There are a few gothic rock bands that have captured the ears and imaginations that bring back people to listen time and again to their back catalogues. Sisters of Mercy, Bauhaus and Siouxsie and the Banshees come to mind as well as The March Violets. There is never a gothic nightclub that doesn’t at least play one of their songs in my experience, with “Religious As Hell” or maybe ultra catchy “Snake Dance,” filling the floor with the children of the night. Starting in Leeds in 1981, the band has popped up time and again to tantalise us, before going quiet again.
Original members Tom Ashton and Rosie Garland are back with the phoenix that is The March Violets, bring with them a new bass player, Mat Thorpe into the fold, signing to the label Metropolis Records and releasing the full length album Crocodile Promises. The new album is full of that lovely guitar work from Ashton, Thorpe holding down the infectious rhythms, and, of course, Garland’s very recognisable vocals. I was lucky enough to be able to speak to Rosie, Tom and Mat about the past, present and very importantly, the future of The March Violets, as well as the new album. On a side note, new member Mat is already awesome because he mentioned New Model Army, let alone joining a legendary gothic rock band.
It is almost guaranteed if you attend a goth nightclub, you are going to hear a track from The March Violets. What do you think it is about your back catalogue that has grabbed the imaginations and hearts of several generations?
Rosie – The March Violets were not, and never have been, ‘Goth-By-Numbers’. We never tried to fit into a category – after all, there was no category of Goth when we started out. Leeds in the early 1980s was an exciting place and time for music, one of those rare moments when bands try out new things and new technologies. We wrote songs, recorded them, performed them and all at blistering speed and with blistering energy because we were in the moment and living from day to day. Whatever bubbled up, we grabbed it and slammed it onto recording tape.
Tom – Hopefully our originality and the catchiness of the songs themselves. There was a definite energy to all the bands surrounding us which we picked up on and I think a lot of music from that era has an indefinable quality that has help up very well over the decades.
The band started in back in 1981 in Leeds, and since then has been around in different
incarnations, so what has kept you coming back to this project and do you feel differently about the music scene now as opposed to the 80s?
Tom – Can you be haunted by a band? Asking for a friend! For me it’s always been in my life and threw me out into the world at a very young age. It is like an old friend and guardian, and I can’t imagine being without the creativity it pulled out of me and continues to do. Long may it fly!
Rosie –The March Violets still have songs bubbling up and bursting out. Writing and performing wasn’t a phase I went through in my 20s, after which I settled down into beige normality and became a corporate lawyer. Creativity is a lifelong passion, and I have no intention of giving up. Ever.
Coming from the Leeds hot bed of gothic rock, and contemporaries to such bands like Sisters of Mercy and Red Lorry, Yellow Lorry, how do think the dark music scene has changed and is it for the better or worse?
Tom – I loved it in Leeds then, and I still love it now. The current scene is full of talented artists building on the foundations laid in the early 80’s and onwards. I like to think we are still part of that process, and the new album is testament to that. Back in the day technology made it harder and more expensive to record music and I’m all for the advances that have democratized access and methods of distribution.
Rosie – Today, it’s far easier to reach – and stay connected – with fans worldwide. We can build up followers via Spotify & streaming services that simply didn’t exist in the 1980s. However, it’s heart-breaking to see so many live music venues closing down across UK, EU & the USA. It makes touring much more problematic. In addition, Brexit & other visa issues have made things incredibly confusing, let alone more expensive.
The band is now based in Athens, Georgia, so has this brought about a renewed vigour from The Violets?
Rosie – Well, Tom is based in Athens, while Mat & I are based in the North of England… it
makes things interesting!
Tom – Now we have arrived at our 3-piece line up it has definitely brought a new energy and we are looking forward to working on our next release.
This year is a massive one with The Lorries releasing their last studio album soon and
The March Violets bringing out your new full length called Crocodile Promises. The theme running throughout seems to be a bit of a creature feature. Can you tell about the title and theme behind Crocodile Promises?
Tom – For me it’s about rediscovering our punk roots from the 70’s and blending all we’ve
learnt musically in the time since then. It’s full of protest songs that delve deeply into personal relationships and politics as well as firing back at the deeply flawed systems we are facing in the 21 st century.
Rosie –Don’t believe a crocodile: it may promise the world and the moon on a stick. It can’t be trusted. It’s lies, lies, lies.
“Hammer the Last Nail” was the single released just before the album and between the highly recognisable vocals of Rosie and Tom’s classic guitar riffs, it felt right as a March Violet’s track. Can you tell us more about this track and also the video created for it?
Rosie – Tom created the video – it really captures the disruptive energy of 1980s Violets, while channelling everything we’ve learnt in between. Over to you, Tom!
Tom – The music came from something I wrote for a solo project back in 2004. It’s very much its own thing and a bit other worldly and in the video I wanted to kind of put us in that world in an alluring way that matched Rosie’s impeccable vocals and words.
Always hard to pick a favourite track, but for me is the amazing “Heading for the Fire.” Do you have a favourite track so far?
