Five Rock Bands With Awesome Violinists

The violin is a very versatile instrument. Centuries ago, the violin was mostly seen in courts and orchestras. However, as time passed, the violin evolved and was incorporated in emerging music genres. As modern artists dabbled into classical instruments and extended its usage in the field of rock, the violin gained popularity in such music. Several rock bands even had their own in-house violinists! Here are some rock bands with awesome violinists:

• Dave Matthews Band – Boyd Calvin Tinsley

The Dave Matthews Band is one of the most famous rock bands in the 2000s amassing around 20 million views per music video on YouTube. Their popular songs include Crash Into Me, The Space Between, and Crush. Their violinist, Boyd Calvin Tinsley, helped in composing and creating the harmonies for their songs. His famous performance would be for the song “Tripping Billies” which highlighted the sounds of the violin.

• Dirty Three – Warren Ellis

Dirty Three is an Australian Rock Band which was voted top three albums of the year on the Rolling Stone in the 1960s. Warren Ellis was a violinist known for being one of the most skilled instrumentalists in the rock industry having played with the likes of Nick Cave. Some of his performances include Jubilee Street, All Things Beautiful, and Noisey Meets.

• It’s A Beautiful Day – David LaFlamme

It’s A Beautiful Day is a San Francisco based band which creates psychedelic rock music. The band boasts its iconic single called White Bird. David LaFlamme is the violinist and frontman of the band. He has helped produce many successful albums such as Bombay Calling and Hot Summer Day.

• East of Eden – Joe O’ Donnell

East of Eden is a British band that hit its prime in the 1970s. At some point, the band hit the top 10 mark with their single “Jig-a-Jig”. Joe O’ Donnell was known as an innovative violinist that contributed to the success of many songs like Perfect to Me, Storytellers, and Noel Nouvelet. He has been signed to top record labels like Polydor Records and Sony Entertainment.

• ZOX – Spencer Swain

ZOX is a band from Rhode Island whose album, “The Wait”, was listed on Billboard Magazine as the 7th best in between The Black Eyed Peas and Coldplay. They classified themselves as alternative rock artists. Moreover, their music is described as “violin-laced” all thanks to Spencer Swain who happens to be their vocalist and violinist. His famous pieces include U of Toledo and A Little More Time.

Violinists are ubiquitous players that contribute amazing sounds across many genres of music! With that, the violin has taken upon important roles in the success of many albums in the past and hopefully it continues to thrive in the generations to come.