Hey Violet’s Rena Lovelis catches up with Atwood Journal for an intimate dialog about redemption, reinvention, and the band’s upcoming second (and remaining) album, ‘Aftertaste.’
Stream: “Hazy” – Hey Violet
Hey Violet’s music has at all times been synonymous with empowerment, and the present season of the band is not any exception.
“In 2024, we’re loud and susceptible and generally erratic and generally gentle,” vocalist Rena Lovelis grins. “That’s what we’ve at all times cherished about Hey Violet as a complete, is that it holds an area for the ever-changing seasons of us.”
Lovelis and her bandmates – sister Nia Lovelis and Casey Moreta – are visibly excited to debate Hey Violet’s long-awaited second album, Aftertaste (June 28, 2024 by way of Hopeless Data). It’s been almost seven years because the launch of their debut album, 2017’s From the Exterior, and whereas they’ve put out loads of music over the following years – together with three EPs (Issues, Deep Finish, and Bloom) – their new LP is a giant, daring, definitive assertion from the trio.
“Aftertaste captures the character of the world round us and the way we’ve interacted with it and been affected by it. It’s all about our reclaiming of self-sovereignty and turning into our personal heroes,” Lovelis says. “We don’t go down and not using a struggle whether or not that’s with our demons or those that’ve tried to harm our spirit. Aftertaste is the epitome of resilience.”
As amped up as they’re by their new music, there’s additionally a bittersweetness to the whole affair; for coinciding with their new album’s announcement got here the discover that Hey Violet will likely be breakup up – or occurring a “everlasting hiatus,” as they put it – following its launch.
“It’s been a protracted, difficult and delightful 9 years and we three really feel it’s time to permit ourselves to focus our vitality on different tasks in every of our lives,” the group posted to social media. “We love and respect every one in all you who’ve made these years so full and particular. We thanks from the underside of our hearts for the time you allow us to be your life’s soundtrack. We thanks for the grins and the tears and the methods you’ve allowed and continued to permit our songs to be a secure haven on your private tribulations – and for being our secure haven, too. From the misunderstandings and recklessness of our youth to a wild and untamed coming of age to a deep reckoning of trauma and therapeutic to stunning ourselves by studying to take pleasure in our personal firm and all the feelings and experiences in between.”
“It’s taken a very long time to come back to this conclusion. That being stated, we’re very excited for the subsequent chapter of our lives and to let this venture be laid to relaxation. We depart you with numerous love and a physique of labor that we hope will carry you onto no matter is subsequent for you in your journey.”
Aftertaste is an intentional swan music: Hey Violet intend to exit on prime by a set of impassioned, emotionally charged songs that hit laborious and depart a long-lasting mark on the ears and the guts.
The singles launched up to now seize the sonic breadth and emotional depth Hey Violet obtain all through Aftertaste. The feverish, achingly susceptible “Hazy” reckons with their particular person and collective band identities, each previous and current. The gorgeous, brutally intimate “Greatest Imposter” is a candid, confessional exploration of residence and belonging charting the Lovelis sisters’ journey. The propulsive “Uncomplicated” is an invigorating, explosive homage to Hey Violet’s earlier music, and “i ought to name my mates” is a heartfelt, hypnotic, and infectiously catchy music about opening as much as (and embracing) your family members.
All these quantity to an intimate, dynamic, and highly effective first have a look at Aftertaste. “It’s about coping with psychological sickness, reckless conduct, being taken benefit of by these in positions of authority or company energy, it’s about addictions I handled personally and addictions I watched individuals I cherished cope with, it’s about abusive romantic relationships, and it’s about studying to grasp your personal demons and rebuild your self in spite of everything of it,” Rena Lovelis says of the album. “To us, Aftertaste was the proper identify for this physique of songs as a result of it’s largely coping with the emotions you’re left with after trauma and immense ache, and a bit of of what that appears like as soon as you start to heal.”
“The aftertastes aren’t all dangerous,” she provides. “It’s simply extra of our story and the way we got here to course of the methods we downplayed our personal inside strengths or ways in which life took us down a special street than we had anticipated. It’s an ode to private development, making the perfect of a foul scenario, and popping out the opposite facet extra alive and extra unbiased than we’ve ever been.”
