In commemoration of Viola Beach’s self-titled debut, a vinyl edition of the album is now available for the first time since its release in 2016
This February marks six years since the tragic accident that claimed the lives of the four band members – Kris Leonard, River Reeves, Tomas Lowe and Jack Dakin – and the band’s manager, Craig Terry. This special vinyl edition has been released to celebrate the colourful contributions made by the group to the music industry, and to honour the talented lives taken too early.
Viola Beach’s debut album was released posthumously in July 2016, only a few months following the fatal incident. The weeks that followed saw an overwhelming rally of support and promotion for the band. Their album flew straight to first place on the UK Albums Chart and a social media campaign driven by fans managed to get their 2015 single ‘Swings and Waterslides’ to the top of the UK Singles charts. Support came far and wide, with the likes of Liam Gallagher, Kasabian and The Stone Roses being amongst the musicians to pay respects to, and publicise Viola Beach’s music. Notably Chris Martin (lead singer of Coldplay) paid homage to the band during their set at Glastonbury that year, by covering their most well-received song, ‘Boys That Sing’.
Viola Beach’s quirky sound, optimistic rhythms and cheeky tones placed them alongside acclaimed indie groups such as The Kooks, The Wombats and early Arctic Monkeys; the overwhelmingly positive pull from this album is a perfect depiction of the Cheshire-based band and all they had to offer on the indie-rock scene. With their popularity as a band growing rapidly as a result of the posthumous release, the songs took on an enormous weight, leaving a substantial mark on all those who listened. It is difficult to listen to this album and not feel deeply moved.
Family and friends of the Viola Beach have expressed their approval of the vinyl edition, with Lowe’s family stating that “the re-release of the album is a lasting tribute to the boy’s passion, music and friendship’ and Reeve’s family calling for the album’s success to flourish again: ‘let’s get it back up the charts where it belongs!”
You can order the special vinyl edition of Viola Beach’s debut album here.
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