Brisbane indie four-piece Go Violets are gradually making a name for themselves with catchy, girly tunes that have seen them as winners at the 2012 Big Sound showcase.
Spurred along by the support of the Brisbane music scene and having already collaborated with hometown kindred Jeremy Neale (Velociraptor) on the song “Stranger Times,” it’s certainly an exciting period for the group.
The final leg of their “Josie” single launch in Melbourne was as opener for the John Curtin hotel’s Aftr Dark club night. The evening also featured a set from slick Perth outfit Split Seconds, a DJ set from Jasper, perfectly seasoned free popcorn and even burlesque dancing from L’Amour, The Lady Provocative.
Dressed in quirky outfits and filling the spaces between songs with awkward banter, Go Violets were faced with a fairly sparse and unmoving crowd. To tackle this they opened with the punchy, fast-talking “Runner” and its power backing vocals. The twee, Best Coast-y aesthetic that characterised the tune dominated the earlier part of their set, the girls reeling off short tracks filled with ooh-ing harmonies such as on “Walk My Way” and “Late Night.” The slower “Leo” showcased some robust yo-yo-ing vocals from Phoebe Imhoff, as well as a tenderness in Go Violets’ songwriting that has the potential to be exposed even further.
Changing the line-up to facilitate drummer Ruby McGregor’s original song “Crazy” (co-written with her father), as well as a back-and-forth between Alice Rezende and Imhoff for the vocal anchoring created the sense of a band still finding the reigns and working out what works best for them. Imhoff gave life to grittier, angrier pieces such as on older single “Teenager.” Rezende on the other hand provided a sweeter, no-frills sentiment.
The music took a psychedelic turn later in the set with a more disjointed, experimental piece. Starting off in a similar vein to their other work, the group paused, shredding up the rhythms and providing more full-bodied sound. The composition overall was a little messy, but nonetheless it was a refreshing change from their pop-rock shtick.
Another highlight was a tune that had Imhoff’s trilling vocals at the forefront. While the bulk of the set had the potential to plateau in the same-same nature of strumming guitar melodies, this particular song had a more enveloping quality, a sense of building momentum that had not been previously felt.
As expected, Go Violets saved the best ‘til last, dropping “Josie” at the very end of the set. It’s no questioning why the single has received significant airplay of recent. While simple in its construction, its uncomplicated nature is part of its success. Alice took the vocal lead, her delivery spot on and heart-warmingly cute. With the song’s bright and summery sounds, catchy lyrics and uplifting echo-and responses, the overall effect was that of a feel-good hit.
When the song was complete, there was a fairly abrupt halt in proceedings, the audience looking on a little confused as to what was going on. Like a group of girls trying to get dressed after swimming class, the foursome started unplugging their instruments – confirmation that this was indeed the end of the set.
There is certainly room for more exploration and fine-tuning for Go Violets, something that should occur naturally as part of an EP release, or even an LP if that is what is on the long-term plan.
