Straight out of St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canadian alt-pop band and local faves With Violet are expanding their eclectic sound to new levels with their latest album Saturday Nights in Your Sunday Best and a new single “That Boy.”
The group – comprised of Sarah Newell (vocals & saxophone), Peter “Pete” MacDonald (vocals & keyboards), Matthew Cadigan (guitar), Spencer FitzGerald (bass), and Hunter Madden (drums) – formed in 2018 and have been a local sensation ever since dropping their debut EP Long Story Short, racking up several award nominations and wins and performing at festivals all across NL, including a headlining stint at the Woody Point Spring Thaw Festival in 2023.
Saturday Nights In Your Sunday Best, is a marriage between their two previous EPs, Saturday Nights In and Your Sunday Best, both released in 2023. It’s the culmination of two years’ worth of work and many hours in the studio in which the band decided to whet their fans’ appetites for the final full-length release by dropping bite-sized EPs. The new album features all the songs from the EPs plus some new tracks for a fresh yet familiar listening experience.
The lead single off the album, “That Boy”, is a neon-tinged joyride through the perils of longing and desire, with a feel-good, East Coast vibe that puts one in mind of an ‘80s rom-com. MacDonald’s powerful and emotional vocals seem to both lament and celebrate those whirlwind feelings of temptation that come with being attracted to someone, while With Violet’s signature infectious energy and beats let you know that, regardless of the lyrical subject matter, this is a band that you can be sure will have you on your feet at any live venue, including opening for Barenaked Ladies and Tokyo Police Club at the IceBerg Alley Performance Tent in St. John’s on June 19.
