Velvet Trip celebrated their sublime debut album for their Rolling Stone AU/NZ ‘In My Room’ session.
The Sydney psychedelic band released HARMONY BLOOMS, earlier this year, before taking their debut album on the road to places like Bluesfest.
Zeppelin Hamilton and Clayton Allen worked on HARMONY BLOOMS over the past three years, focusing on their art as the pandemic ripped normality from the world around them.
It was the diverse sounds of Europe that initially inspired Hamilton.
“I was exposed to a wide variety of artists and sounds on my travels,” he says. “I remember seeing acts like Kikagaku Moyo in a London warehouse, Little Simz at the Berghain, and King Krule’s saxophonist at a house party.
“I learned and wrote a lot in that period. Clay and I eventually reunited in Berlin. It was here that we began discussing the album and the sound we wanted to create when we got home.”
Despite Hamilton breaking his hand shortly after returning to Australia, the duo battled on, teaming up with Phan Sjarif (Middle Kids, Birds of Tokyo) to bring their debut album to life.
“This record feels like stepping into a different state of mind both musically and personally,” Allen adds. “After coming out of an uneasy time in our lives and working through a challenging yet cathartic creative process, it feels like we have shed some skin and are moving forward into some new territory.”
You can listen to HARMONY BLOOMS below, which pleasingly recalls acts like Khruangbin and Tame Impala with its meandering neo-psychedelia jams, hazy synths, and groovy basslines.
HARMONY BLOOMS arrived after a stellar few years for Velvet Trip, which included a key spot as a triple j Unearthed Feature Artist. They also showcased their psychedelic sound at Lost Paradise Festival and SXSW Sydney, toured with live circuit favourites Parcels.
Velvet Trip returned to the touring front this month, bringing HARMONY BLOOMS to some spots around the country they missed on their initial album tour. They have one show remaining, at Ryan’s Hotel in Thirroul on July 6th, and best of all it’s free entry.
Watch Velvet Trip’s full ‘In My Room’ session above. HARMONY BLOOMS is out now.
