CREATIVE CONVERSATIONS 146: VELVET TRIP ON DEBUT ALBUM, HARMONY BLOOMS

Interview by Sam and Matilda Elliott.

Get ready for it! Sydney-based psychedelic duo Velvet Trip are releasing their debut album on Feb 9.

Get to know Zep and Clayton before their upcoming performance at Bluesfest in Byron Bay.

We sat down with the guys to talk all thing Harmony Blooms.

FMM:  Well, we'll start with your new release. You're releasing Harmony Blooms on Feb. 9th, and we did a little bit of looking around on your socials and things, and we saw that you wrote this pretty much across the world, and you were inspired by Lil Sims in Bergheim. You're also inspired by King Krule’s saxophone incredibleness. We'd love to hear a little bit more of your process of creating Harmony Blooms.

Zeppelin: Um, yeah. So Clay and I were both travelling. We put our first EP out and we took some time to go on some separate solo trips, and we ended up meeting up again in Berlin. Throughout that time, we'd both been exposed to a bunch of different music and artists and experiences. When we met in Berlin, we started to conceptualise what we wanted to do when we got home, and we wanted to push the boundaries of what we were making and try and explore a different approach to songwriting and enhance what we had previously done. We were kind of more of a live jam band before, and definitely in the infant stage of our songwriting, and we just wanted to try and push ourselves into a new place. I suppose being exposed to so many different types of music and amazing artists in our travels, it pushed us to kind of write the stuff that we've been working on now. It mostly was written in GarageBand on Midi keys. That’s where most of the demos came from. So, yeah, it was an interesting process this time around, but we found a groove and we're really happy with where we've landed on this one. 

FMM: Incredible. I love that. And look, I was going to touch on that as well, you actually produced the album, correct me if I'm wrong, but you did part of it in your garage and then part of it in an actual studio creating it. What was that process like, doing, it hybrid?

Clayton: It's a good question because I think these days that's becoming more the norm with new technology and artists learning to work from their homes. Also financially, it's pretty hard to get into a studio for a whole record process. So I think that just comes naturally from starting the writing process on our own. Sometimes you just end up with things that sound so cool or feel so good that you kind of end up just leaving them in the record. There were also some overdubs, like Zep did some of the vocals post record in the garage, and just the organic process of keeping the bits that felt good at home and then adding them to the studio work. 

FMM:  And was there a preference between studio versus garage? I know, as you said, you create those organic sounds in the garage, maybe having that homely feeling. Was there a benefit to that or was it studio felt right?

Clayton: I think the studio is kind of always ideal, but at this stage, we can't really afford to be in there all the time. I guess you just work with what you got, otherwise.

Zeppelin: I think a part of it as well is sometimes it's hard to… Yes, the studio is amazing, but it's also sometimes hard to differentiate between what actually sounds good and what was recorded professionally, because there's certain things, like, there are certain instances on the record where we had, like, there was a guitar part, for example, that was in one of our songs called it's only human. That’s the first single that we put out and fan. We tried to recreate the guitar part in the studio, but the sound that we had that I recorded was just so bad and so weird. To try and recreate that in a professional capacity and try and imitate that sound. It just wasn't possible because I just recorded it so bad. It just sounded so wonky. But then it has its own texture and it has its own character where there are moments like that, where it's like, oh, this actually does sound really cool. But do you go into the effort of trying to recreate that again, or is that just what it is? So it was like a bit of that where we were sort of trying to pick and choose what genuinely sounded good and what worked for the record and what was just a bit too garage. 

FMM:  Love that. Going further into the process of creating the album, you did describe it as a crazy, yet cathartic sort of a feeling. What elements of your day-to-day life inspired the incredible sounds we get to hear in Harmony Blooms?

Zeppelin: A lot of the record was made initially on Midi. I broke my hand and I couldn't play guitar, so a lot of that came through compromise. That was a lot of resilience and compromise on this record. We kind of just knew that we wanted to get something together and we had to work with what we got. Part of that was, for me, was having a broken hand. A lot of those ideas coming through limitations, so it pushed us into a different place. I can't speak on behalf of Clay, but, yeah, we both had a lot of stuff going on at the time. For me personally, it carried me through a lot of that time. It was so nice to have something else to focus on, and Covid was happening, and it was all going on, so it was just like a really beautiful distraction. 

FMM:  Amazing. I love how you've created something of amazing value during your Covid time. I think we had about 50 different hobbies we tried to do, and you created something with that kind of realm there. I love that kind of crazy, yet cathartic experience. So you created something that is kind of soothing in that kind of crazy. How do you guys find working together? Was this a natural gel or how did this start? 

Velvet Trip: 

Clayton: It's great. It feels very natural at this stage. We've known each other for a long time. We've been playing together for a long time, so I've never really thought about that. I guess that's a good sign. It's easy and feels good, and it's a safe space. We're both respectful of each other and open to ideas, and I always feel comfortable presenting ideas and putting things forward, which is exactly what you want when you're creating with someone. How about you Zep?

