Brand Violet
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Brand Violet is a band formed October 31, 1999, in London, the brainchild of Henderson K. Shatner (bass), Igor (guitars) and Ulrika Björsne (vocals). The trio recorded their first home demo/EP, Sex With Susan, in early 2000 and sent it to a cryptic advertisement in Melody Maker. The EP also secured them one of the first places on the pioneering Peoplesound.com website.
This resulted in Brand Violet’s getting signed to Stevo Pearce’s Some Bizarre label (The The, Depeche Mode, Soft Cell, Cabaret Voltaire, Einsturenzde Neubauten), where they demo’d material, showcased, and gained licensing interest from several major and independent labels. Session drummer Dafydd Jones agreed to play for these sessions, and then to stay aboard full-time.
The band’s songwriters, Shatner and Igor, wanted a different singer and thus were left singer- and label-less in late 2000, when they auditioned and brought aboard Kirsty Hockenhull, who stayed with the band through late 2000 through early 2002. Bjorsne went on to achieve success with The Shortwave Set.
Hockenhull performed on the Retrovision Coma U.S.A. EP which garnered attention on Garageband.com and CDBaby.com as the band gigged heavily on the London circuit. The band also released a single, Argyle Gargoyle Grrl, which received significant underground exposure and internet airplay and #1 chart success on MP3.com.
In 2002, the band came to the attention of ex-Arista head/Rhythm King founder Martin Heath, who loved the band but wasn’t convinced by Hockenhull, and felt the group needed a more dynamic and charismatic front woman. Heath introduced the band to ex-Zomba/Jive singer Sally-Anne Marsh, whose credits included screen and television performances, West End musicals as well as singing work with Simon Cowell, Stock-Aitken, The Chemical Brothers (Ariel), and Right Said Fred … and several charting pop singles. Although the initial demos written by the new lineup and then produced by Heath’s enthusiastic (if inexperienced) partner ensured the relationship would not continue, Marsh, Shatner, Igor and Jones agreed it was a match made in space, so Marsh replaced Hockenhull.
2002 saw the release of A Grave Mistake, an EP with Marsh, as well as a licensing agreement with independent label Riverside Records and a publishing deal with MCS Music, and tracks licensed to a North American animated series.
Riverside released three well-received but little-promoted singles in late 2003-early 2004 (Alien Hive Theme, Head, Voodoo) ahead of the full-length album Retrovision Coma U.S.A. The singles and the Alien Hive Theme video received airplay on college, university and local/regional radio as well as Virgin. Tracks were also featured on several highly-rated indie compilations in the UK and Europe.
In 2004 Tapewyrm Records released new material on two EPs -- Sputnik Bride and T'he Legend of Ladybeard, which included a vampire-gothic videoclip featuring Suicide Girls for the Sororicide track. Ladybeard also featured Rail Thin, produced by Brian James (The Damned, Lords of the New Church). The band also featured on the label’s Segments: Volume One compilation disc. Sputnik Bride also achieved a place on Steve Lamacq’s BBC OneMusic.
In late 2004, Jones left, followed by Igor, who wanted to spend more time pursuing his Thumpermonkey project. The drumming slot was filled by Stuart Perry, and guitar by John Waring (The Milburns, Telford Mining Disaster).
Early 2005 saw the release of Akathisia on Tapewyrm Records, and their third, and reportedly "final" by design, album will be released in 2007.
