A new cover of Viola Beach‘s track ‘Swings And Waterslides’ has been recorded by a collective of Warrington musicians to mark five years since the band’s death.
Rising indie four-piece Viola Beach and their manager Craig Tarry were killed in a car accident on February 13, 2016 while travelling through Sweden.
To mark the fifth anniversary of the tragic event, a number of artists from their home town have come together for a new version of their debut single.
Billed as Warrington Music, the new rendition will be released next Friday (February 12) with proceeds going to charities chosen by the families of Viola Beach. You can hear the original below.
The line-up was brought together by Lee Harman, the editor of the local Warrington music publication [WAM] Magazine, with support from the band’s former sound engineer Cal Bate. The track features members of the bands The A.V Club, Sienne, Uno Mas, Crawlers, Aligners, Filthy Tricks and The Zangwills.
“Viola Beach left their own legacy despite their short time together,” Harman said. “They were the first of a new wave of bands who were proud to be from Warrington, and all the artists involved are honoured to be involved.
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“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.
“Kris [Leonard], Jack [Dakin], Tom [Lowe] and River [Reeves] have such an important part to play in keeping the Warrington Music [WAM] website active as I had all but stepped away from the blog but their tragic passing galvanised the towns scene and myself. I felt it was important to cover as much as I could about everything that was happening in the days and weeks after their tragic accident.”
Viola Beach’s death prompted tributes from across British music. The Coral and Courteeners‘ Liam Fray paid tribute to them at a special show in Warrington, and Coldplay covered their song ‘Boys That Sing’ during their Glastonbury Festival headline slot.
Their debut album was released posthumously in June 2016 and reached number one following a campaign by the likes of Liam Gallagher and The Stone Roses.