Ultraviolets, we’ve made it. The Hey Violet drought has finally come to an end, and we are enjoying the new era as it rains down on us. Hey Violet is back with their new single, ‘I Should Call My Friends,’ a catchy self-reflective bop fuelled with nostalgic vibes. It’s the band’s first single since signing with Hopeless Records and features production work from The Maine’s John O’Callaghan. The release kicks off the LA-native trio’s impending era after some downtime and comes as much-welcomed news to fans that there are exciting things on the horizon.
We had the chance to catch up with Hey Violet for the first time in two years to chat all about their past, present, future, and of course, zodiac signs.
Hey guys! Congrats on the new single! What can you tell us about the inspiration behind it?
Rena: Hey, thank you so much!! I’m so glad we get to chat again! This one was hugely inspired by a mix between ‘Naked In Manhattan’ by Chappell Roan (Nia really started the session off with a BANGER on the inspo), ‘Single in September’ by Zolita, and ‘Sticky’ by The Maine! For the concept, we just drew from genuine personal experience! There’s a universal isolation that we all experience growing up, this realization amidst our quarter-life crises that life just zooms by so quickly! I’d see what everyone else is up to in their lives and start thinking, “What the hell am I doing?” and on top of that, if you struggle with mental illness like I do, that tends to further the gap in our connection to others even more. This song was a way for us to express some sadness, but also a cool acceptance that life is naturally going to change and it’s never too late to get reconnected to your circle of people you love.
We’re honestly obsessed! Coming from your first major full-length album, From The Outside to your independent EPs Problems and Bloom, to your new record deal with Hopeless Records and all the music that’ll come along with it – what would you say has changed the most for you not just as a band, but also as artists?
Rena: We keep getting more honest. The last few years have been filled with a lot of self-discovery and unpacking a lot of personal issues I felt like were holding me back from digging even deeper in songwriting. I also feel like we have next to no filter now, so stay tuned to see if that’s a good or bad thing. Our first album was an insane experience and it was such a perfect start for us to be able to find our voices and to explore and play with our sound. This time, we know what we want to say, how we want to say it, and how it’s gonna sound when we do. Standing up for mental health awareness, addressing the realities of what it’s really like in the industry for Nia and I as women, the struggles of imposter syndrome, self-sabotage, the list goes on. There’s still a softness, a vulnerability and some real fucking pain, but we’re also not afraid to bite harder than we used to.
Casey: We’ve definitely become more involved in aspects of this project that we weren’t previously. From making some of our own music videos to creating our own single art, we’ve learned a lot by seeing what it takes to get all the other pieces of the puzzle to line up.
Nia: Honestly, it’s been such a journey. From The Outside came out nearly 7 years ago and so much has changed since then. As artists, we’ve really gotten to learn the art of standing up for ourselves. Sometimes it’s tricky navigating this business, but a big lesson we’ve had to learn is that we are the boss. We have to believe in everything we do so other people believe in it, too. Back in the FTO days, I don’t think the 18 year old version of me thought about that nearly as much.
@itsheyviolet ok we let it simmer in ur ears over the weekend, but we wanted to share a couple fun things behind our new track i should call my friends! thank you so much for the incredible feedback and support from you all; it makes us so happy to see so many of u loving it 💜 xo
♬ original sound – Hey Violet
We’re in the era of Eras right now, so we have to ask what would you title this current era of Hey Violet?
Rena: The title will be clear soon! But for the sake of not spoiling two major pieces of this era, we’ll have to keep it hush for now! We’ve seen people calling it HV2, which is a solid placeholder for the time being til we can spill the beans🙃
Noted! In a similar vein, we need to know 3 Hey Violet tracks you feel deserve a full rebirth – a (Hey Violet’s Version) if you will!
Rena: Ahhh, love this question. Honestly, ‘Pure’ just because it’s one of my favorites and could sound so good across a pretty wide array of vibes/genres/moods. And for the last two, ‘Break My Heart’ and ‘I’m There!’ I hope fans don’t come at me for that last one.
We know how close you are to your fans. We love the Discord, and we adore the interactions across social media. What is it that you love about your fans? How would you describe your relationship with them?
Rena: They’re just so cool. They’re kind and creative and just really thoughtful human beings. Highly intelligent, wildly funny, sassy, witty, sweet. They’re all around the world, which is still crazy to me to this day, and they’re so fun and honest and we love that they’re all unapologetically themselves. Like I literally just want to protect them at all costs and keep them all safe. I genuinely believe we have some of the kindest humans you will ever meet in the Hey Violet family.
