another person, because we both kind of ruled our bands.” After they decided to start their new band, they played Austin, Texas’s South by Southwest music festival and signed with independent label based out of Monett, Mo. They recorded their first EP last summer, which was never released because the band left the label. Despite parting ways with the label and lacking an EP, Violet Wild was determined to keep plugging away. “We’re keeping our heads down, and we’re just a hard-working band,” Scott said. “It wouldn't matter what the project is, if you're not willing to sacrifice, then you're never going to achieve that.”
Hard to define
The band recruited drummer Joey Schwegler, who had played with both Kennedy and Mink Rebellion before. They recorded a new EP with producer Joe Marlett (The Transit War, Fenix TX), in March this year, splitting time between Signature Sound studio in San Diego and Highland Recorders studio in Phoenix. The EP is due out in September wiith a full-length to follow in the first quarter of 2008. Their current self-titled EP showcases their sound, which is difficult to classify. While there are some gritty rock touches and some Americana flavor, the songs would also be considered pop because of their catchy melodies. “It’s hard to compare it to anything,” Schwegler said. “It’s the prettiest version you can find of the dirtiest and ugliest.”
Violet Wild’s music also features sing-a-long lyrics, courtesy of Scott. Scott, who said Thom Yorke of Radiohead is a major inspiration, said he writes about real-life situations that touch him, whether that means experiencing his own heartache or observing other moving events. Scott said one song on the new EP, “Rare Disease,” is especially meaningful to him, because he wrote it at a time when he thought he might have multiple sclerosis. One Tempe fan, Ami Johnson, said she finds Violet Wild’s lyrics easy to relate to herself. “Violet wild can be compared to Lucky Charms,” Johnson, 22, said. “Like the cereal, they have that classic style about them, but laced in-between is a new and vibrant surprise. There is no other live performance that even compares to the one that Violet Wild consistently gives. On top of that, their songs give me that classic, ‘I know how those guys were feeling when they wrote this’ feeling. I always have a Violet Wild song stuck in my head.”
Making the rounds in town
The band has been relentlessly showcasing their tunes all over the Valley, playing several shows weekly to make their mark on the local scene. There’s also been a line-up change, with the newest addition of bassist James Grady.
All the exposure they’ve had has gained them some loyal fans, including Tempe resident Erika Delemarre. “The band is well-rehearsed and it's clear to see they're focused on becoming a success through hard work and dedication to their art,” said Erika Delemarre, 24.
By: Nikki, Amp online
- Nikki


"In Bloom"

Skin shows aren't usually on my agenda for quiet Thursday nights, so I'm a bit startled to find myself watching a band with the drummer banging away wearing only a pair of peach-colored jockey shorts from American Apparel on a recent Thursday. Needless to say, my dollars are staying in my pocket. Seeing people in their skivvies is an occupational hazard, I suppose, but it's even more difficult for me when I have to interview said drummer — Joey Schwegler — and his band, Violet Wild, with him still rocking nothing but the y-fronts.


Making the band: Is Violet Wild the Valley's next big thing?
Show Details
Who / What:
Violet Wild
Music Genre:
RockI manage to avert my gaze nonetheless, because the band's story is compelling enough to distract me. Violet Wild hadn't played a single show yet when I was watching them play at guitarist Josh Kennedy's house. Yet before the band even made its onstage debut last Saturday night at Last Exit, Violet Wild had an incredible catalogue of songs, and the musicians' skills are awe-inspiring.
You probably know Kennedy's name from his years spent rocking with the BlackMoods, and you might recognize Violet Wild's vocalist, Bobby Scott, from his time fronting Mink Rebellion. Both of those bands were sacrificed in order to get Scott and Kennedy to collaborate in Violet Wild — a tough decision to make, they tell me, but one that's obviously worth it.

I'm not an easy sell, especially when it comes to a band that hasn't played a single show. And it didn't help my preconceptions about Violet Wild when I found out that former Edge 103.9 doyenne Nancy Stevens was lending her industry sway to the band. Stevens managed Mink Rebellion for several years, and the band was shopped to every major label out there, but nothing came of it.

"We got offered a deal from Virgin, but it was a developmental deal," Scott explains to me. "They wanted to take the song that they believed in most, slap it against the wall, and if it stuck, cool. If not, then they claimed the fucking song. There's no way in hell I'd let them do that."