Zeppelin: Yeah, Clay and I met when I first moved to Sydney. And. We've been playing like we had separate bands and now we have our own band. Through that, we've always sort of had a mutual respect for each other's musicianship. So, it's nice to be able to collaborate and work on something together. The project’s changed and evolved over the years, but I think it's sort of found a way to boil down to the essence of it now. We had some other people that we're playing with and life happens and people going to do different things, and Clay and I have stayed strong in what we're doing, so it's sort of boiled down to its purest form now. Clay and I have found a really nice collaborative relationship and are both really passionate about the project and have a shared vision in terms of the musical direction, which is really nice. I think, working in a traditional band capacity, where when we play live shows, we play as a five piece, sometimes a six piece, because our sound requires that. But when it comes to creative decisions and songwriting, it's just Clay and I, which is quite nice, because sometimes it's easier to make decisions rather than having five different people that need to agree on the same thing. Clay and I have quite a similar approach and taste reference. That's been really nice to develop that together and establish a direction. So nice.

FMM: That’s no nice. Bit of a wholesome moment there. Not too many cooks in the kitchen. I like that. So, in that same regard, with this new album about to be released, are there specific tracks that relate with each of you most? Which one is it and why? 

Zeppelin: What's your least favourite track, Clay? [laughs].

Clayton: That's a tough one. I'd have to think about it. I also feel like I haven't listened to the whole record whole way through in a while. I’ll have to wait until I buy it on Bandcamp, but I guess Moving On comes to mind first, I reckon, which you guys have probably heard as it's one of the singles. It’s just the feeling of that track. It's got a bit of nostalgia and makes me think back to the process and just feels really good. It's very hopeful and happy and bright, and I feel like it kind of reflects the sound of the record and the direction we're going as well. That one feels like a good one to me. 

FMM:  Love that. And, I mean, look, as listeners, I think we both really enjoy that one, too. It's very personal to you both, clearly, but it also has that universal connectivity that we love about music. It's a great one. Zeppelin, did you have any highlights of the album for yourself?

Zeppelin: It was such an interesting process, really. We started recording it and then we did, like, a block of six songs, and then we waited another nine months and then did another block of six songs. We were mixing it with fan, who co-produced it with us while he was in the UK. Through that, like, I got my friend Jaz on board to record a poem. She's a beautiful Wiradjuri poet and she recorded a poem at the end of one of the songs called Strange Love, and that was a really special moment. That song is very special to me because I'm also Wiradjuri and it carries a lot of meaning for both of us. So that song was special, and to kind of be in her space and record that together was really beautiful. But in terms of the rest of the album, it's hard to put my finger on because it was so disjointed and I think there were so many different things happening that the songwriting was so spread out. I think listening to it now, Moving On is probably one of my favourite ones. Also, the title track, Harmony Blooms, as well. Harmony Blooms is such an anthem. It’s got such a great feel to it. I'm just really proud of that one. It was the first song that was written for the album, actually, so you wouldn't have heard that yet, but it's a good one, I reckon. We're excited. 

FMM: I love the inclusion of Jaz as well with Strange Love. I think that's so special that you're uplifting other First Nations artists as well. Beautiful. We're digging it. Very good. Harmony Blooms anywhere on tour? Are you going to show us it live anytime soon, or am I being greedy here? 

Zeppelin: We're doing an Australian tour with the album. I can't remember how many dates are on there, but there's quite a lot. We're playing at blues festival and we're playing on a festival with Ocean Alley on Bribey Island as well. There's some really amazing shows coming up for that. So we're super stoked.

FMM: And what can we expect to see on these tour lists?

Clayton: You’ll have to wait and see. Probably a lot of new stuff off the record. I'd say we’d probably try and play the whole record throughout the tour, not necessarily the whole thing every night. Different cities might get a different experience, which is kind of nice. Mix it up.

FMM: Good. Well, is there anything else you'd like to cover or highlight in this interview apart from that? That's kind of really it from us. So anything else you want know, add or mention? Add. Highlight.

Zeppelin: Clay?

Clayton: I was just going to say I would love to encourage people to go and have a listen to our record. Tell us what you think. Maybe even buy a vinyl.

Zeppelin: Oh, yeah, we got vinyls made and they sound even better than the digital album. So, yeah, that'd be awesome if you bought them. Thank you. 

FMM:  They're beautiful. They're coloured, if I'm correct, right? There's an aqua-coloured on, yellow.

Zeppelin: And?

FMM: Orange?

Clayton: It’s white.

Zeppelin: Oooh, you nearly won a free vinyl there. Just missed out. Yeah. Nothing really to add other than thank you very much for your time and we really appreciate you giving us your time and listening to us talk. 

FMM:  No, thank you so much for talking to us. Thank you for your time. We can't wait to propel you to the Futuremag Music audience of people who don't know you already and have a little dancy dance at the show. So we'll be there. Yeah, we'll get the wine.