5 Minutes with Ora Violet: The indie rockers on how diversity creates musical magic

HUNGER catches up with the band following the release of their latest single, ‘Last Dance.’

Indie rockers Ora Violet are here to tear down barriers in the most exuberant way imaginable. The band comprises five members: Tommy Blitz (vocals), Will Durzu (lead guitar), Nick Ferman (rhythm guitar), Adam Liston (bass) and Raul Garcia Mas (drums). The group was born in 2019 after longtime friends Nick, Adam, Tim and Will played a handful of gigs as a backup band for a local artist, with Tommy linking up with the band earlier this year. With no less than five nationalities found in the band, Ora Violet draws on each of their unique backgrounds and inspiration to create wonderfully diverse soundscapes that are just as good at making you laugh as much as cry.

Now, the band is entering a new era. Their latest track, ‘Last Dance,’ is the first song written by the revamped Ora Violet lineup. The abrasive, energetic cut shows a sense of poignancy, with the lyrics echoing Tommy’s personal journey of overcoming addiction before embarking on an artistic journey and joining the band. The single is yet another example that Ora Violet refuses to play by the rules, and thankfully so. Here, HUNGER sits down with the band to discuss how their diverse backgrounds influence their music, dream collaborations and much more.

For someone who hasn’t heard your music, how would you describe it?

It’s music to take you on a wild roller coaster ride. We want to make you dance, be free to be you, feel heard, feel less alone, cackle, cry, and make love. 

How would you describe your creative process?

We write everything as a band; someone will come in with an idea – a riff, a lyric, a visual reference – and we take it from there. It can take hours, or it can take months.

Where would be your dream venue to play a gig?

Wembley on a Saturday and your readers’ living rooms the rest of the week.

If you could share the stage with one band/artist, who would it be and why?

Lady Gaga and The Rolling Stones, because, well, Gaga! And The Stones! 

What album left the biggest impression on you all growing up?

Tommy: Britney Spears’ Baby One More Time and The Misfits’ Legacy of Brutality. Sums me up.

NickNevermind by Nirvana 

Will: Parklife by Blur

Adam: The Velvet Underground & Nico – Adam

 Raul: Anything from Derby Motoretas! 

What song do you wish you’d written?

Nick: ‘Ovunque’ by Verdena. 

Will: ‘Blue Orchid’ by The White Stripes. 

Raul: ‘Pretty Woman’ by Roy Orbison. 

Tommy: ‘The Hospital’ by Modern Lovers. 

Adam: ‘The Needle and the Damage Done’ by Neil Young. 

How does having a variety of nationalities in the band affect the music you produce?

The most obvious thing is the different musical influences from our upbringing; for example, both Will and Nick love a band called Verdena from their native Italy. Our different cultural sensibilities come out in the way we approach art and in the way we communicate with each other. A word pronounced wrong or with a peculiar accent can lead to an interesting musical idea.

Tommy: I grew up in London and New York and was a super fan of music, old and new. The two cities’ music legacies, subcultures, sounds, lifestyle, fashion and pop culture influence me loads. 

What’s the best thing about being in a band versus being a solo artist?

Keith Richards says that in the Stones, one will bring in something and the song at the end is completely different. So that. Having strong personalities make for interesting clashes and, ultimately, exciting music.

What can we expect from the band in the coming months?

We have our debut EP coming out in late February and we are about to announce a bunch of gigs.

 

Writer
Chris Saunders
Photography
Francesco ragazzi