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6 Degrees Entertainment

Title - Technicolor Shakedown [Vinyl]
Artist - Velvet Starlings

For those unaware, Technicolour Shakedown is the follow-up to 2019’s EP Love Everything, Love Everyone. Christian Gisborne (who turned 19 in May) released his debut self-titled EP Velvet Starlings when he was 15. Both EP’s charted in the top 5 at Specialty Radio and hit #1 on KROQ’s “Locals Only.”

Gisborne also caught the attention of, among others, BBC Radio, Shepard Fairey, and The Kinks’ Dave Davies who all count themselves as fans of Velvet Starlings.

Speaking about the album which hearkens neo-’60s garage - best described as beach-fuzz-psych with a big cheeky nod to the UK Invasion - Gisborne says In the doom and gloom of Covid I found myself reminiscing all the time about the days when we would wait in line for hours to see our favorite bands. The songs on the first album reflect everything I felt I was missing out on.

Velvet Starlings are Christian Gisborne (vocals, guitars, keys), Foster Poling (drums) and Hudson Poling (bass). Technicolour Shakedown is now available on vinyl via Kitten Robot Records / Sound x 3 Records.

1. She Said (She Said)
2. Checkmate
3. Back Of The Train
4. Can’t Control
5. There’s Nobody There
6. No Regrets
7. Colours On The Canvas
8. Young Ideas
9. Technicolour Shakedown
10. Turn It On

This vibrantly electric, wholeheartedly fresh, upbeat and joyous new rock album opens on the controlled freneticism of She Said (She Said) [check out the incredible video below] and the harder-edged rock of Checkmate and backs them up with the controlled-underground vibe of Back Of The Train, the brilliant Liverpool-era, psych rock-imbibed Can’t Control and then comes the thunderously enigmatic There’s Nobody There.

Up next are a couple of my own personal favorites, the reverberating rock of No Regrets and the evocatively chilled, nostalgic-tinged Colours On The Canvas and they are in turn followed by the pulsating Young Ideas, with this album rounding out (all too soon) with the heel-pounder Technicolour Shakedown, coming to a close on the jangling rock guitar and organ work of the super addictive instrumental romp Turn It On.

Following the release of the perpetual motion video for Can’t Control with its Billy Elliot-inspired narrative, LA-based VELVET STARLINGS return with their latest video There’s Nobody There, a psychedelic ruby-hued pastiche of performance, static visuals and over-saturated images.

Taken from their aforementioned, and critically-acclaimed debut Technicolour Shakedown, There’s Nobody There grasps at a darker psychedelic groove and track, anchored by Harrison-esque or Byrds-styled twelve string guitar riffs.

Chronicling the isolation and loss of connection caused by the pandemic, the eerie ghostly vocal echo effects create an atmosphere that washes in the desperate feeling of emptiness of isolation.

We shot the video for There’s Nobody There at the height of the Covid-19 restrictions, explains songwriter, recording wizard, singer, guitarist, keyboardist Christian Gisborne. Half the scenes are videos of me and my guitar shot with my iPhone and a tripod at an abandoned park, under the freeway and in some empty bushes.

Taking advantage of not only the cover of night but also the desolate environs that the quarantine afforded, they were able to capture the feeling of isolation perfectly. We shot at 2am when there was quite literally nobody there, he continues.

I think this song and video really captures the feeling of what it really was like during that era where we really didn’t know what was going on or where things would be in the coming months. The rest of the album has a very positive and outgoing sentiment however this track is rooted in the very real doom and gloom that was on our minds in late 2020.

Originally released August 27th, 2021, the youthful ’60s-infused garage rock ’n’ roll band is gearing up for a busy 2022 with a slate of live shows and festival dates, including Redondo Beach, CA’s BeachLife Festival on May 13th where they share the stage with Weezer, 311, Black Pumas and Cold War Kids and McGill, NV’s Schellraiser Festival on June 5th alongside Broncho and Old 97’s before heading over to the UK for a round of dates later that month.

Hailing from Los Angeles and the beach cities of Southern California, Velvet Starlings has released a handful of EPs, singles and its debut album Technicolour Shakedown all before the band members could legally drink.

Founded by Christian Gisborne (who incidentally tracked, engineered, mixed and produced their debut album), Velvet Starlings rose to national prominence when they won the “Emerging Stage” competition at Milwaukee’s Summerfest 2019.

In 2021, the band returned to Summerfest, but this time on the main stage alongside with Black Pumas, The Struts, Pixies and Cold War Kids.

MAY 05 - Zebulon (Los Angeles, CA)
MAY 13 - BeachLife Festival 2022 (Redondo Beach, CA)
MAY 21 - The Phoenix Theater (Petaluma, CA)
JUN 05 - Schellraiser Music Festival 2022 (McGill, NV)
JUN 09 - Dive (Hull, UK)
JUN 10 - EBGBS (Liverpool, UK)
JUN 11 - Dead Wax Digbeth (Birmingham, UK)
JUN 18 - The Water Rats (London, UK)
JUN 23 - PJ Molloys (Dunfermline, UK)
JUN 24 - Broadcast (Glasgow, UK)
JUN 25 - Sneaky Pete’s (Edinburgh, UK)
JUN 30 - The Cornish Bank (Falmouth, UK)

Velvet Starlings - There’s Nobody There [Official Video]

Velvet Starlings - There’s Nobody There [Official Video]

Velvet Starlings - Can’t Control [Official Video]

Official Website

Official Purchase Link

Velvet Starlings @ Facebook

Velvet Starlings @ Instagram

Velvet Starlings @ Twitter

www.kittenrobot.com





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