I recently caught up with Violets, who are getting ready to drop their self-titled debut EP on May 2nd. I’m so excited for it, and figured — what better way to celebrate than with some French profiteroles? Think cream puffs with a key lime twist, topped off with dark chocolate ganache to complement this band’s perfectly sophisticated sound and palate. Check out the recipe below, and all things Violets!

Violets are a new band made up of members from Naked Raygun, The Methadones, and Blood People — so they’ve got deep roots in Chicago’s punk scene. Violets are made up of Bill Stephens (guitar), Simon Lamb (guitar), Aly Jados (guitar/vocals), Michael Soucy (drums), and Fritz Doreza (bass/vocals). They don’t sound like anything you’ve ever heard before, and you can feel the chemistry between them on their self-titled EP. It kicks off with their first single, “The Tower,” a total powerhouse anthem, followed by “Eras,” a darker track about how life moves in cycles. There’s this moody, introspective vibe running through the whole thing. Another standout is “Staring at the Ceiling,” which slows things down with a fuzzy, mellow feel and shows off the band’s range. There’s a little bit of everything here — lots of different flavors, both musically and lyrically — and you can tell they just made the music they wanted to make, no rules. It totally paid off. They teamed up with Dan Precision (from 88 Fingers Louie) at Bomb Shelter Studios to produce and engineer the EP. The band said he got their vision and helped bring the songs to life in a way even they didn’t fully expect. The result? A polished, powerful record that sounds incredible.

 

 

When I first heard Violets’ latest single “The Tower,” it instantly gave me that raw, emotional ‘90s rock vibe — think Hole meets Garbage. What’s cool is, the band didn’t even plan for a specific sound when they started. Originally, before lead singer Aly Jados joined, they tossed around the idea of forming a power pop band, but clearly, they ended up somewhere very different. And it works. Aly’s vocals are super clean, powerful, and a perfect match for the band’s energy. The sound they’ve landed on feels natural and unforced, not some intentional throwback. It’s just what happens when great musicians click. The band itself came together through a mix of long-time friendships and music scene connections. Simon and Michael play together in The Methadones and knew Bill and Fritz through Naked Raygun. Once Aly came in as the frontwoman, everything just locked in.

 

 

Their influences range from the Pixies and Queens of the Stone Age to unexpected stuff like James Brown (yes, that groove shows up in ways you wouldn’t guess in their music). Michael even realized how much Pixies drummer David Lovering has shaped his playing unintentionally. The EP itself came together slowly because they had five songs, recorded four, and have been gaining great feedback ever since. It’s been a slow burn, but they’re focused on building momentum, releasing more music, and hopefully putting out a full-length album by the end of the year. Touring’s tricky with family life, but they’re planning some targeted out-of-town shows.

They opened for The Lawrence Arms last year and are clearly just getting started. Personally, my top picks from the EP are “Staring at the Ceiling” and “The Tower,” but the whole EP is solid. Be sure to check out Violets’ debut EP when it drops on May 2nd. You can stream it on Bandcamp, Spotify, and wherever you get your music.

 

Violets debut EP out Friday, May 2

(Stream on Soundcloud)

 

 

When it comes to food, each band member has distinct food preferences and nostalgic favorites, reflecting their diverse backgrounds and tastes. Michael is allergic to tree nuts and avoids orange starchy vegetables. He prefers simple cheese pizza, especially New York-style, which reminds him of his childhood in the Northeast. His favorite pizza place is Bleeker Street Pizza on 7th Avenue and Bleeker Street in NYC. He eats healthily at home and is currently into black rice and whole grains. For dessert, he leans European, preferring cheese after meals but also enjoys flourless chocolate cake. Simon’s nostalgic meal is a traditional British Sunday roast with all the fixings. He changes up his meals daily with recently enjoying crostinis topped with salmon, Dijon, onions, and giardiniera. His dessert of choice is whiskey. Fritz loves a traditional Filipino breakfast of Spam and rice. His go-to snacks are blueberry granola, mango kefir, and sea salt veggie straws. For dessert, he enjoys lemon cookies from Letizia’s Natural Bakery in Chicago. Bill preserves his Korean heritage through homemade kimchi and his Swedish roots with holiday-only Swedish meatballs his grandmother used to make. He loves soups and meat sticks as daily snacks. His favorite desserts are French: tarte Tatin, profiteroles, pot de crème, and baba au rhum with extra rum. Aly has nostalgic memories of peanut butter and banana toast sandwiches from her childhood that her mother used to make. She loves chips and dips, especially salsa and hot dips, and for dessert, prefers dark chocolate treats and key lime pie. When the band is in the studio, they enjoy communal snacks like popcorn and meals from Chipotle, often favoring burrito bowls.

For this recipe, I wanted to capture the flavors that resonate with the band members. I chose to put a twist on the classic French dessert, profiteroles, by incorporating a Key Lime cream filling, topped with a rich dark chocolate ganache drizzle. The result is an elegant and refined dessert that reflects Violet’s polished and sophisticated sound. While this recipe may not be ideal for complete beginners, it’s still approachable and delicious. It balances sweet and tart elements, with the crisp texture of puff pastry and the smooth warmth of dark chocolate that perfectly echoes Violets’ clean and elevated musical style. Check out the recipe below! 

 

 

French Profiteroles with Key Lime Cream & Dark Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 4 eggs, room temperature
  • 2 2/3 cups heavy whipping cream, cold
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 4 teaspoons Madagascar vanilla extract
  • Fresh Key Lime Juice from 3 Key Limes
  • Key Lime Zest
  • 1 10 oz to 12 oz bag of dark chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate Premium Baking Chips)
  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream for the ganache

 

 

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium saucepan, add the water, milk, butter, granulated sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then remove from the heat and quickly stir in 1 cup flour.
  3. Put the saucepan back over medium heat and continue stirring constantly for about 1 minute.
  4. Transfer the flour mixture to a standing mixer on medium speed for 1 minute. Then, add the eggs and mix for 1 more minute until the eggs are well incorporated and the dough is smooth.
  5. Using a piping bag with a 1/2″ round tip (or you can just snip the end of the piping bag if you don’t have the tip), fill the piping bag with the pâte à choux (French pastry dough).
  6. Pipe small mounds measuring 1 1/2” wide and 1/2” tall rounds of the pâte à choux and try not to pipe them close to each other so they don’t stick together as they bake and puff up. Give about an inch of space between each choux puff.
  7. Bake for 10 minutes and then do not open the oven, but reduce the heat to 325˚F. Continue to bake for another 20 minutes.
  8. Set the choux puffs aside on a cooling rack to cool off while you prepare the cream filling and ganache.
  9. Combine very cold heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla using a hand mixer or standing mixer on medium speed with a whisk attachment for about 3 minutes.
  10. Add the key lime juice and whisk until firm peaks form.
  11. Immediately set in the refrigerator until you’re ready to pipe your Profiteroles.
  12. Slice the tops off each of the choux puffs to prepare to pipe the cream.
  13. Heat heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to steam. Pour cream over the chocolate chips in a heat-safe, separate small bowl.
  14. Whisk the cream and chocolate chips until the mixture forms a smooth ganache.
  15. Using a piping bag with about 1/2″ snipped off the end, fill the piping bag with the key lime cream mixture and pipe each of the choux puffs with the key lime cream filling.
  16. Garnish each choux puff with key lime zest before putting the tops of the Profiteroles back on.
  17. Drizzle the Profiteroles with dark chocolate ganache. Serve immediately and enjoy!