Feature: Hey Violet
Words by April Bredael
Los Angeles-based pop band Hey Violet is back and better than ever after a year without new music. Comprised of lead vocalist Rena Lovelis, multiinstrumentalist, and backing vocalist Nia Lovelis, and lead guitarist Casey Moreta, the pop-rock trio have many exciting things in store in the upcoming few months.
Through gaining and losing band members throughout the years, the sound and inspirations of Hey Violet have only developed through time. Gravitating towards trap-influenced pop, the band has seen timeless success after the release of their debut album From The Outside which was a smashing success amongst fans and pop music lovers alike. Rena Lovelis shared with us that although the sound changes, the music is never forced and that the songs always end up what they’re meant to be.
Their debut album additionally features some of the most iconic tracks of the decade, including “Guys My Age” and “Hoodie” which have acquired over 80 and 60 million Spotify streams, respectively. The band’s top track “Guys My Age” was written in Palm Springs by the Lovelis sisters; writing and perfecting the track until they were satisfied. Singing into a handheld microphone on the floor until the early hours of the morning, the two found strikes of inspiration throughout the creative process and ended up keeping some of the original vocals on the final cut of the track.
In 2021, the genre-bending band continues pulling influences from everywhere. Rena shared that they don’t feel the pressure to fall into a specific genre, and instead feel inspired by influences across a wide array of categories.
“This album is going to be more like.. some electronic drums... some straight up real drums, I don’t like to label it too much… We take it as like we’re in a candy store just picking and choosing what we want and the song just sits wherever it wants to sit. We don’t want to force a song to sound a certain way.” -Rena Lovelis of Hey Violet
She shared additionally that the next album continues this array of influences; song’s pulling from trap influences, hyperpop tracks, and ballads. The one thing remaining consistent according to the lead singer is that they’re all variations of pop music that they love. The band’s latest release “Problems” is a glimpse of what’s to come from the trio in the coming months of 2021.
Reminiscing on pre-quarantine day’s, Rena shared one of her favorite fan experiences with us. She stated that “It was a radio tour and we went to a haunted house with fans, like through a maze and everything. And I get so scared, but I love being scared. So I’m looking at the floor clinging on to I don’t know who - I thought it was Nia but it turned out it was one of the fans. And I was so scared but it ended up bringing us closer to the fans. I felt like we bonded through our fear.”
According to Rena, fans can expect “a lot” from the band in the upcoming few months. From three planned EPs and a full length album in the works, the band is constantly filming, planning, and producing. In the terms of the band, 2021 will be a “beautifully busy year.”
For more on Hey Violet, check out their website and be sure to stream new track “Problems” on Spotify.
