Miss Velvet enters a new era as she released her first single as a solo artist of 2023, “Lovin in the Afternoon .”
The musician has swept the world of Rock & Roll off its feet with her powerful voice, flawless leather style, and elusive feeling of danger that keeps you on your toes. She has proven to be no stranger to the stage with having dominated 127 performances in over 100 cities, while also opening for legendary George Clinton.
While Miss Velvet has generated two top 20 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Indicator Chart alongside her previous band as Miss Velvet & The Blue Wolf – her new work as a solo artist has been the forefront of this new proclaimed chapter.
In an exclusive interview with Celeb Secrets, the talented singer-songwriter took a deep dive into the process of her forthcoming solo album “Traveler,” and the significance of releasing her solo single as a new mother.
“I usually go pretty deep into the creative vortex,” said Miss Velvet about her creative process of making new music. “I used to have to go somewhere like rent a studio in New York and completely isolate but now with kids, it has obviously changed my process. Remarkably, it feels more natural to create around the house with them.”
The rocker continued by explaining how different it was to create this heartfelt album with every guitar riff and careening chorus. She infused modern color into it, to radiate a powerful and sincere strength.
“The process was unlike anything I have ever done,” she expressed in regards to ‘Lovin in the Afternoon’ and ‘Traveler.’ “My producer and co-writer, Esjay Jones actually lived together for a few nights a week every week for about three months writing this album. Once we wrote the album, we then demo-ed up the songs and sat on them for another month or so making little tweaks here and there. Once we felt good, we then locked-out Revolver Studios here in Cali for two weeks and recorded the full album. We had amazing musicians tracking all the instruments live so that it really lived in a sort of 70’s soundscape in real time—not manufactured—it was totally generic!”
After listening to the new single Lovin in the Afternoon, we can definitely agree that her bold and electrifying tones is a reflection of old-school rock – much to the likes of Mick Jagger, Janis Joplin and Robert Plant.
Miss Velvet is a true performer as you can hear the passion in her voice, “I deeply respect that the audience comes for a show and as a performer, you are there to entertain them and to bring them into your world,” she exclaims about the works of performing her music.
She continued, “If they can escape reality with your music and your show for even 30 minutes, then I feel you’re doing something right. That privilege to share with an audience will always be my deepest honor as a singer and performer.”
Keep reading for our full Q&A with Miss Velvet and let us know if you are excited for her new album by leaving a reaction at the bottom of the post or by sending us a tweet at @celebsecrets.
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Celeb Secrets: You are clearly no stranger to the game of rock n roll opening up for legendary icon George Clinton who has called your voice “the definition of rock n roll.” How has that impacted you as an artist?
Miss Velvet: “George Clinton definitely gave me my big musical break. When on tour with him, I witnessed how much he loves what he does—night after night! There is still a child-like joy that beams from him. The whole tour had such amazing energy and it stayed consistent through the tour and it really stuck with me. Love what you do! He knew how to put on a show— he is a showman. That also really stayed with me. I deeply respect that the audience comes for a show and as a performer, you are there to entertain them and to bring them into your world. If they can escape reality with your music and your show for even 30 minutes, then I feel you’re doing something right. That privilege to share with an audience will always be my deepest honor as a singer and performer.”
CS: You are also a mother as you cover in your forthcoming solo album Traveler. How do you navigate being both an artist and motherhood?
Miss Velvet: “What surprised me frankly that I didn’t expect when I became a mother was my ability and capacity to truly multitask with attention. I set my priorities at the forefront of every choice I make in my career and as a mother. For example, who I want to surround myself with and who I want around my kids. Time is so precious. I try to balance both these worlds. For me the balance comes in when I actually schedule things. I know if I’m gonna have a busy week or two weeks with my music, I make sure that I block off family time first—to see my girls happy and I’m happy. It takes a village they say – they are right ! My husband steps up when I need him to help me balance with work and then my mother steps up. She even moved out here to Cali to be next to me. The biggest and coolest thing I’m seeing with being a mother and balancing my career is my kids are surrounded by music constantly and that is so special and rewarding. I work from my home studio most days and my girls come down to the studio and they see me rocking out and they have the biggest smiles.”
CS: Your new single “Lovin in the Afternoon” released on Valentine’s Day — what would you say was your message behind releasing it on the signature day of love?
Miss Velvet: “I chose to release that single on that day because the message behind the song is about being in control of your own destiny and play with love. Whether that is for a fling—(in the song’s case—an afternoon delight) or, of course something more. Having the confidence to get what you need and want—whatever that means for you !
CS: How has every show and song you’ve ever done leading up to your new release “Lovin in the Afternoon” shift the way you prepare yourself for release day?
Miss Velvet: “So many feelings emerge for me when I enter into the release chute as I call it ! Even though I have a lot of experience under my belt, I always have the same butterflies before releasing your artistic baby into the world and letting it fly. Once I embrace those butterflies, the music always seems to take on a life of its own and it’s thrilling to watch. Having over a decade + of stage show experience has given me the confidence to trust my gut and put out the music I love and hopefully my fans will love it too or new fans will discover it.”
CS: What was your sole inspiration behind the song? How has working on your new single and solo album different for you than your previous work?
Miss Velvet: “The inspiration behind this song was to write a feel good rock-n-roll song that would also allow me to really express myself physically and vocally on stage. These kinds of songs for me let me push myself as far as I can go up there with my sometimes wild and exhilarating movements. Its really kind of a euphoric sense of living on the edge.”
CS: What does the process usually entail when crafting up new music? Any specialties to your method?
Miss Velvet: “I usually go pretty deep into the creative vortex. I used to have to go somewhere like rent a studio in New York and completely isolate but now with kids, it has obviously changed my process. Remarkably, it feels more natural to create around the house with them. Interspersing my time with little moments by myself to marinate on the music or words. For this particular record, the process was unlike anything I have ever done. My producer and co-writer, Esjay Jones, actually lived together for a few nights a week every week for about three months writing this album . Once we wrote the album, we then demo-ed up the songs and sat on them for another month or so making little tweaks here and there. Once we felt good, we then locked-out Revolver Studios here in Cali for two weeks and recorded the full album. We had amazing musicians tracking all the instruments live so that it really lived in a sort of 70’s soundscape in real time—not manufactured—it was totally generic!”
CS: Do you have any big plans or goals for 2023 as Miss Velvet?
Miss Velvet: “I’m so excited because I got just got invited to headline at Summit At Sea, which takes place on May 19th on Richard Branson’s Virgin Voyages.”
CS: Any dream collaborations you’d love to see play out?
Miss Velvet: “I would love to write a song with Stephen Stills.”
CS: Lastly, since we’re Celeb Secrets, do you have any secrets or fun facts about either yourself or your music that people wouldn’t know about?
Miss Velvet: “Fun fact about myself: I love swimming in the rain. It’s so romantic and freeing.”
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Jasmine Vazquez is a Pop Culture Writer and Reporter for Celeb Secrets whom has recently obtained her B.A. in Public Relations and a Certificate in Digital Media Communications from California State University, Fullerton. She is a true SoCal native that has always embraced and enjoyed the entertainment scene from going out to music festivals to traveling with friends. A girl always on the go living as her most upbeat unapologetically self.
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