Musical Spotlight: Hey Violet

Courtesy of @heyviolet on Instagram

By Angela Hickey

The pop punk genre has become more mainstream in the past few years. With numerous new bands breaking out onto the scene, we tend to forget the bands that were already present. Hey Violet is one of the bands that makes the pop punk genre the powerhouse that it is. 

Originally formed in 2008 under the name Cherri Bomb, the band began as a more alternative rock group before changing to the pop punk group that it is today. The band now consists of three members: lead vocalist and bassist, Rena Lovelis; drummer, pianist, and backing vocalist Nia Lovelis; and lead guitarist Casey Moreta. 

The band’s older music consisted of more alternative, hard rock songs, which is more prominent on its older EP, I Can Feel It (2015), my personal favorite collection from the band because of its more jumpy, excited atmosphere and natural sound.  

However, the band didn’t get real recognition until after that drastic sound alteration, going from its original sound to a more electropop, punk sound. This is evident in the single “Break My Heart” on the band’s 2nd studio album, From the Outside (2017). Their song was played on various radio stations, which is how I, along with many others, got introduced to the rather underground band.

Since its beginning, Hey Violet has gone through many member shifts, beginning with the bands original lead singer, Julia Pierce, who left the band in early 2013, and was replaced by Lovelis. Soon after, current member Moreta joined the band full time followed by members Miranda Miller, who left in 2017 for personal reasons, and Iain Shipp, who was fired more recently in April, due to reports of sexual assault allegations. 

But, even due to their more recent dark spot, Hey Violet has still been hitting the music scene pretty hard these past few months. The band proceeded to release 4 brand new singles over the course of the last few months, my favorite being their most recent single, “Clean,” which was released on October 18th. 

Although not as well known as some of the other musicians I’ve covered, Hey Violet is just as talented than any mainstream act to hit the music scene. Their music is for people who want to have a good time and just jam out to something fun.. And at the pace they’re going, I expect to see them on the Hot 100 list very soon.

Since the release of “Clean,” the band has been pretty silent about what they have planned next. The band released “Clean (Stripped)” along with a video for the song on Tuesday the 19th. Also, the contrast between their older music and their newer tracks caters to audiences who prefer a more alternative track, while also satisfying audiences who prefer the more pop genre quality tracks. With the way they’re releasing singles, an album can’t be too far behind.