One of the most intriguing Reading bands on this years Are You Listening? Festival lineup. Lost Velvet create haunting, 90s tinged, dreamscapes.
‘Dark Cells’ really caught our ear when it was released back in January. Multi-instrumentalist Robert Butcher and vocalist Melissa Morris are Lost Velvet. A band whose music exudes a very cinematic feel. Their debut album is due to be released at the end of the summer. They open the Purple Turtle’s AYL? stage at 2:00pm on Saturday the 9th of May.
Reading Indie Life: How did Lost Velvet come together?
Melissa: We connected on BandMix at a point where we’d both stepped away from projects that hadn’t quite found their place. There was a mutual pull to build something that felt more intentional this time. Rob was already shaping ideas that drifted between delicate piano and heavier, grungier textures, and that contrast immediately clicked with me. Not long after, we realised we were both drawn to old cinema, suspense, and that quiet sense of nostalgia, it naturally became the core of what Lost Velvet is about.
RIL: Who are the bands and artists that most inspire you, or that you look up to?
Rob: Radiohead, Jeff Buckley, Elliott Smith, Steely Dan, Massive Attack, Tool.
Melissa: Cocteau Twins, Cranes, Chelsea Wolfe, Emma Ruth Rundle, Deftones, A Perfect circle.
RIL: Where are you on your musical journey right now? Is your new material the sound you have been striving for or do you feel like you are still learning and growing?
Rob: This album feels cohesive in a way our earlier releases didn’t, like everything is pulling in the same direction. Having Michael Patterson on board has played a role in anchoring the sound. But we’re still learning constantly, every track leads to new ideas, new questions. It feels less like an end point and more like building a world we can evolve in.
RIL: How are you feeling about playing at The Purple Turtle as part of Are You Listening? Festival?
Melissa: It means a lot to be part of it, especially as a Reading-based band. AYL has a strong track record of supporting emerging artists, and The Purple Turtle is such an iconic venue, we are really looking forward to it.
RIL: Have you attended AYL before as Reading locals?
Rob: This will be our first time playing and attending AYL – as last year we had our heads down on writing the album.
RIL: Have you been to Reading Festival?
We have been to Reading Festival a few times. We saw Muse there, which was a standout memory, but most of it lives in a kind of blurry haze of great music, friends and sunshine.
RIL: Who else are you hoping to check out on the AYL line-up?
Melissa: I was gutted to hear about Whitelands disbanding, as a big fan of ethereal shoegaze this was a must see for me … but there are plenty of other awesome acts to catch, Daufødt look really cool so will be checking them out at the Purple Turtle!
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