VIOLA Beach live on in spirit thanks to a new music video in the style of Damon Albarn's Gorillaz.

The Warrington band, who were tragically killed in a crash in Sweden in February, feature in animated form in a video for their single, Boys That Sing, created by Mackinnon and Saunders and US-based Komixx Entertainment.

Former Penketh High School pupil Ian Mackinnon was asked by Viola Beach guitarist River Reeves' dad Ben Dunne to make the film to promote their posthumous album which launches today, Friday.

Animators James White and David Ridges and director Craig Knowles led the project and went for a mix of live action and animation.

The Lounge in Springfield Street, where Viola Beach used to hang out and work on and off, and the three phone boxes next to Holy Trinity Church, that the band clambered on top of for a photo shoot, feature prominently.

There are also lots of other familiar scenes like Fiddlers Ferry, the Pink Eye building and Lizard Inc Records where they used to shop for music.

The video pays tribute to Viola Beach's quirky style featuring two cyclops creatures falling in love as the band play Boys That Sing in the background.

Warrington Guardian:

You can also expect to see the band's signature umbrella and their Woolston manager Craig Tarry in animated form. He also died in the crash in Sweden.

James, 32, said: "It was an honour to make the video but there was also the added pressure of doing the lads justice as they’re sadly never going to see it.

"We wanted to make a video which they would like rather than it being a sort of homage to them.

"The families have been brilliant and have given us pointers as to what made the lads recognisable such as certain items of clothing and traits they all had."

David, 31, said: "Jack had a parrot earring that we put in, River wears a plectrum necklace and we were looking at the way Kris sings.

"We were influenced by their photoshoot on the top of the phone boxes and with the umbrella so that was always a feature when we were coming up with ideas.

"I think their fans will like that they can recognise the places in it."

James added: "Style wise we were influenced by Klasky Csupo, the studio who did Rugrats and The Wild Thornberrys. It has that sort of 90s Nickelodeon feel to it."

It is now hoped that the re-release of Boys That Sing will rise through the charts after the video and album launch.

James said: "Listening to the songs, you can see how much promise they had. They had this big future ahead of them which was sadly taken away at such an early stage.

"We want to do Boys That Sing justice as Viola Beach have had a lot more exposure now through Coldplay covering the song at Glastonbury.

"Reading the tribute letters at The Lounge and looking at the photographs you realise how important they were for that scene in Warrington."

Warrington Guardian:

Ian Mackinnon, co-founder of Mackinnon and Saunders, said: “We were very moved by the band’s story, the album is a great legacy of the band’s musical talent and we felt very honoured to be approached by their families to help create the video for the new single."

The band’s families added: "We are happy to reveal the music video for Boys That Sing, which has been fantastically animated by animators, MacKinnon and Saunders. 

"We think it's a perfect tribute to Jack, Kris, River, Tom and Craig and also to the town that they were so proud to call their home."

- Viola Beach's album is available at HMV in Golden Square