Mink Rebellion may not have made it, but Stevens' influence is what brought Scott and Kennedy together. I'm always skeptical of prospective hitmakers like Stevens, but watching the foursome, which also includes bass player Phil Fenix, rock the fuck out at Kennedy's place convinced me that Stevens got this one right.

In the converted practice space at Kennedy's place, the band busts through "Concrete Lake," with Kennedy's fingers flying over the frets, an arsenal of effects pedals at his feet. He's one of the Valley's premier guitar talents, by far, and when his skills are combined with Scott's charismatic frontmanship, magic happens. Violet Wild plays pretty straightforward, radio-ready, midtempo rock, and Scott has a Chris Robinson-esque drawl to his vocals. The rhythm section is rock solid, but basically serves as a platform for Kennedy's maniacal guitar playing and Scott's vocal histrionics.

The one cover I hear them play is "Got You (Where I Want You)," originally by The Flys, which is a song I never cared for much because of its overly sappy and simplistic content, but I enjoy it a hell of a lot more when Scott's crooning it and Kennedy's harmonizing with him while he works the six-string.

At Violet Wild's debut performance last Saturday, they kick out the Flys cover as well, but the energy is even more kinetic when I'm watching the four of them feed solely off each other.

When the band comes onstage last to a crowded house at Last Exit, these guys rock out, with Bobby Scott holding his mic stand with two hands as if it were a skinny lover girl he doesn't know whether to strangle or make love to, and Josh Kennedy stomping, strutting, and striking rock-star poses.

It's a great stage show, and it sounds excellent, but it's cringe-inducing when Stevens explains to me that she convinced Scott and Kennedy to break up their previous bands in order for the two of them to work together — reminds me of Svengalis like Lou Perlman, who put together the Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC. But this one was a stroke of genius, and even Scott and Kennedy know it.

"We got together and decided we were partners from there on out, come hell or high water," Scott tells me while we drain a bottle of Jack Daniel's, and Kennedy's brother Tyler runs out the front door to fetch another.

"Yeah, call me if you're gonna take a piss," Kennedy says, only half-joking. The chemistry between the two of them is evident whether they're in front of microphones or sitting around a dining room table. Personally, I never got excited about Mink Rebellion or the BlackMoods, so in this particular case, I've got to give props to Stevens for seeing the potential.

While we're bullshitting about the band's genesis, I notice that on a flier for the band's first show, the band's name is spelled Vylet Wylde, which I immediately make fun of. Luckily, they're a young enough - Brenden Jo Kelley


"Ms Manager"

"I'm one of the top five hated people in the music industry," says Nancy Stevens, the manager of local bands Violet Wild and Authority Zero and former program director of alt-rock radio station KEDJ.


Phoenix power player Nancy Stevens
Show Details
Who / What:
Nancy Stevens
Music Genre:
Rock
Details:
For more insight into Phoenix's music scene, visit Brendan Joel Kelley's "Ear Infection" blog.That statement might sound hyperbolic, but it's pretty accurate. While running The Edge, Stevens pissed off more than a few people by taking certain local bands — The Format, Authority Zero, Trik Turner, Mink Rebellion — under her wing, playing their songs on the station, getting them prime slots at Edge events, and shopping the bands to record labels. I've long been critical of the way Stevens used her position to coddle those bands and their careers, though for the past year she's been out of the radio business and managing bands full-time.
Stevens' position as program director of The Edge put her in touch with label heads and A&R representatives from New York to Los Angeles, and that advantage — having friends in high places — made her one of the most powerful people in the music business in Phoenix, and she retains those contacts today. Both Violet Wild and Authority Zero (which she co-manages with Randy Buzzelli, who's worked with Jay-Z, among others) have new records coming out early next year, and L.A.-based Agent Sparks, which Stevens manages via her own Hammerthumb Entertainment, is out on the road with Hoobastank and put out its first full-length album in June of this year.

When I've criticized Stevens in the past, I compared what she was doing at The Edge with what would happen if I wrote a cover story about a local artist in this paper, then took pains to get that artist signed and on the radio. My assumption was always that she was managing those bands, and that she had some bottom-line motivation to get them signed. But she tells me that's not the case.

