Indigo Velvet QnA: “The majority of our in-jokes were created in Inverness!"
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Indigo Velvet are the very definition of ‘ones to watch’. Since forming towards the tail end of 2013, their summery ‘tropical pop’ has seen the young Edinburgh quartet wow the festival circuit, feature on BBC Introducing, and record live sessions on Amazing Radio and the Janice Forsyth Show. Now, as the band gear up for a gig at Mad Hatters on Thursday – the first of several dates in the Highlands over the summer – catches up with the band to talk their new single, the origins of the tropical pop label, and why they keep on coming back up northKyle Walker
You’ve got your new single coming out on Friday, April 28 – Mona. Can you tell me a bit about what it’s about and how it came together?
Darren: “People often ask what the songs are about, and I could tell you what I had in mind, but that’s one of the best things about music and songwriting – it’s bound to have different meanings to different people. I’d rather let people make up their own stories.”
How did Indigo Velvet first come together? I understand you were originally in a band in high school – what sort of music did you play back then?
Laurie: “Indigo Velvet came about when we were in high school. Myself, Darren and Jason all went to Leith Academy and Billy went to Holyrood but we knew him through playing football and going to see local gigs.”
Billy: “Back when we first started we were a bit less ‘poppy and upbeat’ than we are now, more pop–rock. Even now we always continue to experiment with our sound but keep it under the same tropical pop vibe.”
You’ve got that really distinctive sound – “tropical pop” is a very apt description! How did you guys come about it? And how would you describe it to newcomers who maybe haven’t heard your stuff before?
Jason: “We first heard the ‘tropical pop’ thing years ago when we played in London. A guy in the crowd shouted out, ‘Your sound is so cool, very tropical!’ so I think we just picked up on that then. Pretty much all the media and radio play we’ve had since has also described us as tropical pop so it’s really just stuck.
“Our songwriting will include a big chorus, which ends up being poppy so we just merged the two together. We were all inspired by what our parents forced us to listen to as kids, which was a mixture of Motown, 70s disco, 80s and indie, so we all just brought the vibes of what we grew up listening to into a practice room and then came out with this sound we have now and the ‘tropical pop’ thing I think is best suited for it.”
You’ve got a lot of dates up in the Highlands this summer – after the Mad Hatters gig you’ve got slots at XpoNorth, Northern Roots and Belladrum. What keeps you coming back up to the Highlands? Got any good stories from up here?
Darren: “We love the Highlands! Everyone is always welcoming at our gigs and we have pulled big crowds up there! There is a lot of great strong festivals and events like XpoNorth that take place there too and we always have a brilliant time. It’s really nice to play to new crowds and meet new people but also to be on the bill at the likes of Belladrum with your pals’ bands as well as some huge names in the industry!”
Laurie: “The majority of our in-jokes were created in Inverness! Put it this way, Jason swam in a bush! And racked up a £250 phone bill in the same night.”
What’s been the best gig you’ve played so far, and why?
Jason: “Between T In The Park, Belladrum and our Edinburgh show in November last year. T was special in its own way. You grow up going to festivals with your pals, then you are invited along years afterwards to play and T is older than we are! We were overwhelmed that we walked out to play to a packed-out tent, it was by far one of the best shows we have had. Same with Belladrum, we were humbled by how many people came to see us. Edinburgh was amazing as it was the last show of the year, we had played 10 consecutive tour dates before that one so we were knackered but as soon as we hit the stage and saw how packed the venue was we just gave it our all and fed off the crowd, who were singing and dancing!”
What’s the nicest thing anybody’s said about your music? And what’s the most horrible thing?
Darren: “The nicest thing and it touched us all, was a young girl in Leeds, that says our music had given her added purpose to her life and helped her through a very challenging time. That was unbelievable and really emotional. She first saw us at T In The Park and the fact she also made the 90-mile trip to catch us when we were in Leeds was humbling.”
Billy: “It’s always nice for someone to sing your praises whether that be someone in the music industry, fan or a family member. For anyone to appreciate what we do and the music we create is always rewarding. In terms of horrible things, we tend not to dwell on the horrible stuff and focus our attention to keeping positive and writing music that we truly love.”
What tracks are you particularly looking forward to showcasing at Mad Hatters, and why?
Darren: “Mona is obviously going to be a good one to play, it’s out this Friday and it’s brand new. Hopefully people will love it as much as we do and that will reflect when we play it live.”
Billy: “We feel our music is evolving with us growing older and playing constantly across the country. Our new music has that more straight to the point, catchy chorus and ambient feel, indulging in that signature tropical pop sound we’ve always had.”
What’s next on the horizon for Indigo Velvet?
Laurie: “We are looking ahead to festival season now and have about 12 announced, but more to come also which is amazing for us. We are booked for festivals from the end of April right through into November! Our new single, Mona is out on Friday, April 28 too which is really exciting! This is one we are really proud of it and just can’t wait for everyone to hear it!”
Indigo Velvet come to Mad Hatters on Thursday, May 4. Support comes from Lawless and the Leash and Never Knowing. For tickets: http://www.gigsinscotland.com/indigo-velvet
