British Indie Band Viola Beach Killed in Car Accident
All four members of British indie rock band Viola Beach and their manager were killed in a car crash Saturday outside Stockholm, Sweden. The band was driving from Sweden’s Where’s the Music? Festival, where they performed Friday, to a Saturday night gig in Guilford, England when their car smashed into a road barrier and plunged more than 80 feet from a highway bridge to a canal, the BBC reports. Viola Beach’s singer Kris Leonard, guitarist River Reeves, bassist Tomas Lowe and drummer Jack Dakin and their manager Craig Tarry all died in the accident.
Viola Beach released their debut single “Swings and Waterslides” in September 2015, with BBC Radio 1 adding the track to their play list. Their follow-up single “Boys Who Sing”/”Like a Fool” arrived in January. Viola Beach also recently sat down with the BBC for their first Maida Vale session. The Warrington, England band were scheduled to perform at the Austin’s SXSW Festival in March.
In a statement to the BBC, Tarry’s family said, “Craig was a warm, loving person who had worked tirelessly to achieve success and follow his dreams within the music industry. He will be sadly missed by his family and his colleagues.” BBC DJ Annie Mac tweeted, “Such unfathomable news about Viola Beach – a hugely talented young band at the start of their career. My heart goes out to their families.”