Palma Violets: 180

by Scott Kerr

Palma Violets are a four-piece band from London, made up of bassist/vocalist Chilli Jenson, guitarist/vocalist Sam Fryer, keyboardist Peter Mayhew, and drummer Will Doyle, who play their own distinct brand of psychedelic rock & roll. In 2010 a chance meeting between school friends Fryer,Mayhew, and Doyle, with Jenson at the Reading Festival, compelled them to form a band after becoming disillusioned by the lack of meaningful and emotive music on offer. After a slow start to their career, it was in 2012 when things began to take shape and this coincided with their residency at Studio 180, a cheap, repurposed house in Lambeth, London. This was a hub of creative minds, from artists to photographers, where Palma Violets were able to produce their sound in the company of like-minded people, and afforded them the freedom to craft their music. The ramshackle nature of their rehearsals and the increasing audiences attending their live performances in a sweaty room in Lambeth created a buzz that eventually alerted A&R bosses at major labels to the band’s talents. Without any recorded music at the time, industry types were forced to judge them purely on their live shows, and after much vying for their signatures, the band signed to indie label Rough Trade. Their first studio work came late in 2012 when single “Best of Friends” was released and was subsequently named NME’s number one track of the year, which then propelled them to the front cover of the publication. A feverish hype swirled around the band as they secured a U.K. tour and work commenced on their debut album.

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