There’s nothing like a piece of earth-quaking straight forward no frills rock’n’roll, and The Velvet Hands have nailed it with style in their new single ‘Star’. Lashings of grunty guitars, woop-woops, soaring backing vocals and a stabbing horn section are the perfect ingredients for some down to earth indie rock. Just add leather jackets, a dash of an imperious attitude, a slight sneer and arched eyebrows, and what you have is an earthy, gritty delight.
Yes, you will naturally think of Primal Scream at their most primal, The Rolling Stones in full swagger mode and a dash of The Dandy Warhols cheekiness, but what a terrific DNA to rumble around with. According to the band, the song is a critique of the celebrity industry:
‘Star’ was inspired by someone I met who went on ‘Celebs Go Dating’ with a genuine intention to find love, only to find herself aghast when the producers started asking her to cause drama. Love was not found but ‘Star’ was. It’s a big two fingers up at reality culture and the selling of one’s dignity for fame.
The devil-may-care insouciant attitude shines through and thrills. You can stream here and through the link below:
This is terrific stuff. The band has a solo tour coming up in November – full details and tickets here.
Feature Photograph: Harvey Williams-Fairley
