Kurt Vile & the Violators

Born in Lansdowne, a suburb of Philadelphia, Kurt Vile developed with Kurt Vile & the Violators a repertoire situated between indie rock, folk rock, country rock and understated psychedelia, driven by supple guitars, often relaxed tempos and a distinctive spoken-sung vocal. The name Kurt Vile & the Violators designates Kurt Vile's solo project accompanied by a variable lineup, formed within Philadelphia's independent scene after his home-recording beginnings and his stint in The War on Drugs, co-founded with Adam Granduciel. Early albums—Constant Hitmaker (2008), God Is Saying This to You... (2009) and Childish Prodigy (2009)—established a lo-fi, introspective songwriting, which Kurt Vile & the Violators broadened with Smoke Ring for My Halo (2011) and Wakin on a Pretty Daze (2013), where the songs gained in scope and fluidity. The trajectory continued with b’lieve i’m goin down... (2015), the collaborative album Lotta Sea Lice with Courtney Barnett (2017), Bottle It In (2018) and (watch my moves) (2022). On stage, Kurt Vile & the Violators alternate between electric formats and more stripped-down approaches, in a continuity marked by long-form motifs, a taste for melodic wandering and songwriting about everyday life.