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The Red Velvet Story

 

Deirdre and Les formed Red Velvet in early 2012, originally as a duo performing mostly covers. 

They recorded their first CD, “Songs of Love and Solidarity”, in February/March of that year with a selection of musician friends guesting, playing mostly covers, but with two originals by Les.

The next few years saw a number of different musicians spending time as part of the band, playing instruments as diverse as harmonica, fiddle, cello, banjo, concertina, sax, trumpet, mandolin, bass and cajon.

In early 2018, six years after their first CD, came the long-awaited second album, “Heartland Soul”, which included eight originals by Les, including a first collaboration with Deirdre, “Boxers Always Fight Hurt”. The sound was still predominantly folk, but with drummer Colin Smith now a permanent band member, they were becoming rockier.

A couple of members left the band after the release of the CD, and in April/May 2018 they were replaced by Gene Thunderbolt on keyboard and electric guitar and Mike Udin on bass and mandolin, creating what was now a full blown folk-rock band!

The five-piece’s first recording was the EP “Darkness & the Angels”, released in autumn 2018, containing five self-penned songs, including two with lyrics by Deirdre.

In 2020 there followed another EP, "If Hawks Were Doves", with six tracks, including two by bassist Mike Udin, three by Les and one a Deirdre & Les collaboration. Their best laid plans to play lots of gigs to promote the EP were brutally thwarted by Covid and the two lockdowns that followed.

One of the very few good things about lockdown was that it gave songwriters plenty of time to write, so after the all-clear was eventually sounded the band were able to go into the studio in 2023 and record Les' song "Your Lovelight", all about - guess what? - yes lockdown.

2024 saw a change of personnel for Red Velvet, with Colin and Mike leaving and the arrival of Rachel Timms on flute and backing vocals and Gareth King on cajon, and a gentler, slightly jazzier sound. In recent months they have been gigging and rehearsing hard, and plan to release an album of new material in 2025.

Deirdre and Les wish to thank their band, who are truly amazing and inspirational and very much integral parts of the creative musical process that is Red Velvet. They also wish to thank all the musicians who have been part of the Red Velvet journey over the years.

Onwards and upwards!

© 2023 by EMILIA COLE. Proudly created with Wix.com

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