Viola Beach – Swings & Waterslides / Like a Fool (live @ BBC Music)

Viola Beach were an incredibly promising indie rock band from Warrington, Cheshire, United Kingdom.  It hurts to talk about these guys in the past tense.  They, along with their manager, were tragically killed in a car accident last week in Sweden.  I’ve chatted with their PR guy a handful of times since they formed in 2013.  By all accounts, they were four great kids and an exceptional musical talent.

They were previously featured here back in October.  They had the potential to be an internationally-known band, the type that goes from recording a few songs for an EP to headlining Bonnaroo in about eighteen months — think early Arctic Monkeys meets Vampire Weekend.  Thoughts and condolences go out to the band’s friends, fans, and families.  You can read more about the band here.

Hug your loved ones, folks — our time on this little blue-green piece of space rock is fleeting.