The Velvet Hands - ‘Telephone Love’
Telephone Love, the riotous indie-rock single from The Velvet Hands combines Strokes-esque riffs with the “bolshy spirit”.
Telephone Love emerges as The Velvet Hands newest single, released prior to their upcoming album in February 2023, mastered once more by the legendary John Cornfield, previously working with the likes of The Stone Roses, Supergrass and Muse. The ten-track album will be released digitally via Jam X Recordings. A limited edition twelve-track physical release will also be available through Blood Records.
Formed amidst Cornwall’s bustling Garage-Rock scene, moving to London, and truly making a name for themselves in the City’s underground scene, The Velvet Hands, composed of Toby Mitchell, Dan Able, Louis Mitchell and Sam Hilder, blend their knack at story-telling with rousing Punk choruses reminiscent of The Clash to create something wholly unique.
Recorded at The Cube Studios in Perranporth and mixed at The Cave Studios in Par, the track comes as another notch in the band’s ever-growing list of stellar singles. Starting with a single guitar riff, which escalates into a high energy composition which builds up to Toby’s passionately sung, “And I don’t know just how you found me.”
The whole track delves into feeling lost, confused, and listless, as “Telephone love runs through your veins.” explains the pent-up agitation that comes along with feeling this way.
The band’s self-recorded debut album received critical acclaim as Huw Stephens’ Album Of The Week on Radio 1, and their most recent releases are following suit. “Gigslutz and God Is In The TV” praised them as “brash garage punk rabble-rousers somewhere between the attitude of early Cribs or Libertines with the death and glory of The Clash.” On their single, Rodeo Magazine, who said: “we wanna be wherever The Velvet Hands are because this new song is IT.”
Inspired by “‘80s new wave and ‘00s indie”, the band “wanted to make the chorus sound like a party and the verse to sound like the morning after.” As anyone who has stayed that bit too long at a party will resonate with the lyrics, “Bloodshot eyes and bleeding gums, welcome to the house of fun.”
The Velvet Hands are not shy of supporting other artists too, having supported the likes of Fontaines D.C., VANT, Wallows, Frank Turner, and opening for Liam Gallagher at The Eden Project.
With a run of UK live dates announced for this November, the band will also be hitting the road again early next year to celebrate the new album. As well as an album release show at the band’s local venue Old Bakery Studios in Truro as part of Independent Venue Week, the band will also be embarking on a full UK tour. Set to include their biggest headline date so far at London’s The Lexington. A bunch to watch, with an impressive track record, and more to come, Telephone Love sets the scene for a promising future.
Words by Jemma Levine