Atwood Journal just lately caught up with Rena Lovelis for an in-depth dialog about Hey Violet and Aftertaste. Dive into the band and their new music in our interview under, and keep tuned for the upcoming launch of their second and remaining album, out June 28!
“We needed to offer our child the ending it deserved,” Lovelis smiles. “We’re undoubtedly wanting ahead to enjoying these new songs dwell, to seeing our followers for a final live performance and to sending Hey Violet off with an immense quantity of affection! There will likely be a number of tears for certain. Glad and unhappy tears. The bittersweet type.”
— —
:: stream/buy Aftertaste right here ::
:: join with Hey Violet right here ::
A CONVERSATION WITH HEY VIOLET
Atwood Journal: Nice to catch up, Rena! Firstly, I need to say how excited I’m for a second Hey Violet album! Wild to consider, however it’s been seven years since From the Exterior’s launch. This can be a loaded query for certain, however how do you’re feeling you’ve grown and altered as a band since then?
Rena Lovelis: Thanks! We’re excited, too. Various classes in development have reared their fairly, and generally ugly, heads all through that point. We’ve realized what we every need out of the tasks we set our minds to. We’ve realized say no when one thing doesn’t really feel proper and have allowed ourselves the musical area to offer an outlet to emotions that we didn’t know cope with once we had simply began releasing music. It’s fairly insane once we take into consideration how lengthy it’s been since From The Exterior got here out, however as a band and individually, it was such an integral course of and it actually helped us shift our expectations of life and of Hey Violet and gave us the time to take again our personal energy.
What’s the significance of the identify Aftertaste, and the way (if in any respect) do you’re feeling it captures the spirit of its songs?
Rena Lovelis: Aftertaste is all concerning the tastes we’re left with after a wide range of private experiences. For Nia and me, the expertise of being ladies within the music business (and on the earth) was crucial for this album. It’s about the way you’re perceived or misperceived. It’s about coping with psychological sickness, reckless conduct, being taken benefit of by these in positions of authority or company energy, it’s about addictions I handled personally and addictions I watched individuals I cherished cope with, it’s about abusive romantic relationships, and it’s about studying to grasp your personal demons and rebuild your self in spite of everything of it.
To us, Aftertaste was the proper identify for this physique of songs as a result of it’s largely coping with the emotions you’re left with after trauma and immense ache, and a bit of of what that appears like as soon as you start to heal. The aftertastes aren’t all dangerous; it’s simply extra of our story and the way we got here to course of the methods we downplayed our personal inside strengths or ways in which life took us down a special street than we had anticipated. It’s an ode to private development, making the perfect of a foul scenario, and popping out the opposite facet extra alive and extra unbiased than we’ve ever been.
It’s an ode to private development, making the perfect of a foul scenario, and popping out the opposite facet extra alive and extra unbiased than we’ve ever been.
Technically this entire album began getting teased out final 12 months with the discharge of “i ought to name my mates.” Why did you select that as your first little bit of music again since Bloom, and the primary have a look at Aftertaste?
Rena Lovelis: Bloom actually touched on the dreamy world and self-empowering emotions of simply starting to be taught to like your self, however as I saved chiseling away at my very own inside emotional layers, there was a number of stuff that got here up each from the previous and from current experiences which made me understand that I wanted to deal with these emotions head on if I used to be going to like myself extra deeply. So though Aftertaste is its personal period and physique of labor, it’s the results of starting the method of therapeutic again once we did Bloom and the 2 EPs prior. It’s the style of a number of painful but integral self-reflection.
“i ought to name my mates” was the quintessential beginning music for this new period due to a pair various things. A) We hadn’t launched one thing for thus lengthy that we needed it to not solely be a nod to mates which have actually been there for us throughout good and dangerous occasions, however B) it was additionally our manner of telling our followers that we’ve missed them and that we need to join with them extra by the brand new songs popping out. Nia and I additionally realized years in the past that we’re very outgoing introverts. We are able to take pleasure in time with mates and let our naturally enjoyable personalities shine, however we even have very low social batteries. My battery tends to be even decrease than Nia’s, so “i ought to name my mates” was our manner of lovingly calling out my behavior of needing to be solitary to recharge and, particularly, once I’d achieve this to a fault. I’m undoubtedly attempting to attach with the individuals I really like and vibe with extra.
