Velvet Q Is Stepping Into The Scene, Taking Names and Kicking Ass
Imagine a sound that reflects the mentality of the punk revolution, with a little more focus on gender fluidity, paired with a style that seems to accentuate a modern dystopia. I discovered Velvet Q during their performance at Denver’s first ever installment of Hex Fest, a two day music event centered around metal and punk music (See our coverage here). I have been captivated with the band, due to their radical authenticity, ever since.
Hailing from Seattle, Velvet Q just finished up their first countrywide tour, piquing quite a bit of interest along the way. This female-identifying band is made up of Rebecca Henry (lead singer/guitarist), Mallory Herbst (bassist/singer), and Jess Feeman (drums); they possess an impressive dynamic and musical bond which is clear from their live performances. After seeing what they are capable of at such an experimental stage in their careers, I knew that they are not a group to be trifled with and that one day, everyone will know the name Velvet Q.
I sat down with Rebecca, who also goes by Rah and is front woman of Velvet Q, to talk about their maturation, upcoming ventures, and vision for the future. As it so happens, Denver Hex Fest was an exciting leg of Velvet Q’s “Is This What You Want Tour”, as well as a homecoming for Rah. She lived in Denver before making her way to Seattle; back then Rah was part of a tech band that utilized performance art such as acrobatics and aerialists. As she described it, her previous band could not have been more different from her current project. However, her background implementing recital based components gave Rah the inspiration that has led to some truly eccentric theatrics during Velvet Q shows. Their goal is to create a unique experience during every set, which will certainly require variation and improvisation.
Rah, Mallory, and Jess are much more than just band mates, in fact, they are best friends. Any successful band will tell you that a recipe for success is due, in part, to having a firm relationship with everyone in the group. After all, tours consist of countless hours spent together and more often than not, that time will be held in anxiously tight quarters. As for Velvet Q, the girls successfully performed sixteen straight shows in a row, across different cities. Rah proudly shed light on the bands resourcefulness throughout the tour, they were able to save money on room and board by staying at friends houses or with family; all the while making even more connections along the way.
Whether you consider their tactics highly creative or severely unconventional, Velvet Q has already been creating lasting memories of their performances. Their eclectic executions have ranged from setting up aerial rigs to an alien silhouette show. For one show Rah built a 5 ft by 6 ft tall UFO, which she used as a prop and proceeded to stage a nude alien abduction for a show stopping finale. In fact, I have been asking myself if there is anything they are not willing to do or try at least once. To one audience’s surprise, Rah went as far as to take a chomp out of a lamb’s heart she had acquired at Pikes Place Market….which she described as cold and tender, “leaving chunks of shit in my teeth.”
As for the production side to their music, it has been a journey of self-exploration and discovery. Velvet Q’s first EP, which can be found on their website or via Spotify, is also entitled Is This What You Want and was an experiment in drawing power from their femininity without pushing boundaries. As Rah described it, female power can be used in positive and negative ways; songs like “Good Girl” and “Sociopathic Tendencies” are finding ways to draw a line between the two. Nowadays, there is a trend among artists that seeks to find what they can take away from society and culture without being offensive or selfish. In Velvet Q’s case, they have come to terms with the fact that their sexuality can be used as a commodity, but one that is consensual versus exploitative.
“Commodities of that nature should be valued, but it’s a matter of trying to figure out how to use them as such and not like selling myself or my skills is something to be ashamed of. At the end of the day, it’s ok to place a value on yourself, even though society has trained us, especially in the case of female identifying beings, to think otherwise.”
We are in an age where the importance of equality and individuality are at an all time high, however, it is important to admit that there are differences. Humanity should be celebrated equally when it comes to race, gender, and sexual orientation, but it is naive to deny that everyone has their own set of strengths, as well as weaknesses. Those differences are what define our individuality, so in a sense, although we are all one, we are not all equal. Undoubtedly, this is a hard lesson to learn but like Rah described it, no one should ever be embarrassed about the gifts you were given or alternatively lack. Our gifts are what allow us to work together, in addition to being characteristics that add to the beauty of existence.
Velvet Q is now in the process of working on their next chapter, mixing new songs and very excited to release a new 5 song EP sometime in 2020. When I asked about sneak peaks, Rah let me in on some aspects such as “weird time shifts, dissonance, guitar tricks, lots of layered sounds, vocal overdubs, and use of stereo field.” Velvet Q works diligently but doesn’t set specific dates because they are more interested in achieving the desired result as genuinely as possible. Although fans can look forward to more versatility, including a couple punk numbers, one or two psychedelic songs, and a low-tempo tap song on the guitar. It is hard to define Velvet Q’s genre or lump them into any specific category, but they thrive on their freedom and ability to go through phases. Their number one priority is to make music and never lose sight of the exploration of the human state of being that drives them.
Photo by Luxicon