Headline Act: The Violet Mindfield

Possibly (likely) our final Headline Act of 2024! Thanks to all the PRs and bands who’ve filled these slots so far, and we look forward to introducing you to a ton of new acts going forward. Take it away, The Violet Mindfield…

Simple things first – where are you guys from?

We got started playing in Pomona so that’s where we say we’re from but most of our gigs are in Los Angeles now.

How did you meet?

Sean and I have known each other since childhood. I met Harry at Rad Pro where we rehearse. Victor used to play in another band that we would share bills with so that’s how I met him. That’s how I met Clifton as well come to think of it.

How long have you been playing as a band?

I want to say we’ve been playing under this name since 2013 give or take a year.

Before you get sick of being asked… where does the band name come from?

I guess we thought it sounded psychedelic! There’s a Mark Twain quote about the fragrance of violets and there’s a skateboarding film called Mindfield. At the time we were a three piece and we all skated and I always liked Twain’s Huck Finn character yeah I don’t know it seemed like a good idea at the time!

What are your influences?

60’s beat/garage/psych and Chicago blues. Joe Meek’s recording/production style. Mod fashion. Kerouac, Burroughs, Ginsburg. Buddhism, Taoism, Existentialism.

Describe your music. What makes you unique?

It’s basically just an amalgam of the influences. What makes it unique is a bit more difficult to answer, I guess it would just be that we are the ones making it.

Do you have any particular lyrical themes?

Relationships, emotions, the usual suspects! Whatever I can’t express or communicate in a normal way usually makes its way into a song.

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What’s your live show like? How many shows have you played?

Usually pretty sweaty, loud and lot’s of fun. How many we’ve played I couldn’t say – more than I can remember.

What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?

I’m sure there are plenty of wilder things that’ve happened at gigs but I remember once somebody picked up the PA speaker and was carrying it around the mosh pit and every time he would come by the mic would smack me in the face. I don’t remember the mic getting cut off either, must’ve been a long cable! I seem to remember there was somebody climbing on the exposed ceiling rafters the whole time also and they would just pick up their feet when the guy with the PA came by.

Another time I remember some alcohol got spilled on the floor by our pedals and somebody lit it on fire. That was kind of wild trying to not get my pedals melted while playing!

What kit do you use / guitars do you play / etc.?

I’m not sure what kind of kit Harry uses. I know he did a custom wrap on it with some kind of velvet. I use a Rickenbacker 330/6 and 330/12 mainly, Victor uses an Epiphone casino, Sean uses a Phantom teardrop bass and Clifton uses a Nord Electro, I think it’s the four.

What, if anything, are you plugging/promoting at the moment?

A new single featuring “Autonomous Overdrive” and “Distorted Portrait” with Lemon Sun records and a new album with Outro records. The B-side of the single is the title of the new LP and both songs will be on the album. We’ve got an EP coming out on Disques Rogue sometime soon also.

What are your plans for the next 6 months or so?

Right now I’m in Istanbul on holiday so I gotta get back to the US, rehearse and then we’re heading out for an EU/UK tour in Feb for three weeks. After that I’m not sure, wherever the wind takes us I guess!

If you were second on a three-band bill, which band would you love to be supporting and which band would you choose to open for you? A chance to plug someone you’ve toured with, or a mate’s band we’ve not heard of before!

Hmm most of the bands I’d like to open for are either dead or not playing anymore! But the Dandy Warhols or BJM would be pretty awesome. Sound Reasons, Wyld Gooms, King Flamingo or Killing Floors on the bill with us.

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If you want to check out more new music, then fire up our Headline Act playlists on Spotify and YouTube!

The Violet Mindfield: official | facebook | instagram | spotify | bandcamp

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