Interview | Meet outspoken LA pop four-piece Transviolet

Transviolet are the new electro-pop band from California who are making waves with their radio friendly hits and outspoken views. Attitude caught up with front woman Sarah McTaggart to learn more.How did the band first get together?

We met online! I lied and said I was in San Diego, and Mike found me there. He said he liked my voice and my songs, and asked me what I thought about writing over a track. It was nice, really fresh, heavy bass, very original sounding. That was how it all began.

How did that translate into first getting together as a group?

We continued working via email for a while, and he enlisted his high school friend to play drums with us as well and collaborate as we were working remotely. Once we had a few tracks we realised we would need a fourth person to play guitar and keyboards, so the boys hit up another one of their high school friends, and we got together like that.

How would you describe your music, for people who haven’t heard it yet?

I would describe it as dark pop. It definitely has a pop sensibility about it, but we all get off on trying to make things that are unconventional work in a pop environment. Personally, my influences are people like Radiohead, The Beatles, Nirvana, Alt J and Lana Del Rey.

Your style does have echoes of her actually.

Yeah, well I like how she’s so vulnerable in her tracks.

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Your track New Bohemia is the stand out for me, of what you’ve already released, but you have a concept around it as well, don’t you?

Yeah, New Bohemia is a community of free thinkers. It’s about believing that each person had the right to live the life they want to life and love the people they want to. It’s ridiculous that we live in 2016 and there are people out there saying that because you’re gay you shouldn’t be able to love who you want to love; or because you’re a female you shouldn’t be able to work in certain jobs. I think it’s easy to stay within your own groups and forget that this still exists.

Would you describe Transviolet as being quite political?

Not in the sense that we’re going to be supporting a party or a politician, but we have something to say.

Do you think that pop isn’t political enough?

There is a stigma about our generation, that we’re entitled or apathetic and that we don’t give a fuck, and that that’s cool. But it’s not cool, it’s lazy. I want our generation to find their own voice and not be afraid to say the things that are on our heart.

Transviolet’s self-titled debut EP is out now. Follow the band on Twitter @TRANSVIOLET.

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