Cornwall four-piece The Velvet Hands unveil the first single from their forthcoming second album. ‘Don’t Talk Nice To Me’ is released digitally on June 13. Sounding like The Rolling Stones having a steamy relationship with The Strokes, it’s easy to hear why The Velvet Hands are constantly championed by the likes of Steve Lamacq (BBC 6 Music), John Kennedy (Radio X), Phil Taggart (Radio 1) and Huw Stephens (Radio 1).
Who are you?
Hello, we are The Velvet Hands! We are Louis Mitchell on drums, Sam Hilder on bass, Dan Able on shred guitar and myself, Toby Mitchell, on rhythm guitar. Dan and I also both 'sing'.
Tell us something about yourself and how you came to be where you are today
We all grew up in Cornwall, very beautiful, very boring. Dan and I moved to Kilburn, London, to hit the big time and make loads of money. We shortly moved back to Cornwall for many reasons, a notable one being lack of money. We met Sammo rustling through some bins along the way and Louis and I are brothers so it made some sense to buy him some drum sticks.
Give us an idea of your musical style and influences.
We love good songwriting and we love energy. Exile on Main Street is probably our favourite album. We also like Parquet Courts, The Undertones and Courtney Barnett.
Explain the production and writing process behind your songs.
Dan and I usually write the songs together and then take them into the boys to work them through. This is where we spend and waste most of our time. Each of our songs has to go through their reggae/acoustic/soft rock forms before we realise they're probably just fine the way they are. We recorded our debut album in a converted fish factory but for 'Don't Be Nice' we upgraded to a shed called 'The Cave' in deep dark Cornwall.
Tell us a little about your new single.
I wrote ‘Don't Be Nice To Me’ really quickly last year. It's about the youthful frustration of being tied down to unwanted situations and wanting to escape them. It's such a simple song that it came together really quickly in the studio.
Can we catch up with you at any forthcoming live shows?
June 14th we're headlining the This Feeling stage at Isle of Wight festival.
June 15th we're supporting Paul Weller at the Wyleds.
June 23rd we're main stage at Goldcoast Oceanfest.
June 26th we're supporting the mighty Liam Gallagher at the Eden Sessions.
How's the year looking, plans-wise?
Currently just focusing on getting through June alive. If we manage that then we've got a few more big festivals to announce for the summer and then a new single in October/November!
Where can we hear more of your music?
Spotify or Apple Music is your best bet. Alternatively, if you like your music served with a slice of budget music videos then check us out on YouTube!
What social media platforms can we find you on?
Instagram // Facebook // Twitter
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