You’ve then adopted that with “Uncomplicated,” “Greatest Imposter,” and “Hazy.” These three songs really feel so distinct from each other, but I really feel like they seize Hey Violet’s many sides. Do you thoughts sharing a bit about them, and what resonates about them for you?
Rena Lovelis: That’s precisely what we had been desirous to seize, by way of their particular person sounds as singles off this album. “Uncomplicated” is an homage to our older work. Though Nia and I initially wrote “Uncomplicated” with one other artist for his or her venture, we ended up wanting it for our second album and, with the artist’s blessing, deliberately included it as a nod to first period Hey Violet. She’s the reckless abandon that I’ve to catch myself on these days if my thoughts begins to wander down temptations that I already know are dangerous for me.
“Greatest Imposter” was one of the susceptible writing classes we had in our total profession. The lyrics give some perception on the place Nia and I are from and a few of what it felt like to maneuver to California from New York once we had been younger and what it appears like being born in 1997 and 1998, the place we’re sufficiently old to grasp most experiences that millennials had, however then not realizing sure films or video games or tools and feeling too younger to totally join. Then, then again, we’re younger sufficient to grasp a number of cinema and starlets and music and jokes which might be all Gen Z period, however then feeling too previous to really feel absolutely part of that framework as nicely. We’ve at all times felt like these wanderers that didn’t have a stable residence base within ourselves.
Sonically, we needed to include a bit of Blondie, a bit of t.A.T.u., a bit of B-52’s and a number of our personal dreaminess whereas nonetheless preserving it fast-moving with a driving tempo and beat as a result of that’s the way it feels to expertise imposter syndrome. Life doesn’t cease shifting and but you’re feeling such as you’re on this fog of feelings questioning whether or not you’re even worthy of being the place you might be. You begin to really feel like everybody else has one thing found out you can’t appear to maintain up with or determine for your self. And that felt like the proper catalyst for “Hazy,” which is extra particularly about wanting to seek out ourselves past the veils of “Guys My Age” and “Hoodie.” As a lot as we like these songs, there was a lot extra to us beneath the floor. “Hazy” is an actual exploration of self, each in life and profession. Type of much like the sensation you get listening to “What Was I Made For?” by Billie. Simply, “What the hell am I doing and what’s all of it for and what am I actually about and can I ever get there? And can I even know if I do get there or am I simply too f*ed within the head?”
Rena Lovelis: I do, in a manner! It additionally made me understand that I’m really not as loopy as I believed I used to be, haha. I’ve solely had one actually wholesome relationship in my life and that was once I was 16 years previous. The man was so type and loving and having grown up with shit flying round the home and a number of volatility, I wasn’t used to that and it scared me. I actually draw from that have for “Uncomplicated.” However individually, I’ve additionally skilled a number of abusive and neglectful relationships, and having realized that, I’m grateful that I’m not attempting to vary myself to be smaller to suit another person’s concept of what they need now. I don’t need the toxicity, I don’t need to argue, I by no means actually needed that ache or harm. I even have simply needed somebody that might love and respect me for me like I’ve lastly realized to and proceed to be taught to. I used to be attempting to suit a decagon right into a sq. area hoping the sq. would reform itself to my liking, however I don’t waste my time like that anymore. I type of uncomplicated that entire scenario, fortunately! I’ll see myself out the door for that pun.
Likewise, you have talked about how imposter syndrome and self-doubt impressed “Greatest Imposter.” The place, for you, do these feelings stem from, and the way do you navigate them?
Rena Lovelis: Effectively, I undoubtedly spoiled a little bit of the place they stemmed from a pair questions in the past, however I navigate them by reminding myself that I’m not outlined by a spot or a 12 months or a bunch of individuals or what I do know or don’t know. I don’t need to confine myself in that manner anymore and I don’t take to coronary heart somebody’s opinions about me that I do know aren’t true or from folks that haven’t seen our efforts and the way a lot we’ve gone by in our profession. I’ve let concern dictate my actions for thus lengthy and I’ve gotten so sick of that, thank God! Even when my voice cracks, I need to let myself be myself as loudly as I need to be and be somebody that lives as true to my values as potential and leaves the negativity and bullshit out of my ambiance.
