Violins and Tambourines

File:Stereophonics - Violins and Tambourines, video still.jpg

The lyrics of the song are a narration of a troubled man who is struggling with his inner demons.{{cn|date=December 2019}} The title references the lyrics of "The Last of the Unplucked Gems" by Canadian band The Tragically Hip, an important influence on Stereophonics. The song was released on Graffiti on the Train on 4 March 2013.{{cite web |url=http://www.stereophonics.com/news/post/violins-and-tambourines |title=Violins and Tambourines |publisher=Stereophonics Ltd |date=8 October 2012 |accessdate=25 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121011020522/http://www.stereophonics.com/news/post/violins-and-tambourines |archive-date=11 October 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }} The orchestral arrangements were composed by David Arnold along with producers Kelly Jones and Jim Lowe.

The music video for "Violins and Tambourines" was directed by lead singer Kelly Jones and this was his first time directing.{{cite web |url=https://www.nme.com/news/stereophonics/66534 |title=Stereophonics debut new song 'Violins and Tambourines' – watch |publisher=NME |date=8 October 2012 |accessdate=25 July 2013}} It was used to first promote the album.{{cite web |url=http://www.stereophonics.com/news/post/violins-and-tambourines |title=Violins and Tambourines |publisher=The Stereophonics Ltd |date=8 October 2012 |accessdate=28 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121011020522/http://www.stereophonics.com/news/post/violins-and-tambourines |archive-date=11 October 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }} The video uses the song's lyrics for the concept of a man driving in a hopeless state seeking redemption. When he stops and goes to a drug store he meets a woman who offers him that but he walks away, feeling he is beyond saving. The character then falls into a dream state where he is under water and the woman who tried to save him before tries again. The video ends with him tangled in a net, not knowing whether he has been saved or not.{{cite AV media |people=Kelly Jones (Director), Stereophonics (Music) |year=2012 |title=Violins and Tambourines |medium=Music Video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEFFFgz4skA |accessdate=25 July 2013}} In the behind the scenes video for the video, Jones explains he got the idea for the video from the lyric, "I killed a man but life is cheap."{{cite AV media |people=Kelly Jones (Director), Stereophonics (Music) |year=2012 |title=Stereophonics – The Making of Violins and Tambourines |medium=Music Video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLOOsGovIPs |accessdate=25 July 2013}}

"Violins and Tambourines" had its live debut on 15 December 2012 at the Newport Centre, Wales.{{cite web |url=http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/stereophonics/2012/newport-centre-newport-wales-53da7359.html |title=Stereophonics Setlist at Newport Centre, Newport, Wales |publisher=Setlist.fm |date=15 December 2012 |accessdate=28 August 2013}} Stereophonics held a tour in March to support Graffiti on the Train{{cite web |url=http://www.stereophonics.com/news/post/march-tour-announced |title=March Tour announced |publisher=The Stereophonics Ltd |date=21 January 2013 |accessdate=28 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927081733/http://www.stereophonics.com/news/post/march-tour-announced |archive-date=27 September 2013 |url-status=dead }} and the song was played at all the shows.{{cite web |url=http://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/stereophonics-bd6bd7a.html?song=Violins+and+Tambourines |title=Violins and Tambourines by Stereophonics |publisher=Setlist.fm |accessdate=28 August 2013}} Note: The dates have to be clicked on manually. The band were booked for several summer festivals that year, including Pinkpop Festival{{cite web |url=http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/stereophonics/2013/megaland-landgraaf-netherlands-2bd9c4b6.html |title=Stereophonics Setlist at Pinkpop Festival 2013 |publisher=Setlist.fm |accessdate=28 August 2013}} and the V Festival,{{cite web |url=http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/stereophonics/2013/hylands-park-chelmsford-england-23c618e3.html |title=Stereophonics Setlist at V 2013 |publisher=Setlist.fm |date=20 August 2013 |accessdate=28 August 2013}} where the song was played live. During their performance at Radio 2 In Concert on 22 August that year, the band played the song halfway through their set list and it was the fifth of 6 songs to be played from the album.{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01p9ktj |title=Radio 2 In Concert |work=BBC Radio 2 |publisher=BBC |date=22 August 2013 |accessdate=28 August 2013}}

"Violins and Tambourines" received positive reviews. Writing for Clash, Kieran Mayall called the song the stand out track on Graffiti on the Train.{{cite magazine |url=http://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/stereophonics-graffiti-on-the-train |title=Stereophonics – Graffiti On The Train |first=Kieran |last=Mayall |magazine=Clash |date=4 March 2013 |accessdate=1 October 2013}} Sean Adams from Drowned in Sound called it Stereophonics' comeback track and stated it had "reconfigured my notion of who and what Stereophonics had become".{{cite web |url=http://drownedinsound.com/releases/17506/reviews/4146143 |title=Stereophonics, Graffiti On The Train |first=Sean |last=Adams |publisher=Drowned in Sound |date=8 March 2013 |accessdate=1 October 2013 |archive-date=20 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131020101727/http://drownedinsound.com/releases/17506/reviews/4146143 |url-status=dead }} Cole Waterman from PopMatters praised the orchestral and guitar sounds in the track, writing: "a pensive piece with blues guitar lines that escalate into a mesmerizing swirl of rapid percussion and strained strings".{{cite magazine |url=https://www.popmatters.com/review/168983-stereophonics-graffiti-on-the-train/ |title=Stereophonics: Graffiti on the Train |first=Cole |last=Waterman |magazine=PopMatters |date=12 March 2013 |accessdate=1 October 2013}} Along with "Catacomb" and "Roll the Dice", Matthew Horton from the BBC said the last minute of the song "border on the exciting".{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/z828 |title=Stereophonics Graffiti on the Train Review |first=Matthew |last=Horton |publisher=BBC |year=2013 |accessdate=1 October 2013}} Andy Gill from The Independent praised Jones' songwriting by calling it "impressive".{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-review-stereophonics-graffiti-on-the-train-stylus-8515587.html |title=Stereophonics: Graffiti on the Train – review |first=Andy |last=Gill |newspaper=The Independent |date=1 March 2013 |accessdate=1 October 2013}}

At Music OMH, Martin Headon had a mixed response. He praised the arrangement and last minute of the song but stated that "old problems re-surface ... it’s tautological clunkers like “everything is changing, nothing ever seems to stay the same" that stick most in the memory".{{cite web |url=http://www.musicomh.com/reviews/albums/stereophonics-graffiti-on-the-train |title=Stereophonics – Graffiti On The Train |first=Martin |last=Headon |publisher=Music OMH |date=4 March 2013 |accessdate=1 October 2013}}

{{col-begin}}

{{col-break}}

;Stereophonics{{cite AV media notes |title=Graffiti on the Train |title-link=Graffiti on the Train |others=Stereophonics |year=2013 |publisher=Stylus Records |type=Vinyl notes}}

• Kelly Jones – lead vocals, guitar
• Richard Jones – bass guitar
• Adam Zindani – guitar, backing vocals
• Javier Weyler – drums

;Additional

• Jim Lowe – keyboards, programming
• Mikey Rowe – keyboards

{{col-break}}

;Technical

• Production, mixing – Kelly Jones, Jim Lowe
• Engineering – Lowe
• Mastering – Dick Beetham

{{col-end}}

;Notes

{{notelist}}

;Footnotes

{{reflist|2}}

• [http://www.stereophonics.com/videos/violins-and-tambourines Music video] at Stereophonics.com

{{Stereophonics}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Violins and Tambourines}}

Category:Stereophonics songs

Category:Songs written by Kelly Jones

Category:2012 songs