INTERVIEW: Love Crushed Velvet

We got the chance to talk with A.L.X. of  Love Crushed Velvet about how they got started, their new album Delusions, and future tours!

Click here to check out Love Crushed Velvet’s official website.

Read what A.L.X. had to say below:

For anyone who has not listened to Love Crushed Velvet before, how would you describe your sound?

Love Crushed Velvet is a hybrid of modern and retro rock.  There are definitely postpunk elements to our music, but we try to push the genre into contemporary musical relevance.

What makes you unique from all the other bands in your genre?  

The fact that we have blended elements of classic rock, postpunk and modern rock.  There are of course other bands that have done this as well, but I think that we’ve put our own particular stamp on it.

What made you want to start a band?  

I’ve always had a love for performing, as well as writing original music.  I thrive on the energy of playing with a band, and the type of songs that I write were always geared towards playing in that kind of format.  As much as I enjoy playing solo, the camaraderie that you have in a band, both musically and personally, is very special.

 Where does the name “Love Crushed Velvet” come from?  

It started as a tongue-in-cheek description of something, and we joked about how it would make a great band name.  Around that time, I’d also been working on a song that had the words “love” and “velvet” in the chorus, but something was still missing.  I threw in the word “crushed” and reworked the verse lyrics, and voila!  It all came together quite quickly.

 Can you tell us a little more about your album Delusions?   

When making this album, we made a conscious decision to move away from the overt classic rock and postpunk feel that our debut album had.  At the same time, we still wanted to stay true to who we are musically, and also didn’t want to confuse our fan base by completely shifting gears.  Thus, our challenge was to find ways to present our songs in a way that was different, yet still familiar.  From a thematic perspective, we were also working with songs that had a different feel from our debut album.  We went from writing about the challenges of life in New York City to tackling themes like discontent and broken relationships. In that sense, it’s a lyrically richer album.

 Any specific influences behind the album?  

We actually made a conscious decision to play down our influences.  While it was challenging, it gave us more freedom by allowing us to explore a broader musical palette.  Hence, there’s quite a wide stylistic range on the album.

 What would you say is your favorite song off of the album?  

Probably “Spotlight”, which is likely to be our fourth single.  It has all of the elements that characterize where LCV is at this stage.  People have compared it to something out of a James Bond soundtrack.

 Any spring tours in the future for Love Crushed Velvet? 

We’re in the process of organized late spring and summer dates at the moment—stay tuned!

Thank you for your time! Is there anything else that you would like to add?

We just finished recording a new album that is planned for a mid-summer release.  If you like what you’ve heard from us thus far, stick around, because there’s more coming!