The March Violets

Formed in Leeds in the early 1980s, The March Violets are part of the British post‑punk scene, combining gothic rock, echo‑drenched guitars, mechanical rhythms and alternating male and female vocals. The band came together in 1981 around Tom Ashton, Rosie Garland, Simon Denbigh and Laurence Elliot and first emerged via the Merciful Release label, close to the Sisters of Mercy milieu, before continuing on their own Rebirth label with tracks such as "Snake Dance", "Walk Into the Sun" and "Deep", which mark the shift from an initially austere sound to more direct songwriting in the mid‑1980s. After splitting in 1987, The March Violets reformed intermittently in 2007 and relaunched regular live activity from 2010. That second period produced the albums Made Glorious (2013), Mortality (2015) and Crocodile Promises (2024), as well as several compilations and archival releases, including Natural History (1984), Big Soul Kiss: The BBC Recordings (2021) and Play Loud Play Purple (2022). Today The March Violets revolve around Tom Ashton and Rosie Garland, with Mat Thorpe on bass and vocals.