Stockport-based three-piece Velocets have been a band for less than a year but already they’ve turned heads in their native North West while many more are beginning to turn further afield. Blending a post-punk aesthetic with lyricism that switches between candid and heartfelt to the usual indie-pop fare makes them stand head and shoulders above their contemporaries.
Despite only having a three-track EP behind them, Velocets have already shared the stage with the likes of Manchester’s very own Orphan Boy and are looking forward to a Summer filled with local gigs, a slew of small festival appearances and at least one date in Camden that’s shaping up to be one hell of an all-dayer.
The band as a whole purports a sense of urgency in their music that many unsigned bands lack and there’s no sense of entitlement with Velocets either. They’re a band who understand that breaking through means breaking backs. Of course, not in the literal sense of the word but it’s a good ethos to have and one which will take them further than most.
The three-track demo the band recorded sums their sound up quite well. ‘Tell It To Your Kids’ is an jaunty, angular track that’s had the dance-floor at 42s nightclub in Manchester bouncing. Sounding like The Strokes without the garage rock might be an unusual comparison to draw, but it’s one that’s more than fitting whilst ‘Naked’ is “as close to emotion you’re going to get with Velocets” while that quote might not be strictly true. There are several songs in the bands repertoire that have obviously come to fruition as an emotional response to something or other, but Naked just seems that much more candid,that much more emotive and that much more…well, naked, at least metaphorically so.
Ears On caught up with the band for a quick chat to see what the future holds for a band that are undoubtedly going places:
Why do you think Velocets works as well as it does after several ill-fated bands in the past?
Adam: It feels like we have grown out of previous bands. Looking back now I feel bigger and more mature than songs I used to write. It feels good, I’ve got a map of progress over my last 6 years of music. Velocets is the result.
You’ve had a 3 track doing the rounds for some time now. When are we likely to see a longer EP or full-length?
Elliot: As soon as we can really, we have new tunes coming out of our ears at the minute, so we’re itching to get back in there, we’ve seen good things happening with Kickstarter so we might try our luck on there and see if the good people of the internet could help fund us!
I’m sure you’ve managed to blag a few free backstage beers over the last few months. What would be in your ideal rider? Why?
Adam: Everyone always asks for stupid stuff but I think I’d just appreciate a bottle of Tanqueray 10 gin. And a little guy that only lets me drink a third of the bottle so I’m not a mess on stage. And a big fucking bowl of purple fruit pastilles.
Elliot: A lot of the Cribs influences can be heard in our music, firstly because of our love for the cribs and secondly because of the energy our live gigs can bring. We get told we’ve got the influence of Television in our sound as well which is really refreshing to hear.
A few weeks ago on Facebook you asked the question “What would you rather fight? A Horse Sized Duck, or 10 duck sized horses”. What’s your answer?
Elliot: I asked this question on Facebook a while back and when I read back some of the things I’ve wrote on Twitter or Facebook, I’m just like ‘what the fuck was I thinking’, hence why usually most of our random questions are posted around the hours after midnight.
Saying that I’d happily take on ten duck sized horses, simply for the comedic factor, I’d imagine them to be clumsy, yet all the while making them more adorable.
You’re playing a few small festivals dotted around the country this Summer. Who would you like to see on your ideal festival line-up? Either watching or playing with?
Elliot: We actually play with most of the bands we want to gig with now, we love Mama Roux, Orphan Boy, Just Mammals, Transition Baby, The Gullwings just to name a few and we’re up and down the country with them lot all this year! So its a summer of noise and naughtiness all round!
There seems to be a current trend in which bands are eschewing guitars in favour of a more 80s orientated sound. Obviously that isn’t the case with Velocets. Has Elliot ever thought about putting down his guitar in favour of something distinctly more Peter Hook?
Elliot: The whole reason we wanted to do this band was to keep guitar music alive, I can see the appeal in moving towards a synth for the creation of dreamy textures in sounds, which is something I really like to create, but I try and create the sounds for Velocets using my guitar and try and stray away from anything else.
There’s a darker, more moody element to Velocets than previous bands such as The Harks. Do you think your song writing has hit puberty and is fully embracing it’s teenage angst?
Adam: Yeah when I was in the Harks I was a 16/17/18 year old kid writing about shit that was going on in my life at that point. I guess Velocets tunes are matured. They are the older, wiser brothers.
You’ve only been a band for just under a year and already you’ve built a reputation for yourselves; what can you see happening in the next 12 months?
Elliot: 2012 was a roller-coaster and its only getting bigger and bigger! We hope people hear our music more and more, and we perfect our craft just in time to have the world! That’s if North Korea don’t get there before us!
Adam: Yeah bigger festivals, bigger tunes, bigger gigs. Looking forward to it!
Cheers lads!
Velocets Twitter
All photography credited to Trust A Fox Photography. View his Twitter here.
This article was originally written for Ears On. Click here to go to their site.
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