That’s honestly so precious! Rena, you were only a pre-teen when you first became a musician, and it’s been fifteen years since then. If you could sit with young Rena at the start of your career, what would you like to say to her?
Rena: Oof. Y’know, I can’t remember who it was, but I was watching an artist’s interview a few months ago and they got asked this question and I remember thinking “Oh man, I should probably think about that one.” Well, here I am and winging it. This one is hard for me! There’s still so much that I wish I knew more about when I was younger, but I know that I just couldn’t have known any better back then. And I think young Rena probably would have internally rolled her eyes at 25 year old me’s words, but I would tell her she’s holding onto a lot of emotional weight she doesn’t need to be, that she’s unstoppable if only she’d get out of her own way, and that I really fucking love her and am in her corner. Cringe maybe, but true.
We mentioned this two years ago in our last interview, but we love the ever-changing style and aesthetic of Hey Violet! How would you describe the current aesthetic of the band?
Rena: We love to play with our style so much! It’s so hard for us as a band to pigeon-hole ourselves into a specific aesthetic because there are days Nia feels like dressing more vintage-y, there are days I want to put on something more street style, sometimes we feel like dressing more masc or fem, or dark and goth, or bold and brash, lol. We love the idea of allowing a fashion moment to be a moment, and embracing that style can change about as much as human feelings do and I think it makes it so much more fun and true to us.
@itsheyviolet it’s not everyday you get to announce that you’re signed to hopeless records. no pinches necessary✨it’s a new era. hold on to your hats, your lashes and everything else💕
♬ original sound – Hey Violet
Honestly, we love to see it! We know you love astrology. So, if you were to assign ‘I Should Call My Friends’ its own Big 3, what signs would you pick?
Rena: Actually killing these questions, I love this one.
Nia: Cancer sun, Taurus moon, Virgo rising! I picked cancer because they’re highly emotional beings, and I feel like when they not vibrating on a higher level, they have really self-destructive tendencies they tend to focus inward. Taurus moon because cozy, love to be around the people they love, love to be comfy 🥰 and Virgo rising because they’re textbook over-thinkers and often ruminate on the past. I’m no astrologer, but that’s what I’d say!
Okay, we can see it! We already know this new era of Hey Violet is about to rock our socks off; we can feel it! What are you most excited about with this new era? And what are some of your biggest hopes or goals? Even if it’s just to learn a new fan’s Big 3 Astrology every show date, or to match your socks daily!
Rena: We’re most excited for finally getting to release more music, more interactive activities with fans, and dropping little hints here and there along the way for what’s to come. We’re extremely excited about the visuals because we spent a lot of time building the HV2 era. We really want to go on a tour to be able to play these songs live – that’s really where it’s at for us. Nia‘s looking to publish her poetry book, I’m learning Spanish and knife tricks, Casey’s growing apples and potatoes in his backyard; it’s a full house of excitement in HV. Look out for the next Spanish-spoken slam poetry gardening party courtesy of Hey Violet.
We’re genuinely just stoked to put new music out, to keep fighting for what we believe in, to keep learning and growing as artists, and getting to watch our fans learn and grow with us. There are a million goals we have, but the very foundation of HV is creating a space for weirdos like us.
You guys have released so many bops over the years, whether they found a home under an EP or remained single hard-hitters. If you had to describe your Big 3 Astrology using the releases from From The Outside to now, what would they be and why?
Rena: ‘Queen Of The Night’ (Aries sun), ‘Sway’ (Leo moon), ‘Like Lovers Do’ (Capricorn rising.)
Nia: ‘Never Settling Again’ is my sun sign through and through. ‘Where Have You Been (All My Night)’ speaks to my Libra moon like nobody’s business. If this song isn’t my entire personality, I don’t know what is. ‘Sway’ is absolutely my rising. I am very pranky and love a good bant and find that I have a pretty convincing tone. No one ever knows if I’m being serious or not. I try not to use this power for evil, haha.
Rena: Nia and I are taking over for Case on this one cause he trusts our astrological judgment a little more than his own, so hopefully we can do this Scorpio manst some justice. ‘Sway’ (Scorpio sun), ‘These Moments’ (a major deep cut) for his Sagittarius moon and ‘Hoodie’ (Taurus rising)!
We love it! Thanks, guys; we had a blast chatting to you. We’re excited about the HV2 era and hope to chat with you again soon!
I Should Call My Friends is out now.
Are you loving ‘I Should Call My Friends?’ What are you hoping from in the HV2 era? Let us know down in the comments below or by tweeting us @TheHoneyPOP! You can also hit us up on Facebook, Instagram or come join The Hive!
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