“Hazy” is such a catchy, cathartic eruption – and presumably my favourite of the singles launched already! What is the story behind this anthemic, achingly emotive music?
Rena Lovelis: Thanks. It’s so humorous… Once we began out in music, there have been a number of objectives that had been projected onto us. Like you must be enormous, and you must be the perfect, most accessible, most relatable band to stroll the earth… And round 2020, I used to be going by a extremely tough time accepting myself in spite of everything of these exterior opinions bought into my head. It felt like I needed to re-evaluate who I actually am and what I worth, and who we’re as a band and what we need to signify. Hazy is concerning the feeling of being caught in what most of those who know the band appear to know us for, and grappling with the expectations of what we had been as soon as instructed we must be.
It was a protracted course of attempting to determine who we actually had been as a band and as people. That’s clearly an ongoing exploration, however there was a turning level as soon as we had been on our personal, and not using a label and with out administration. We felt so caught within the days of “Guys My Age” getting some discover, after which “Break My Coronary heart” and “Hoodie” following it. We love these songs, however we’ve a lot extra to say than that.
Individuals nonetheless come as much as us and say “Oh my god, I really like that music ___” and virtually at all times identify a type of and whereas we’re appreciative, [but] we additionally need to speak about newer, extra sincere tracks we’ve. It felt like a daze that I used to be dwelling in for a very long time. Like a cacophony of everybody else’s opinion of what I must be and what we must be as a band, to the purpose the place I really went to a psych ward towards the beginning of the pandemic. And once I got here again residence and began simply, like, doing life once more, I spotted I didn’t know what the f*** I needed or who I used to be. I nonetheless don’t at occasions, however that was all of the extra cause why this music wanted to be written and why we needed it on our second album. It’s about that fog of questioning what your life is about, who you’ve been, who you might be and who you need to be.
I spotted I didn’t know what the f*** I needed or who I used to be. I nonetheless don’t at occasions, however that was all of the extra cause why this music wanted to be written and why we needed it on our second album.
Do you’ve gotten any favourite lyrics or traces from this epic observe?
Rena Lovelis: “I don’t know if I’m meant for one thing extra, however I’ll attempt. I’ll attempt it throughout and again and again.” And the turnaround within the final refrain the place the road switches to “And I will be loopy; I’d slightly be free.”
Sonically, all your tracks sound so assured and really feel so daring. What had been you going for when recording Aftertaste’s songs; what was your imaginative and prescient for the album, if any?
Rena Lovelis: Our imaginative and prescient for the album as a complete was the aftermath of a battle. The album touches on some actually heavy matters and we needed to include the issues that occur when you’re bloodied and bruised. Your wounds harm a lot extra within the days after you initially get them. They bleed and ooze and also you get that metallic style in your mouth, however additionally they heal and scab over and scar and there’s a pure course of to that. The injuries themselves aren’t pure and it’s extraordinarily dysregulating on your physique and thoughts, however it’s concerning the confidence to stay up for your self and the innate means and private drive to heal and reclaim your voice and to personal your scars.
Going off this query, who’s Hey Violet in 2024, and the way does Aftertaste seize the spirit of your band right now?
Rena Lovelis: Hey Violet is a vessel for introspection and extrospection. It’s an extension of the three of us and everybody who’s been part of it. It’s an ongoing story. In 2024, we’re loud and susceptible and generally erratic and generally gentle. That’s what we’ve at all times cherished about Hey Violet as a complete is that it holds an area for the ever-changing seasons of us. Aftertaste captures the character of the world round us and the way we’ve interacted with it and been affected by it. It’s all about our reclaiming of self-sovereignty and turning into our personal heroes. We don’t go down and not using a struggle whether or not that’s with our demons or those that’ve tried to harm our spirit. Aftertaste is the epitome of resilience.
What do you like most about this new album, and what do you hope listeners take away from it?
