Dark, dangerous and delicious: Nicole Laurenne breaks new ground with sultry BLACK VIIOLET project
SHE’S the vivacious, seductive vixen with a residency at the devil’s nightclub, and Nicole Laurenne’s debut solo four-track EP from her latest project, BLACK VIIOLET, is guaranteed to leave you shaken and visibly stirred.
For now, at least, better known as the founder and lead singer of all female garage psych rockers DARTS (US), Laurenne displays a hitherto unseen side with this sultry, bluesy, Latin swing infused collection of songs.
“This new sound is actually something I’ve had in my head forever,” she said. “I played jazz standards in a trio, many years back, and really loved it. When I’m on my own, I actually listen to jazz more than anything else. So, I guess you could say leaning in this direction was a natural outgrowth for me.
“To be honest, I never thought of myself as a singer first, the keyboards were always where I studied and put all my real effort. But it is really fun to sing quietly, and tenderly, and to let this side of my personality speak. And it is way easier on the voice – there’s no screaming, no yelling at the crowds, it’s all very serene and easy, like singing little jazzy lullabies. I love it. There’s no bass guitar, there’s no six-string guitar, and the drummer plays with brushes a lot.
“As always, I find myself writing about bad romances more than anything. I’ve had a lot of them, I’m sure I’m the problem. They say art comes from suffering, and I can’t say that I have suffered greatly in my life, or anything compared to a lot of people, so I guess my best art springs from the little cracks in the broken heart.
“But I feel like my artistic creativity takes off when I’m totally on my own. There is this feeling that you can do anything your brain comes up with, which is really priceless for me after playing in groups for so many years and being concerned about what other people think. Don’t get me wrong, I have been very, very lucky to have bandmates who appreciate what I do, but I still always felt the need for their approval. I needed them to sign on fully, for my own peace of mind if nothing else. But now it’s just me. It lives or dies with just my ideas. Pretty terrifying, and pretty exciting. and I am really super grateful that everyone involved in The Darts seems really supportive of the effort.
“The whole concept for this project – strongly encouraged by my manager – was to make it a true solo project, and to tap only the musicians I want, and only in the locations I want to go, and only during the specific time frames I need them. A lot of the instrumentation on the recordings and live tracks are done by me on the computer alone, actually. So, the involvement of others is pretty minimal compared to my experience with bands. This system gives me a new kind of freedom with scheduling, touring, and recording possibilities that I’ve never had before.”
A number of intimate BLACK VIIOLET gigs have just been announced for France in September, with a wider EU/UK tour planned for March 2025. But be warned, expect tickets to be at a premium.
“I can promise anyone who comes to see ‘Black Viiolet’ a groovy, jazzy, fun show, where they get to know me a little bit better not only as a musician but as a person,” added Laurenne. “They will hear some of the best jazz musicians in their area getting down and having fun together, the costumes and the instruments will be top notch, and it will be a cool, sultry little night to remember.
“And I hope they smile to themselves and feel a little bit of peace and beauty in their night on the drive home.”
The ‘Kill Me Now’ EP is a steamy, spicy, spellbinding collection of songs certainly worthy of further investigation, one which leads to the simple question, “Aren’t you done toying with us yet?”
CONNECT: Music | Black Viiolet (bandcamp.com