The four members of Viola Beach and their manager were killed in a auto accident in Sweden as they were on the cusp of success.
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Along with their manager Craig Tarry, Leonard, Reeves, Dakin and Lowe died on 13 February 2016 when their hired Nissan Qashqai plunged into a canal in Sodertalje, Stockholm.
Following news of the tragedy, their debut Swings & Waterslides entered the official singles chart and topped the iTunes chart.
The eponymously-titled album, released under the group’s label Fuller Beans Records, features the singles Swings & Waterslides and Boys That Sing.
A statement from the families of the band said: ‘We believe the best way to celebrate our son’s lives is to release an album of their songs. “But we have to train ourselves to make it a positive thing, because this isn’t an album that should make people sad they wrote songs to make people happy”.
The band’s auto drove through a signal light and two barriers towards a canal bridge which had not fully shut after letting a vessel pass underneath.
Speaking to NME magazine, Lisa said: “I probably would have just buried my head in the sand, but I had to take a step back and see it’s not about what I want – it’s about what Kris would want”.
Lead singer Chris Martin said: ” We’re going to create Viola Beach’s alternate future for them and let them headline Glastonbury with their song.
‘That’s the feeling they were trying to get across and that’s what they were doing’.
The Lounge Bar was adopted as Viola Beach’s “second home” as many members of the band worked at the bar on and off, after their death it became a focal point for tributes from friends, family and fans.
Following the accident the families of the young men have chose to go ahead and release the record they made before their untimely deaths, because it is what they would have wanted.
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Sadly, the album is not the one that Viola Beach wanted to put out, with numerous songs reportedly destined for an EP rather than a full release. “River was all about enjoying himself and living life to the full, and when he got into Viola Beach and met those lads, that was him at his best”.
