“It’s laughable,” says Alexander “Chilli” Jesson of the hype heaped upon his band, Palma Violets, by the British press.
Since the four-piece formed in 2011 – with Samuel Fryer (vocals, guitar), Jeffrey Mayhew (keys), and William Doyle (drums) making up the rest of the outfit – word has quickly spread about the garage rockers’ live shows.
Such anecdotes have been cultivated from the impromptu gigs and wild parties thrown at the house in Lambeth from which their debut album, 180, takes its name.
With their elevation supported by the NME, fans of rock ‘n’ roll had little choice but to sit up and pay attention. The publication enhanced the buzz by awarding the band’s debut single “Best Of You” as best song of 2012. NME readers then followed suit by voting them Best New Band of 2013 at the NME Awards.
Chilli admits that the hype only made it more fun for the group. “We just started up a band in a little room in Lambeth and next thing you know all the magazines are going ‘this is amazing,’” explains the bassist in a relaxed British drawl.
“You don’t take that stuff seriously. It can be so much fun, it really can. We’re just doing our thing. We don’t really read any of the reviews or any of it. That’s how you have the most fun.” Although he concedes, “I can’t believe that they care and I’m so happy because that’s what I want people to do, is to care, you know?”
The hype enjoyed by Palma Violets has lead not only to positive reviews of 180, but also a support slot at The Rolling Stones’ Hyde Park reunion shows in July.
It’s a far cry from the band’s infamous house party gigs, but given their recent appearances at US festival Coachella and Brighton’s The Great Escape, the group are adjusting to playing for larger audiences. Good thing too, they’ll be playing to quite the large one at July’s Splendour In The Grass.“We’re just doing our thing. We don’t really read any of the reviews or any of it. That’s how you have the most fun.” – Chilli
However, Hyde Park will undoubtedly be a much different experience from the 2am mass stage invasion that they induced at The Great Escape.
“It was great. I didn’t expect it. It was nice to come back from America, to our home and getting that reaction [was] amazing,” says Chilli of the secret show.
The band’s US tour was no failure either, the band selling out dates across the country. “Its always hard for a British band, but yeah it’s going really well,” he happily admits. “We’re just building slowly. The way people used to do it. We’re just gonna keep going back and back and just try and reach as many people as we possibly can.”
When asked if he’d noticed during touring whether bands were putting enough emphasis on live shows in comparison to recording, Chilli confesses that he’d experienced such a trend at Coachella.
“There are a lot of live shows that I’ve seen that have been…” he pauses dramatically, “…pretty useless. Where you’ve got a band that has no connection and you feel like they don’t want to be there.” He halts before declaring, “A lot of bands at Coachella were like that”.
Be that as it may, the musician did find a redeeming act in the form of the Nick Cave-fronted Grinderman.
“They came on and that was a whole different story,” says Chilli. “Bands like that have really built something and are an inspiration for us. I’ve seen a lot of stuff that appears to be half-hearted and they’re there for the look and not, you know? Not for the passion.”
Palma Violets have become, for many, a shining light in British guitar music after a long drought. According to the bassist, “It’s coming round, people are starting to enjoy rock ‘n’ roll again.”
But what caused this alleged drought? “I have no idea,” he concedes, “but a lot of my friends have been into this house music thing. I don’t really know. I think it’s because there hasn’t been anything real around.” “Just tell em’ to get in touch with our Facebook and we’d love to do some house parties!” – Chilli
“You know like real rock ‘n’ roll? There’s been all this fake stuff like The Black Keys and Kings Of Leon and stuff like that. It’s not rock ‘n’ roll,” declares Chilli.
While initially the musician fails to provide an explanation as to why such bands are “fake”, when pressed further he proclaims that it’s, “like the meaning has been lost.”
“It’s so overly produced and there is no feeling or substance behind it and people are doing it for all the wrong reasons,” he laments.
Chilli expresses further disdain for these types of rock acts and also major labels when asked whether the group are fully in charge of their social media accounts. “I reckon major labels and with bands like The Black Keys and Kings Of Leon, they’ve got other people doing their Facebooks and Twitters. I doubt they would want to do it.”
In the beginning, Palma Violets had no online presence bar that of live YouTube recordings uploaded by ecstatic fans.
“It happened in a really organic way and that you can’t help, but it was great. It worked for us,” says Chilli. “I think it’s so much better to start with less until you really build some kind of base,” says the musician on their lack of social media profiling in the early days. “A lot of these bands are just, like, revealing themselves, and less is far more at the beginning, I think”.
With the band now possessing both a Facebook page and a Twitter account, Chilli freely admits, while chuckling, that their control of their social media is the reason why it’s, “so bad.”
However, when Palma Violets arrive for Splendour In The Grass and accompanying sideshows, all eyes will be off the internet and upon the group’s blistering live set.
If Australian fans are lucky, the band may even crash a few house parties along the way. “Just tell em’ to get in touch with our Facebook and we’d love to do some house parties,” says Chilli, jubilant about their forthcoming dates Down Under.
So are what are you waiting for? You could host your very own Splendour sideshow. Just remember to check if it’s ok with your neighbours first.
Palma Violets Splendour 2013 Sideshows
Mon 29 July: Northcote Social Club, Melbourne
Tues 30 July: Oxford Arts Factory, Sydney
Tickets available via www.secret-sounds.com.au
