BLACK VIIOLET is the evocative solo evolution of garage-rock visionary Nicole Laurenne (The Darts, The Love Me Nots). Pivoting from her gritty, high-voltage roots, the classically trained pianist and jazz veteran explores a new sonic landscape of smoky vocals and nocturnal grooves.
The project is a masterclass in genre-bending, seamlessly weaving together neo-soul, trip-hop beats, and vintage “spy-movie” scores. With meticulous production involving 14 world-class musicians and 9 producers across the globe, BLACK VIIOLET cements Laurenne’s reputation as a versatile powerhouse in songwriting and production.
On February 13, 2026, Seattle’s Nicole Laurenne steps out from the high-voltage shadows of The Darts to return as Black Viiolet. Her new full-length, Dark Blue (Adrenalin Fix Music), is a cinematic descent into smoky lounge, trip-hop, and neo-soul—a record that feels less like a collection of songs and more like a late-night confession.
Written largely in tour vans and hotel rooms, Dark Blue captures the friction of a life lived in motion. The album explores the “stretch” of a long-distance relationship maintained from the road, oscillating between the hopeful sparks of “Just Met” and the velvety melancholy of the title track.
Recorded at Studio Black Box in France’s Loire Valley, the album features a live European touring band and a rescued 1930s Berlin piano that anchors the record’s bruised, beautiful sound. From a sultry cover of the jazz standard “Why Don’t You Do Right” to guest appearances by Jason DeVore (Authority Zero) and Tom Hagerman (DeVotchKa), Dark Blue proves Laurenne is a formidable composer and multi-instrumentalist capable of turning road-weary tension into pure atmosphere.
What sets your music apart? What is unique, or at least uncommon?
Nicole: My original idea for this project was to write original songs that sound like old jazz standards, but with triphop beats underneath. I’m not the first to have that idea but I can’t say its very common. It has been such true joy watching these songs come together.
Have you got a ritual of sorts when writing and thinking about your music?
Nicole: I always start a new song by writing the bass line. That gives it the groove and feel from which everything else grows. Then I add an electronic hiphop or triphop beat quietly underneath. Then I add a real drum kit on top, busy and sparkly over all that darkness. I put down a scratch vocal, and then add horns, keys, strings, vibes, and backing vocals as decorations. Having a system gives me structure and focus instead of going down endless rabbit holes.
What is the best advice you have been given?
Nicole: To practice gratitude. So many people I know, especially if they have talent, become entitled, arrogant, difficult people. I have worked hard to eliminate that kind of toxicity from my world and instead surround myself with people who are just grateful every day for the chance to make music together. Even when times are tough, when the festival field is rainy and muddy, or the van breaks down, or the motel is lousy, or the sound is terrible..I want people around me who will joke about it together and have a great time despite it all. I sat at a desk job for far too many years to take one minute of this tour life for granted.
What is next for you?
Dark Blue, my second LP, drops on February 13. It was supposed to come out on February 14, Valentines’ Day, in a great romantic gesture. But my team decided it should not come out on a Saturday, so we chose the day prior. Now, in a perfect metaphor for my love life, the album comes out on Friday the 13th. The first single and video, “Dark Blue,” comes out on January 23. After the album comes out, we will head out on a big tour of the US, EU, and UK. Also, I am excited to introduce a more permanent horn section for the tours in 2026. Instead of rotating in horn players from the local areas as I have tried to do in the past, I feel that we have evolved to a high enough level where having a consistent sound is becoming important to me and the listeners. And it will be a very unique style of horn section: Wes Watkins (Denver) and Carrie Jennings (Seattle) will play trumpet and flugelhorn together for all US shows and even in Europe this summer. The talent in this band blows my mind at every single show, and the talent on the recordings – musicians from the US and France – is truly top tier.
Tell us about your most unusual talent or party trick.
Nicole: Few people know this, but I’m not bad at table tennis.
If you could ask your future self-one question, what would it be?
Nicole: Should I be looking for a partner, or do I find happiness alone in the end?
Would you rather be the one in a movie who gets the hero/heroine or the baddie with all the good lines?
Nicole: I would love to win the heart of a hero. I think I did it once, but then I messed it up.
If you could change anything about yourself, what would it be?
Nicole: I would be four inches taller, preferably in the legs.
If you were to write an autobiography, what would the title be?
Nicole: Do-Over. I’ve ended things and started over so many times, I barely own anything anymore because it’s easier than dividing things up or having to move things around. I kind of like starting over, it’s like a fresh slate. But there’s always this quiet nagging feeling that you’ve done something wrong to find yourself in this position.
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