ŒViolet¹ creates colorful sound through their music

Thursday, May 23, 1996

Unique band brings its blend of styles to the Dragonfly on
Saturday

By Vanessa VanderZanden

Daily Bruin Contributor

The members of Violet wait to rehearse beneath black-and-whites
of various local bands. Everyone from leather-clad rockers to
bejeweled soul singers to mariachi stars donning gold lamé
look down from their 8 by 11 glossies.

It is from within these diversified confines that Violet etches
out its musical niche.

"We’re every color of the rainbow," says the group’s
African-American lead singer, Toi. "We’re different ethnicities, so
we just came up with ‘Violet,’ like the flower, (for a name)."

Ranging in backgrounds from Asian-American to Russian Jew, the
members of Violet revel in their individual differences. Their
clothes range in style from the bassist’s plain white shirt and
blue jeans to Toi’s sparkling gold top and flowing black pants.
Using their unique talents and personalities to the band’s benefit,
they manage to achieve an unusual sound.

Violet brings this peculiar style to the Dragonfly this Saturday
night. Hoping to veer from the current trend of alternative music,
Violet consciously draws on its members varied musical
backgrounds.

"I think everyone’s got their own expertise, a certain style. We
manage to mix them together," says Nanni, Violet’s bassist. "I’ve
played in a lot of R & B and blues bands, and Darrell (Cross,
drums) has played in jazz. Brian (Lapin, the keyboard) and Kuang
(Lee, the guitar and vocals) have played more pop."

"Country rock in there, too, please," throws out Lapin. "But for
this band, we’re looking for grooves. You know, moving the body,
the heart."

Engineering this process is the group’s songwriter Lee, who is
also a UCLA alumnus. He’ll introduce a riff to the band and see
what they can make of it. Also, he writes the words which Toi sings
and he himself sometimes provides vocals.

"He gives the lyrics to Toi," says Nanni. "By the time she comes
up with the finished product it’s much different. It’s the same
lyrics, but she’s put the Toi signature on it."

"You know what it’s kind of like?" jests Lee. "It’s kind of like
Oasis."

"Jesus! No, no, nothing like Oasis," Cross says vehemently.

"I’d like to make a statement right now that we have nothing to
do with Oasis," declares Lapin.

And if they had to compare themselves to another band, then who
would that band be?

"Oasis," says Lapin with a devilish smirk.

But on a more serious note, it’s difficult to find an
appropriate musical comparison for the band. Even the specific
genre of Violet can be tough to clarify. Lee sums it up best by
saying, "If you were to call us R & B, I’d say we were a little
bit more unique than that, and if you were to call us alternative
I’d say we were more groovy."

Not willing to pinpoint their exact musical standing, Violet
also enjoys varying the format of their songs. Having played
together for roughly a year, they often create new lyrics for old
songs they’ve grown tired of and restructure others to better fit
their growth and mood. Caught up in this need to push their
boundaries, they enlisted the efforts of a saxophonist.

"The sax player, in a lot of sections, just adds color to what’s
going on," says Cross. "It doesn’t change anything, it just
enhances what’s already there."

The existing style draws not only on a variety of instruments,
but on the musicians’ diverse backgrounds as well. Having
originated from a wide variety of places, it’s surprising the
members ever managed to meet.

"I was with another group and we put out an ad saying we needed
vocalists and keyboard players and Kuang and Brian came down and we
had a jam session," says Nanni. "That other band broke up and I
formed a new band with them."

Lacking a drummer, the band called Cross in. Having played in
bands before with Lee and Lapin, he thought he knew what to expect.
Yet, the group still needed a lead singer, and no one could have
predicted the sound that would emerge once this ingredient was
added.

"Oddly enough, Brian always said ‘Once they come in, we’ll know
who it is,’" Cross says of the interview sessions for lead singer.
"And I think it pretty much was like that with Toi."

"It was kind of a spiritual connection, you know, the stars all
aligned," interjects Lee.

By going the extra mile to widen the music’s sound, Violet has
gained a wider audience base as well. Though mostly youths attend
club shows, Violet’s inspirations transcend generational gaps. Some
fans may even be surprised at their attraction to it.

"If we put an album out, I can guarantee if my mother didn’t
know I was in the band, she would buy it and listen to it and like
it," says Cross. Though he admits, "I’m gonna need some therapy for
this."

"With Asian parents," adds Lee as he pushes his shaggy
orange-tipped hair from his face, "whatever it is, they’ll want you
to overachieve in that. So if it’s music, they’ll say you better
have a lot of albums. So, I guess they’re supportive in that
sense."

Nanni even sites his mother as the biggest musical influence in
his life, exposing him to jazz, though he dreams of someday meeting
Jimi Hendrix. Lee attributes his musical inspiration to lie in Paul
McCartney, Kurt Cobain and Baby Face, while Lapin enjoys the more
raw, down-home feel of bands like Son Volt. However, when on stage,
they live out their own rock and roll fantasies.

"I feel like I’m ‘famous Toi,’ but not someone else," says
Toi.

"When Kuang and I were kids, we used to interview each other
like we were famous," says Lapin.

Until that moment arrives, though, they’re all keeping their day
jobs, which are as varied as the band members themselves. For
instance, Lee tutors English students at UCLA, awaiting the fall
quarter at Loyola Maramount where he’ll be a grad student in the
film department. Nanni works at the J. Paul Getty Museum ordering
supplies and dealing with mail. Toi acts as manager at a group home
facility, and Lapin recently finished working as an assistant
engineer on Isaac Hayes’ most recent album. Though, mostly, he just
plays basketball. However, Cross’ job is perhaps the most unusual
of all.

"My day job just sucks," he says.

"Go on and just tell her," prompts Toi.

"It’s terrible. I’m an accountant," admits Cross.

"He’s the best accountant/drummer in LA," says Lee. "Brian
(Lapin)’s our resident playboy. He has a current running thing that
any woman who comes to ten shows, he’ll take out to dinner."

Is that why Violet really formed?

"Forget the groupies, it’s all about the money," says Cross.

"No, no, no, c’mon," says Lapin soberly. "It’s all for the
groupies."

However, other band members cite different reasons for playing
in the group. All agree, though, that Violet is their ticket to the
big time. After working in various other projects, Violet is the
one that demands the most attention and achieves the intensity
they’ve all been striving for.

"It’s all about being able to sustain ourselves by doing music,"
says Nanni.

Though they may have to wait awhile on that front, they at least
have their goals in clear range. They hope to travel up the coast
to play in San Francisco soon, but in the meantime are content to
visit local venues. Here, the biggest rush comes from audience
interaction.

"A show when people start dancing is the biggest high, because
you know you’re connecting," says Lapin. "But even the worst show
is better than anything outside of playing music."

CONCERT: Violet at the Dragonfly May 25 at 10 p.m., at 217
Broadway St. June 2. For more info., call (818) 889-8599.

Toi, Matthew Nanni, Darrell Cross, Brian Lapin and Kuang Lee
from Violet.