When Violet begins, there’s no thunderous riff, no grand overture. Instead, there’s a single breath - a quiet exhale that marks the start of something deeply personal and transformative. For Anthony Green, the voice of L.S. Dunes, it’s not just an introduction. It’s a statement. “That breath was me saying, ‘I’m ready to be seen, no filter, no armor,’” Green shares. This raw intimacy sets the tone for an album that dares to celebrate life, magic, and the beauty of simply moving forward.

“Like Magick,” the album’s opening track, is an invitation to step into the unpredictable world L.S. Dunes have created. “It’s a song that doesn’t let you settle,” guitarist Frank Iero explains. “The moment it begins, you realize this isn’t going to be what you expect. Whatever preconceptions you bring from our other bands, throw them out. We’re taking you somewhere new.”

That ethos defines Violet, the band’s second full-length release. While their 2022 debut, Past Lives, burned with urgency - fueled by the chaos of a pandemic-born collaboration - Violet takes a deeper breath. It’s a record that turns inward, not to retreat, but to explore. And in that exploration, L.S. Dunes have crafted something both expansive and intimate.

The band’s origins are as unconventional as their sound. Brought together by years of shared stages and mutual respect, the lineup reads like a who’s who of influential rock acts: Anthony Green (Circa Survive, Saosin), Frank Iero (My Chemical Romance), Travis Stever (Coheed And Cambria), Tim Payne, and Tucker Rule (Thursday). Their debut captured the exhilaration of these creative forces colliding, but it also came with its challenges.

For Green, one challenge loomed larger than the rest. “There’s a song on Past Lives where I sing, ‘Sorry that I wish that I was dead,’ and performing it night after night began to weigh on me,” he admits. “I needed to make something different this time - something that reminded me and everyone else that there’s magic in the world. Something that says, ‘I want to live.’”

That shift in perspective is palpable across Violet. Guided once again by producer Will Yip, the album moves with a steadier, more deliberate pulse. Songs like “Machines” ground the listener with their confident rhythms, while the defiant “Paper Tigers” channels empowerment into its every note. Then there’s “Forgiveness,” a song that Green describes as “a reckoning with our humanity - flawed, messy, but still capable of love and grace.”

For Rule, the album’s heart lies in its optimism. “If the first record was about wrestling with the weight of the world, Violet is about seeing the light break through,” he says. “It’s about growth, about healing, about choosing to keep going.”

Even the album’s name, Violet, carries a story of discovery. It began as a placeholder - just a word Iero stumbled upon during a writing session - but it took on a life of its own. “It wasn’t something we overthought,” Iero explains. “It just fit. Sometimes you don’t need to force meaning. You just let it unfold.”

That philosophy of letting go and allowing magic to happen is at the core of Violet. More than an album title, it’s a reflection of the band’s journey, one that embraces the unplanned and unpredictable. For Green, this realization was transformative. “I’ve spent so much time trying to control everything, to make sense of it all. But with this record, I learned to let go. To trust the process. That’s when the real magic happens.”

With Violet, L.S. Dunes prove that magic doesn’t need to be grand or otherworldly. It’s in the quiet moments, the shared breath, the decision to keep creating despite the chaos. As listeners press play and step into this vibrant, unpredictable world, they’re reminded of one simple truth: magic is everywhere, if you’re willing to see it.