Rosie – I love how reviewers each have their favourite track from the album. It’s a wonderful compliment. It’s hard to pick a personal favourite, because I love them all. Maybe “Bite the Hand.” I enjoy growling the lyrics & wish my voice were deeper than it already is. Hey, Iggy! If you’re reading this and fancy a collaboration…
Tom –All of them lol! Yes, very hard to pick a favourite but maybe “This Way Out,” it has a line I love to play on guitar and that glam sensibility we all loved back in the day plus the words are just so damn relevant to this day and age.
Mat – I have to agree with Tom, “This Way Out” is a lot of fun to play… Not as easy as it might sound, but lots of fun.
How did you guys decide it was time for an album and how did you bring new member, Mat Thorpe into the fold?
Rosie – Mat played bass at our Homecoming gig in 2007, and has been lurking behind the scenes ever since. Now the lurking is over and he’s a full time member of the band. We could not be happier.
Tom – We love Mat! His jumping in at this point couldn’t have been any more helpful. And as far as timing for a new album, we wanted to make a new statement pulling in all that we loved about The Violets past. We had a lot of material waiting in the wings and it told us to do our job with it.
Mat – I’ve been lurking in the wings on and off since I played bass in the Violets 2007 reunion show. After doing front of house sound for them last summer, the stars aligned in 2024 and I joined Rosie and Tom in early January, recording my parts for Crocodile Promises and preparing for UK, European and USA tour dates.
On the technical side, where did you record and who was involved in bringing it all
together?
Tom – I had a lot of musical ideas from the early 2000’s and we also had stuff that hadn’t made it onto Made Glorious so we combined and wrote/re-wrote the new stuff at my studio on Athens, GA. To save money and make sure it came out how we wanted it made sense to self produce and although it’s a little harder to be that involved in the finished work it definitely paid off as so many reviewers have stated.
Rosie –in January 2023, I flew over to Athens where Tom lives and we basically got together for a month and just wrote. A magical alchemy happened: we got rid of external distractions and just worked on songs. Tom had sent me some riffs and I’d sent him some words but when we finally got together it was like it was waiting to happen.
What do you think has changed about your attitude towards creating music?
Tom –I think I still have the same scenario where I tend to hear a riff and then imagine what else might be around it but the key is open mindedness. The next album might throw some surprises at our fans, but we’ll also build on familiarity and see what we can improve on. It’s definitely easier these days to throw an idea down and develop it cooperatively than when we started.
Rosie – Tom and Mat are supportive and encouraging. Which is the perfect environment when it comes to creating new music, I’d go as far to say this is vital for the Violets. We’re not our own tribute band, only playing the old tunes. We are alive. We grow, we develop, we create.
Mat – I’m looking forward to getting in a room with Rosie and Tom to work on our next album at the end of the next run of US dates. It will be the proper writing sessions together and I can’t wait.
What bands got you into music but more importantly, what are you listening to these
days?
Mat – Adam & the Ants, Alice Cooper, New Model Army. Today I am listening to English
Teacher, Sprints, Idols, Fontaines DC, Hania Rani. Ask me again next week and it will probably be different again.
Tom – The Sex Pistols, Buzzcocks, Magazine, Bauhaus and countless others. These days I’m listening to Vowws, Lebanon Hanover, Tears for the Dying and Vision Video.
Rosie – I get earworms on tour. On leg #1 of the Crocodile Promises USA tour, Rosegarden
Funeral Party’s songs got stuck in my head. Which is no bad thing at all… their music is
amazing. Go check them out.
As we get older, there is a certain amount of clarity we are privileged in finally realising, especially in doing things for the sheer joy of it, and for me, this is what the current March Violets’ album sounds like. Do you think this is true?
Tom – Absolutely! I’m so glad that that comes to you from listening to the record. It feels like a celebration of all things that have been and will be coming for The Violets!
Mat – It’s definitely a joy for me to playing and creating music with Tom and Rosie after being a long time fan of the Violets. Long may it continue!
Rosie – You nailed it with the word ‘joy’. Rebecca Solnit says it better than I ever could, so I’ll leave it to her: “Joy doesn’t betray but sustains activism. And when you face a politics that aspires to make you fearful, alienated and isolated, joy is a fine act of insurrection.”
I gather you are playing live again so what is it like playing new music to an adoring
crowd and is this something you really enjoy?
Rosie – I never get tired of performing & connecting with a crowd. It’s such a buzz. Our fans span all ages and it’s amazing. In fact, on the recent tour we noticed around 70% of our audiences are under 30 years of age. They weren’t even thought of when The Violets started out. I have fans describe me as a Scary Gothmother, & that I’ve inspired them to take pride in their weirdness. It’s intensely moving.
Tom –It’s been a revelation playing the new songs and seeing them go down so well with our fans, what more could you ask for? We can’t wait to head out on the road in the USA again later this October and do it all again!
Mat – Playing live with Rosie and Tom this year has been perhaps the most relaxing and
enjoyable gigging experience I have ever had. The fans have been so enthusiastic and welcoming too which has been amazing to see.
What is next for The March Violets?
Tom – Ooooh! Well, we will be working on new material this year for release in 2025 so keep your ears pricked for news of that. The journey should never end!
Rosie – On leg #2 of the North American tour our main support is Die So Fluid. Plus, we had such a wonderful time with Rosegarden Funeral Party on leg #1, we invited them to join us on some dates… and they said yes! Can’t wait…
Mat – What Tom and Rosie said, but in a Mancunian accent 😉
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