VIOLENT SOHO SCORE ARIA #1 WITH FIFTH STUDIO ALBUM EVERYTHING IS A-OK

It is with immense pride and excitement that I OH YOU share that Violent Soho’s hugely anticipated fifth studio album Everything Is A-OK has debuted at #1 on the ARIA album chart. This marks the second time the band have snagged the top spot, after their last release WACO (which scored 2 x ARIA Awards, the 2017 AIR Award for Best Hard Rock, Metal or Punk album and is certified ARIA Gold) topped the national chart in 2016.

This tremendous win is a testament to both Violent Soho’s undeniable talent and hard work, and to Australia’s thriving and intertwined music community that the band have been an active part of for the past 16 years. The return of Soho saw the support of local publications, dedicated independently owned record stores and of course, their fiercely loyal fans and peers, as they rallied around four everyday mates, to see an independent band from Mansfield take out the #1 slot.

“We’re stoked!” – Violent Soho

From the outset of this project, the band wanted to drive fans back to the indie record stores that they grew up frequenting and that played a massive part in their success. They sold hard-copy tickets to their last headline shows, along with a limited blue colourway of their new album on 12” Vinyl, exclusively at the independently owned Rocking Horse, Red Eye and Oh! Jean Records, and consistently pushed album sales through these, and many other local stores, especially when these local businesses were forced to close shop or change to a pickup or online only model due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Despite the global crisis hindering physical sales and ceasing live performances, the Mansfield four-piece held off fierce competition to claim the #1, proving their timely return to be exactly what the ears of Australia needed.

With the whole world staying home, and no option to host instore signings or play live shows, Violent Soho had to put on their creative hats to find a way to connect with fans on release day. They organised an online listening party via Facebook Live and YouTube that saw them listen to the album in full along with their fans, in arguably Australia’s biggest online listening party, as they answered questions live from thousands of fans who tuned in from around the world.

In a time where things do not feel so A-OK, and people are feeling incredibly isolated, Violent Soho have united a community, and proven (yet again) that there is an undeniable thirst for great Australian music. Support for the band has flooded the nation’s screens, radio airwaves, streaming services, and digital and print media, with Everything Is A-OK scoring the Feature Album on triple j and coming in as the #1 New Release on both Spotify and Apple Music.

Working with Australian producer Greg Wales (You Am I, Sandpit, triple J’s Like A Version), Everything Is A-OK is an honest record that reflects a band who have found peace with who they are. They’ve done the hard work, there is no bullsh*t. This album is an honest piece of art that they as a collective group (along with Wales) are so excited about and proud of. It is a cathartic vent of our shared frustrations, one which could not have come at a better time.