Get your blood pumping with the upbeat new single from indie-rockers Castells.

Creating an energy and sound that’s larger than life, indie-rockers Castells unveil plans for a multi-month campaign of releasing new singles and share the first of the series with super-charged new single Viola. Combining incendiary guitar melodies, scorching vocals and frenetic percussion, the band hammer on with an unstoppable drive and the incessant energy makes the track impossible to stay away from. A blistering opening sets out the track’s dynamism from the get-go, subsiding slightly in the verses for a brief glimpse into tenderness before an explosive chorus bursts in and tears down any reservations that you might have held.

The band shares:

‘Viola’ was inspired by a drunken romance with a stranger. The kind of romance which feels like a lifetime but it only lasts the night, and then by the morning is gone again. ‘Viola’ was one of the first songs we wrote which told the story of a situation exactly how it happened and if you look at the lyrics within the song they paint a perfect picture of the night.

The story behind the song felt very fast pace so we wanted to match the same feeling within the music. From start to finish ‘Viola’ is hard hitting and keeps up the same energy throughout.

Feeling energised by the adrenaline-inducing track, we chatted with the band a bit more about the story behind the track, and what can be expected in the coming months with their campaign.

What’s a motto you live by?

“Be somebody who makes everybody feel like a somebody” – I think everybody has met someone in their life who has made them feel like they truly matter and if you could be that someone for somebody else then there would be no greater feeling.”

If your sound had a colour, what colour would it be?

Somebody once told me that “Castells” sounded yellow. They had synaesthesia, which made that a whole lot more interesting. The more I’ve thought about this, the more I seem to understand. If I could explain it myself, I’d say our sound was like the glow from a vintage lightbulb.

If you could set Viola to a TV show or movie, what would it be the soundtrack for?

Bates Motel – Because not everything is what it looks like on the surface, just like Viola.

Or a glass of water to the face in Made In Chelsea. Perfect for the line “it’s funny how you don’t love me when you’re sober”.

What inspired the idea of the campaign that you’ve got planned for the next 18 months?

We are writing lots and have quite a few singles we’re really excited about putting out. Rather than putting 2 or 3 tracks together and then creating a void after each release it made more sense to us to release a single every 2-3 months to keep momentum going and focusing on each track individually. It’s a better formula we feel to releasing. Unlike EPs, where there tends to be one focus track and the others can feel a bit more like filler tracks which don’t get as much attention, we felt each single could live in its own space and have its moment and means we can constantly revisit the release schedule making sure our best singles are always at the forefront of the strategy/release campaign.

What made you pick Viola as the first track?

I think we went through a very long process with a lot of songs that we just couldn’t decide on what was needed as a first track for the band, its been in our set for a long time and has been the opener for all that time, it feels like the big bang at the beginning of a set, so why not the big bang at the beginning of our journey.

Do you have any behind-the-scenes stories of recording Viola that you can share with us?

During the songwriting process, we spent ages trying to figure out which girls name to put in the song. After what felt like hours of trying to select the right name, we decided to have a break downstairs then come back to it later on. As soon as we got downstairs we saw a painting which Rob’s (guitarist) mum had made, just sat on the table. The painting was of a purple flower and above it read ‘Viola’. We liked the name straight away and within a few minutes we had the chorus finished.

Viola tells the story of how a night out can transpire, have you had any wild nights out as a band more generally? 

After every gig we play we always end up out no matter what, we just love the fact we can be around our friends, family and fans and have a laugh and make memories together.

Do you guys prefer nights in or nights out generally?

I think it depends on the people you’re with. Going out with a group of friends is always a laugh but sitting in a friends garden surrounded by people you love, listening to some good music and talking rubbish at 3am has a special feel to it.

And finally, what does music mean to you?

Without sounding too cheesy (if that’s possible), music does mean everything to us. Art is the only thing which can make you feel happy, sad, nostalgic, hopeful and every other emotion in between within such a short space of time, and we think music does this more than anything. Music is what brought Castells together and if our music could do the same thing for others, then we couldn’t ask for more.