Velvora: Bringing Something New to the Houston Rock Scene
Interview/Artist Highlight ★ Annsley Jennings ★ @annsleymedia ★ 4 Minutes
“Not everyone is going to like what you do and that’s okay.” Velvora, a hard rock group hailing from the Richmond area of Houston, Texas, is a band made up of musicians Denzel (vox), David (guitar), Joey (drums), and Braden (bass). Today, we’re going to discuss their journey as a group thus far along with some insider questions we recently got to pick their brains about.
Velvora is an extremely young band both in regard to the members themselves and the group’s longevity as a project. They only seriously started earlier this year when Denzel started the band after his past ventures with another local rock group The Shroons. “I left for creative differences” he explained, “I wanted something heavier, something more bluesy. Something with a gothic Louisiana type of vibe, you know?”
August 31st at The White Swan was actually their very first live performance, their initiation into the Houston rock/alt scene in a way. The band explained that the whole night still puts them at a loss for words even weeks later. Denzel and David described the performance as “fun, lots of adrenaline, a great night to get our originals out to people”, and “one of the best nights of our lives”. They also made sure to emphasize that they’d be trying to reach the same high from that show for the rest of their musical careers, though they aren’t sure if that’s quite possible, truth be told.
Next, we discussed the group’s members and influences as artists. The group was happy to label Joey as rogue and overly complicated, the drummer himself even said he frequently plays “stuff that will get me fired from a gig”. They also poked fun at Braden, who “is mute” and “hasn’t spoken one time in the 12 years I’ve known him”, which truly embodies the silent mystery most bass players seem to possess whether it be a joke or not. As for rock and rock-adjacent influences, the group was happy to name acts such as Black Sabbath, Alice in Chains, and Pentagram as major inspirations to their sound. David was also quick to note Stevie Ray Vaughn, “a legend in Texas music”, as an artist that listeners may not expect based on the group’s hardened sound.
As for a dream collaboration living or dead, the band doubled down on their love for Alice In Chains by naming Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell, the group’s vocalist and guitarist. We also discussed dream venues, in which Houston’s 713 Music Hall and Birmingham’s Villa Park were mentioned for their impact, symbolism, and historical notions.
Creative process, performance, and the band’s name came up next. Denzel was happy to laugh and reply with a simply “It just sounded cool!” about the name Velvora, claiming he thought of it one day and liked how it sounded - he made sure to emphasize that it has no concrete meaning to it. When asked about the structuring of their songs and the connection between the stage and studio, the guys outlined that most of their songs are born with a riff. “It’s a big group effort, no one person is more important than another. I (David) bring a riff to Denzel and we build the lyrics off of what emotion or emotions it conveys”. They went on to mention that later on in their process, Joey “adds beats and overcomplicates things” and Braden “noodles around until he finds something he likes”. They also note that with the emotions of their songs, they hope to convey them live through their showmanship and undeniable chemistry as a band.
As for listener takeaway, the group held a very firm stance. “With our writing, there’s never only one meaning. We want listeners to come up with their own ending, their own interpretation. It’s up to you to decide”. They also mentioned that they write with the audience in mind, which bleeds into their approach at performance, too. On that note, we discussed the art of live music and their favorite numbers to whip out. They confidently answered their original songs titled Reprise, “because it has lots of energy”, and Stranded, “because it’s fun to play and sing due to its conflicting parts”.
Once we neared the end of our discussion, we talked about advice that the group has been given that’s stuck with them and helped them overcome the obstacles that come with embarking down creative paths. The biggest mantra they provided was simply as follows: “Not everyone is gonna like what you do and that’s okay. Write what you want to write, play what you want to play because that’s how you’re gonna get enjoyment out of what you do”.
To end, we asked the group if they had any plans in motion for new music or similar projects in which they happily replied “Oh, yeah. We have a whole EP written. It’s just the matter of structuring and recording it that takes time. We’re excited to show what we have to bring to the table, though”. They also expressed their gratitude towards their fanbase: “Thank you. thank you for being here and putting the word out there. We are so grateful to finally get our hat in the ring and be part of the local scene. Thank you a thousand times over”.
After this illuminating interview, Velvora is doing anything but slowing down now that they’ve got their foot in the door. As of publishing, the group has another show on October 5th at BFE Rock Club in Houston alongside local groups Banzai, Enlightenment, and By You. Doors open at 2:30, music starts at 3:00, and you can buy tickets on-site.
Velvora is thrilled to bring something new to their local scene and it’s only a matter of time before those outside of Houston know the name.
