The Neon Violets

The Neon Violets

The Neon Violets are a heavy psychedelic rock and drone rock group from the United Kingdom, formed in 2010 and active since then. The band begins as a two-piece project in Oxford, England, founded by Joe Chapman and original drummer Nell Wimpenny.

Line-up

Joe Chapman plays bass guitar, blues harp and vocals. He has previously played in Spiral 25, Dirty Sci-Fi, The Factory, Nachala and Flite 118. Rob McNeil plays guitar. Former members include Nell Wimpenny, who leaves in 2011, Mario Cano Trillo, Matt Stevens on drums, Leigh C Richards on guitar, and Rachel Allsworth, who replaces Richards on guitar. The group is also in the process of recruiting a new drummer.

Sound and influences

The Neon Violets’ music draws on early Black Sabbath, Hawkwind, Spacemen 3 and Loop. Their songs are rhythm-heavy, tribal and drone-based, with bass often run through multiple amplifiers and effects including fuzz, delay, spring reverb, wah-wah and tremolo.

Recordings

The band has released two studio tracks, “The Search” and “Break The Line”. A video is also made for “Break The Line”. The Neon Violets also work on their first album, which is set for release on vinyl and download.