"I wasn't technically managing; I wouldn't put the manager's title on it. Maybe Santa's little helper, but I wouldn't say management. I helped a lot, let's just put it that way," Stevens says. "Don't get me wrong — I helped the bands get signed. I shopped the bands because I believed in them."

It still sounds like a conflict of interest to me, but she tells me, "All [program directors] across the nation have helped a band at one point or another. Why wouldn't a hometown station embrace its own people? That's the way I looked at it. This is Phoenix, this is our backyard, these are our bands. Why would we not want to help break them?"

Stevens spent four years as program director of The Edge before leaving when Riviera Broadcasting bought the station (Riviera now also owns Power 98.3, formerly Power 92). "The hardest thing ever is time and time again to go in with your beliefs and sell your story and get people to believe in you and what we were doing," she explains. Nowadays, Bruce St. James, veteran program director of Power 92 and 98.3, is program director of both Power and The Edge.

"I shopped the bands because I believed in them," Stevens reiterates. "There's nothing wrong with that; you can't tell me that I can't, as program director, find a good band, find good music and go shop the music. You can't tell me it's wrong to play them on the radio station, because every single band had proven itself, outside of me.

"It was a team effort. We were a really tight group over at The Edge," she continues. "If it's something somebody believed in or I believed in — yeah, I was gonna help them. It wasn't money — I've been a manager straight up for a year and haven't made any money. It's not easy making money on a band. Bands don't make money, so how would the manager?"

These days, Stevens' management projects seem on the verge of taking off. I've heard Violet Wild's record, and it's solid, radio-friendly rock 'n' roll, with front man Bobby Scott and guitarist Josh Kennedy's uncanny chemistry driving the band. I haven't heard Authority Zero's new record, and I'm not much of a fan, but that band already has a solid fan base from its days on Lava/Atlantic Records. I can't call Stevens out on conflict-of-interest issues anymore, but her contacts from her Edge days still make her a music business power player.

As she tells me, to get bands signed, "You have to have a lot of friends. You've gotta be able to walk into Jason Flom's [former co-owner of Lava Records and CEO of Atlantic, now chairman and CEO of Virgin U.S.] office and play him a record. That's where you've gotta be. When I go to New York, I've gotta be able to get an appointment with Flommy and show him my new band. If you can't walk in like that, it's so difficult to get a band signed."

Stevens walked a thin line and pulled it off, and now I'm not the only one who's slightly envious of the payoff she got for it. And she's well aware of that. "I know I pissed - Brenden Jo Kelley


Discography

LP is OUT!!!

KEDJ Phoenix and Radio Sophie in San Diego have played tracks from Violet Wild.
103.9 the Edge also spins Violet Wild

Photos

Bio

The story of Violet Wild began long before their first show in July 2006 at Last Exit in Tempe, Arizona where they played in front of what was a lot of doubters with low expectations.

The birth of Violet Wild consisted of 3 days on a cruise ship with no way off. Bobby Scott (formerly of Mink Rebellion) and Joshua Kennedy (formerly of the Black Moods) closed the book on their bands and came together with chemistry like nothing they had experienced in their careers. The magic was formed in the middle of the Pacific Ocean in February 2006 and Violet Wild became history in the making. They rushed into the studio to record their first LP and with a rock-n-roll life of only 4 months and no additional members, the LP was recorded by July 2006. Due to uncontrollable circumstances the album was shelved. With determination and hard work, Violet Wild mustered up the means to go back into the studio with accomplished producer Joe Marlett in March of 2007. The band which now had acquired a Richard Polmans on drums began to re-record the album. After diligent work in the studio, the recording was complete.

Since their first show in 2006, the band is set to release their EP in August of 2007, their full LP worldwide in March of 2008 as well as set out for their US tour in February of 2008.

Starting over without the humble comfort of their previous groups, Scott, Kennedy, Polmans and the newest member, James Hanna-Wilson are a passionate electrifying force that’s poised only to get stronger. Their music is well written, crafted, diverse and ready to take on the world. If you don’t know them by now, you will.

“Violet Wild is not a local act” “These guys are ready for what ever lies ahead, they are true contenders to make it big”.
-Robin Nash/ Edge103.9 DJ in Phoenix, AZ.