Velvet Daydream Kicks Off 2026 with “Love”
Single Review ★ Kenzie Gay ★ @kenzwrites ★ 2 Minutes
2026 is finally here! Whether you’re home with family, back at the office, or getting a jump on some resolutions, I’m sure you’d be eager to start the year off right with some fresh, new tunes. Luckily for you, Velvet Daydream dropped their newest single this morning and to say it’s electric would be a grandiose understatement.
Velvet Daydream. The 4 piece rock collective hailing from the Denver area of Colorado has been on the up and up over the last few years and if you’ve been keeping up with me or this very magazine for some time, I’m sure it’s a household name by now. Composed of Kaeden Keys (guitar, vox), Ryder King (guitar, vox), Nick Schwartz (drums, vox), and Jude Pfanstiel (bass, vox), Velvet Daydream continues to raise the bar in rock by simultaneously blazing their own trail and carrying the torch of the greats before them. Love, their new single, is a testimony of this.
Velvet Daydream via Greta Nelson (left) and Annabelle Payne (right)
Love opens up hitting the ground running, leaping straight into the meat of the sound through King’s Morrison-like vocal style that’s been a consistent staple across all of Velvet Daydream’s music thus far. It takes you back, much like the rest of their discography, and not only does it take you back but it takes you to a much simpler, happier time that lacks the modern tension, chaos, anxiety, and evil we have to gauge on a daily basis. If music is an escape, Love is the greatest one.
Combining, as I said, elements of The Doors along with other older styles that can be found in the pioneering works of Pink Floyd, Ted Nugent, and most bluesy jam bands of the 1970s, Love explores themes of self love, empowerment, and the idea of controlling your own destiny. This is indicated in the main mantra of the song that states: “You just gotta love yourself, go live for nobody else”. It’s a very motivating piece that I think we could all benefit from listening to - especially during these uncertain times where love may not feel as prominent as it once did.
Love is just the first song off of Velvet Daydream’s impending, unnamed record that is due to drop later in 2026 (again, on an undisclosed date - these guys love themselves a little mystery). In the meantime, the rest of their groovy discography is available to purchase and stream anywhere you find music or you can catch a show! Velvet Daydream has a handful of performances lined up this month in the cities of Nashville, New Orleans, Atlanta, and Panacea. Below, you’ll find links to grab tickets, to listen, and to keep up with the band.