Rena Lovelis: I really like that it’s much less about heartbreak on account of ex-partners and eager for somebody to come back and save me. We actually stated f*** that and I did a number of deep-rooted laborious work to get out of that headspace. I hope it empowers others to know that they, too, can develop into a extra developed model of themselves. I hate to say the phrase “reinvent your self” as a result of it’s type of superfluous, however it’s a extra reasonable type of that. Everybody wants time and constant small motion that finally result in a bigger, extra pure evolution of reinvention. You don’t reinvent in a single day; you sit with the injuries and also you permit the pores and skin the rebuild.
I’d be remiss to not speak concerning the hiatus, in case you don’t thoughts sharing – was it powerful coming to this resolution, and what are you every wanting ahead to in these coming months earlier than your cut up?
Rena Lovelis: Yeah, it was undoubtedly powerful. You get snug dwelling in a single interval for thus lengthy and it’s powerful coming to phrases with any life change, however it was fairly humorous really getting collectively once we initially spoke about letting Hey Violet have its final second as a result of all of us felt completely the identical manner. It undoubtedly felt proper for all three of us, however it was extra vital for us to proceed engaged on the second album and to offer these songs the life they deserve and provides our followers the music they’ve waited so lengthy for.
We needed to offer our child the ending it deserved. We’re undoubtedly wanting ahead to enjoying these new songs dwell, to seeing our followers for a final live performance and to sending Hey Violet off with an immense quantity of affection! There are such a lot of followers which were right here since we began virtually a fricken’ DECADE in the past and have watched us develop and evolve and alter. They’ve traversed this journey with us and the world with us, fairly actually, so we need to make our previous few months all about that. There will likely be a number of tears for certain. Glad and unhappy tears. The bittersweet type.
We’re not a model, we’re a band of three people with hearts and minds and souls which might be altering from writing session to writing session
So, will Hey Violet be going out with a bang?
Rena Lovelis: Completely. I’ve by no means been so enthusiastic about enjoying new songs dwell and we’ve all been kicking ass understanding and working towards. I’d even whip out the bass once more for a pair songs. I received’t give an excessive amount of away for the dwell present, however that’s actually the place we’re focusing proper now. The album is really for our core individuals and we simply need to have a blast for another evening earlier than we see the place our lives take us subsequent. Aftertaste in itself is a fairly bloody good time (trace, trace on the album art work!), so we’re actually excited that this entire album is the place we’re laying Hey Violet to relaxation comfortably and unapologetically.
Within the spirit of teasing listeners, what else can followers stay up for off the brand new album? Something we will share to begin getting of us amped up and excited?
Rena Lovelis: Oh man, I feel followers are actually going to be thrown for a loop with a few the tracks. The album showcases many variations of us, and that’s precisely what we needed. We’re not a model, we’re a band of three people with hearts and minds and souls which might be altering from writing session to writing session, and this captures a ton of uncooked emotion that erupted in these writing and manufacturing classes. One of many songs is a demo with all authentic scratch vocals from the writing session. We additionally performed with a number of totally different results and samples and pure sounds that occurred within the studio. All through all the tracks, there are birds chirping, viewers laughter, and even Casey’s chair squeaking as an instrument in one in all them.
Within the writing session for one more one of many songs, I used to be crying whereas recording virtually the whole scratch vocal. We ended up re-cutting these, however it’s the type of music that hits you want an ocean of ache, however then the instrumentation makes you need to drive 95 miles an hour on the freeway at evening and simply really feel every little thing, so I’m very enthusiastic about that one. It’s heavy and it’s releasing and there was only a ton of affection and guts poured into the album as a complete. A number of Alanis inspo (previous and new!), a bit of little bit of Olivia Rodrigo, a bit of early 2000’s on a pair tracks. I hope it takes everybody on an emotional rollercoaster, however finally ends as that therapeutic feeling after a much-needed cry. We’re very stoked to only f*** everybody’s day up in one of the best ways.
— —
:: stream/buy Aftertaste right here ::
:: join with Hey Violet right here ::
— — — —
Hook up with Hey Violet on
Fb, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram
Uncover new music on Atwood Journal
© KayKay Blaisdell
:: Stream Hey Violet ::