Violet and the Velvets meets Girls Rock Aotearoa: Rachael King

Meet Violet Grumble: a music-loving, guitar-toting tween whose dream is to compete at BandChamps.

The problem is that none of her friends can play an instrument. Violet won’t let that stop her! But things get tougher when the band’s gear starts to go missing – what’s going on?

Author Rachael King, an ex-bass player in bands herself, created Violet and the Velvets for young people with music in their hearts, and to show girls they don't need to be singers or proficient musicians to be in a band. And with that in mind, the kaupapa of organisation Girls Rock Aotearoa fits perfectly with the book. Rachael is donating 10% of the royalties from Violet and the Velvets to Girls Rock Aotearoa.

Kete caught up with Rachael to ask some questions about the book, Girls Rock Aotearoa and their combined event happening next weekend, Saturday 17th May.

Can you tell us about how you came across Girls Rock Aotearoa? Was it before or after Violet was conceived?

I’m not sure when I first heard of them, but they immediately caught my eye as an incredibly worthy, important and fun organisation. They run To The Front music programmes for girls (and trans and non-binary kids) aged twelve to seventeen-ish, where they are thrown into the wonderfully chaotic world of learning to play an instrument, form a band, and write an original song, with expert mentorship from people in the industry.

When I played in bands – for about ten years from the age of 15 – I was always one of very few women playing instruments at gigs among a sea of blokes, and when I attended my son’s BandQuest heats when he was at primary school I saw that not much had changed in that respect. I wondered if girls are pushed more towards classical music than boys are, and, if they want to play in bands, whether they are more likely to be handed a microphone than a guitar or drumsticks, creating a microcosm of the adult music industry, which has always been male-dominated. Girls Rock are making a real difference in disrupting that trajectory. As well as instilling practical skills and knowledge, To The Front captures the joy of making music with friends and just giving it a go, which is what I also wanted to get across with Violet. The books are aimed at the slightly younger age group so I thought that maybe they could be a gateway to the work of GRA and TTF. And because I admire their kaupapa so much, and had donated to them before, I decide very early on to donate a portion of all royalties from the book to them.

And you’re having a joint event in Auckland? With lots of music?

It's their event that they have kindly involved me in! It’s a fundraising party to launch their charitable status and to raise awareness of what they do, and the incredible opportunities they offer young people. There’ll be lots of fun activities, including a quiz and a silent auction for live karaoke slots, and no doubt a few surprises. I’ll be there selling copies of Violet and the Velvets, as well as t-shirts, with profits going to the fundraiser. There’ll be lots of people from the music biz there.

Will you read from Violet and the Velvets? How much would Violet have loved Girls Rock Aotearoa?

Yes! I will be interviewed on stage about the books and a reading is certainly on the cards. I’m sure Violet would have dived headfirst into a To The Front camp! It seems like the perfect collaboration… I’m certainly grateful to be involved and to hang out with a bunch of other music lovers! I’ve really loved making these books, and Violet and the Velvets has become a real band to me. Each book has a song I’ve written, with chords and lyrics at the back of the book so kids can play their own version of it, and I’ve also recorded the first song and put it on YouTube (just search for Violet and the Velvets) with a homemade video that could have easily been made by a 12-year-old. Oh, and of course there’s band merch!

And what’s next for Violet? She has another adventure arriving this year?

The next book in the series will be launched late August, called The Case of the Angry Ghost. Violet and the band are at the regional heats of BandChamps at the Royal Theatre, where it’s rumoured a ghost haunts the stage. Can they solve the mystery and win the chance to go to the national finals? You’ll have to wait to find out! Tickets for the Girls Rock Aotearoa event are available here: https://events.humanitix.com/girls-rock-aotearoa-charity-party-2025