About
Formed in 2007
Playing Violet was originally formed by producer and songwriter Andy Alexanda in January 2007: a dream-pop project born from synths, static, and emotion. Andy wrote and produced the music solo, searching for the right voice to bring it to life. That voice arrived in Antonia, whose sultry, soulful tone perfectly matched the soundscape. Over time, the band expanded, with members including Chris and Ian on guitar, Phil on lights and live keys, and Yaisa on backing vocals.
Original Signal
2007–2010
The name Playing Violet came about during a late-night brainstorming session at Andy’s parents’ house in early 2007. As potential names were thrown around, Andy’s mum — slightly hard of hearing — misheard one suggestion and asked, “Did you say Playing Violet?” It wasn’t what anyone had said, but it stopped the room. The phrase had a strange, beautiful resonance — like a colour you could hear or a song you could touch. It felt right. It felt like the music.
Just six months after coming together, Playing Violet were offered a record deal and released their debut album, Escape This, on CD. A UK tour followed, supporting artists signed to Simon Cowell. But by 2010, the band entered a long hiatus, as life shifted and members focused on raising families.
Reprocessed
2025–
Fourteen years after its original beginnings, Andy relaunched Playing Violet in 2025 as a solo project – bringing together songwriting, production, instrumentation, electronic sound design and vocals under one roof.
Today, Andy Alexanda writes the music and lyrics, performs the instrumentation and produces every track. The voice of Playing Violet can take many forms – from Andy’s own voice, transformed through layers of processing and vocoder, to a synthetic female voice that adds another dimension to the music.
Rather than being tied to a single character or visual identity, Playing Violet sits somewhere between the human and the digital: real instruments and performance meeting synthesis, processing and electronic production.
Andy Alexanda
He’s been many things – performer, producer, songwriter and creative soul but at the heart of it all, Andy Alexanda is a storyteller. One who tells his stories through melody, memory and machines.
With over three decades in the creative industry, Andy’s journey has wound through stages both grand and intimate, from echoing stadiums to glowing clubs, theatre spots to festival lights. Armed with diplomas in music technology, theory and performance, he’s collaborated with a wide spectrum of artists, from pop royalty to soul legends including Girls Aloud, Same Difference, Boyz II Men, Edwin Starr, The Stone Roses, The Drifters, Kelly Llorena and more.
His music has reached radio airwaves including BBC Radio 1, Rock FM and The Bay, and he’s performed at venues including Liverpool Echo Arena, Manchester’s Etihad Stadium and Preston Guild Hall, as well as stadiums and venues across the North West.
But beyond the stage lights and studio sessions, Andy remains a one-man engine of sound and vision.
With Playing Violet, he brings together the full scope of his craft – writing, producing, performing and shaping every element of the music. Human voice meets machine processing. Organic sound meets synthesis. Past experiences meet new technology.
The result is Playing Violet: electronic music with a human story at its centre.