Upcoming British guitar act Viola Beach and their manager Craig Tarry have tragically died in a car accident in Sweden.
The Warrington band, who were lined up for the BBC Music Introducing and PRS for Music Foundation showcase at SXSW 2016, were killed when their vehicle plunged into a canal in the early hours of Saturday morning.
The four-piece had played Sweden’s Where’s the Music? Festival and had more shows scheduled, including one at Warrington’s the Pyramid next month.
Viola Beach had recently released second single Boys That Sing on 22 January on Communion Records.
Commenting, the label said: ‘Viola Beach had only recently come into the Communion family, and had everything going for them – great songs, passion, talent, drive… everything that a band should have. To sit down with the band was to sit down with a group of guys whose band you wanted to be in, and to be in the presence of a band who knew just what it would take to make it. This is why the band had been in Sweden, rather than sit back and wait for it to happen to them, Kris, River, Jack and Tom were determined to go out into the world and play every show they could until the world was singing along with them, and now that dream has been sadly taken away from all of us.
‘Equally, Craig, their manager was possessed by a passion to help the band achieve everything they wanted to, and to speak with Craig about Viola Beach, and music in general was an absolute pleasure - you knew he was doing it all for the right reasons.’
All proceeds made from single will be donated to the band and Craig’s family.
Our thoughts are with the band, their manager and families and friends during this difficult time.
The Warrington band, who were lined up for the BBC Music Introducing and PRS for Music Foundation showcase at SXSW 2016, were killed when their vehicle plunged into a canal in the early hours of Saturday morning.
The four-piece had played Sweden’s Where’s the Music? Festival and had more shows scheduled, including one at Warrington’s the Pyramid next month.
Viola Beach had recently released second single Boys That Sing on 22 January on Communion Records.
Commenting, the label said: ‘Viola Beach had only recently come into the Communion family, and had everything going for them – great songs, passion, talent, drive… everything that a band should have. To sit down with the band was to sit down with a group of guys whose band you wanted to be in, and to be in the presence of a band who knew just what it would take to make it. This is why the band had been in Sweden, rather than sit back and wait for it to happen to them, Kris, River, Jack and Tom were determined to go out into the world and play every show they could until the world was singing along with them, and now that dream has been sadly taken away from all of us.
‘Equally, Craig, their manager was possessed by a passion to help the band achieve everything they wanted to, and to speak with Craig about Viola Beach, and music in general was an absolute pleasure - you knew he was doing it all for the right reasons.’
All proceeds made from single will be donated to the band and Craig’s family.
Our thoughts are with the band, their manager and families and friends during this difficult time.
