We had the honour of talking to some of The Velveteers, a rock band based in Colorado. Guitarist and Singer, Demi Demitro told us that she has always been creative her whole life. “It’s just been manifested in different ways.” When she was sixteen, she decided that she wanted to start a band and that's is how it all started. Drummer, Baby Pottersmith said that when they started the band their social lives were exclusively playing shows and going to shows. “We didn’t really go to High School, everything we did revolved around music, the band and each other,” Baby explains. They say that a side effect of doing that for a long enough time is that eventually you’re surrounded by only people you’ve met through music.
When we asked Demi what inspires their music she stated, “Feelings. Feelings of love, feelings of sadness, feelings of nostalgia. Memories, magic, art, movies.” Baby’s answer was very short with “Anxiety”.
Singer and Guitarist, Demi, would have to say that her biggest music idol would have to be PJ Harvey and Stevie Nicks. Baby said that they “used to idolize a lot of people and as I get older it’s a lot harder for me to do that. I guess I’ve just seen so many artists, mostly men, turn out to be kind of rotten. It gets kind of tiring trying to idolize humans.” If the band could collaborate with any artist, singer and guitarist, Demi said “probably St. Vincent or Danger Mouse. They are both visionaries.”
If you're wondering how this talented group of people came together, Baby and Demi met each other at a concert when we were teenagers. Demi describes that she instantly knew that when she saw them that she wanted to be in a band with them. Recently in this last year they invited Jonny to start playing with the two. Baby said that they believe Demi’s reason for inviting them to start the band with her was that she liked the long hair that Baby had at the time.
We really got to see the chemistry between the band members, when we asked them what five words, they would use to describe their band. Baby answered “Delicately, bordering pretentiousness and authenticity”, which Demi replied with “That sounds really pretentious lol”. The humour was shown in Baby firing back “Well there you go. The pendulum had to swing at some point” which earnt a laugh from us!
Another key moment in the interview when we really saw the chemistry between the members is when we asked them who the most fashionable. Demi quite truthfully answered, “hmm I think we all have pretty sweet style” which we would definitely agree with! Baby pitched the idea of him “definitely” being the most fashionable. However, following that idea with “Though all my best outfits are actually Demi’s outfits that she lets me wear. So maybe it’s Demi!”
The band’s goals for 2022 is to “go insane making art and play lots of shows!” Baby replied with, “I veto Demi’s answer”, hoping they learn how to live life in a way that is healthier while also making art and playing lots of shows. Further than 2022, in five years the band would hope they are continuing making music and art that they love. Baby wishes “to have a large place where we can record for months on end and make art all day long.” Yet if they could tell their younger self's a piece of advice, Demi would tell herself “to never feel bad for saying no to something that doesn’t align with what I believe in.” Baby would advise younger self “to not let your mind control you.” Even though they claim that to be “kind of impossible advice.”
We asked the band what has their biggest challenge been in their careers so far, besides the Coronavirus Pandemic. Demi said that she founded it hard finding likeminded individuals to work with as it took her “a lot of creating art with the wrong people” to find the people who actually cared. Baby simply stated that the biggest challenge was learning to not resent the things they love.
Now if just like us you were wondering how they came up with their band name ‘The Velveteers’. Baby told us the story behind it, “When I was born my parents understood from an early age I was destined to fail at mainstream education, they enrolled me in a special needs school in the hope I would learn something. 10 years later Demi and I are in a coffee shop looking for band names and I’m trying to read a book about grass and I read the word Vetiver as Velveteer and Demi likes the sound of it.” So now you know the backstory of The Velveteers definitely give their music a listen, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed!
By CAITLIN
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