Saturday 13th February will be five years since the tragic passing of Viola Beach – Kris Leonard, River Reeves, Tomas Lowe and Jack Dakin – along with their manager Craig Tarry, who tragically lost their lives in a car accident in Sweden.
Five years on, friends and colleagues of the band are set to release a cover of Swings and Waterslides, one of the Warrington band’s most popular songs. Organised by Lee Harman from WAM, a local music magazine, the project will raise money for the chosen charities of the band members’ families.
Lee says: “We should have seen Viola Beach headlining the biggest festivals five years on, but despite the pain and sadness getting easier every year, they put Warrington on the map, and we want to show they’re still an important part of the town’s culture.”
Carl Bere, the band’s former sound engineer, has also supported the project and says: “Viola Beach are a huge part of my life, the big stepping stone to my whole career. So to be able to produce a version of one of their songs with amazing musicians from Warrington meant the world to me. The boys’ legacy will live on forever and they left us some beautiful music. They will never be forgotten and they are everything to Warrington and its music scene.”
Swings and Waterslides will be released on iTunes and all streaming platforms under the name ‘Warrington Music’ on Friday 12th February.
The full line up of contributors to the recording is:
Vocals: Jamie Boyle (The K’s) Joe Banks (The A.V Club), Lucy Bell, Liam Hillyer, Jessica Luise, Calan Nickle (Sienne), Olly Thornton (Uno Mas)
Guitar: Amy Woodall (Crawlers) & Nathan Greenfield (Aligners)
Drums: Chris Peake (Filthy Tricks)
Bass: Ed Dowling (The Zangwills)
Mix: Cal Bate (Former Viola Beach sound engineer)
