Devil's Gate Music
Related Articles
Hailing from Reading, England, Lost Velvet are the project of multi-instrumentalist and producer Robert Butcher and vocalist Melissa Morris. The duo are carving a space between post-rock atmosphere, shoegaze haze, and industrial unease with a sound that feels vast, intimate, and slightly unhinged. They release their debut album Dark Cells on Friday 4th September, led by their brand-new single and video, Right Back, which is out now. Connect with Lost Velvet below:
What are the origins of the band, and how long have you been playing together?
Rob: We met via the internet of all places and quickly established a sound and aesthetic we liked. We have been playing live together for only about 6 months now, but we started the project in earnest about 2 years ago.
Mel: I heard Rob’s piano playing online, and it stayed with me long enough that I reached out to him through an advert he’d posted looking for a bassist… which I’m definitely not! Once we realised we shared the same vision for starting a new project, we threw ourselves into it and haven’t really looked back since.
What should people expect when they check the band out? How would you describe Lost Velvet?
Rob: I guess they should expect guitar music that shirks virtuosity in favour of atmosphere and nuance. The music relies on restraint – so expect no 8-string drop-tune face-melting riffs, light-speed guitar solos, or tracks that favour incredible musicianship over interesting ideas. I would simply describe our music as rock, but to add more context I would mention some of our influences, namely: Radiohead, Jeff Buckley, Elliot Smith and Deftones.
Mel: I’ve always loved contrasts, and Rob has a real gift for creating them. Beauty sitting alongside dissonance, light and dark, softness meeting heaviness, the ethereal alongside the haunting, all underpinned by a sense of nostalgia. That’s the space that Lost Velvet allows you to slip into.
How did you feel performing your first gig as a band, and how was it?!
Rob: It wasn’t as nerve-racking as we expected. We’ve been fortunate to have some great musicians help realise the songs live. As we are a duo, we spend a lot of time recording, so our vocals have been rehearsed for a long time before even entering the band room. It was a really encouraging start, and the performance was well received. Since then, we have continued to work in the band room with our drummer and bassist and continue to refine the live sound.
Mel: Recording has always been my comfort zone, so stepping onto a stage for the first time with Lost Velvet was definitely nerve-racking. I’ve realised since doing a run of shows this year that the anticipation is actually the hardest part. Once you step onto the stage with your bandmates, who have also become close friends, you’re all in it together. It becomes less about worrying and more about sharing something you’ve created together, and that’s a pretty special feeling.
What are you working on at the minute that people can check out?
Mel: Right now we’re putting the finishing touches to our live acoustic set, which we’ll be performing at Down At The Abbey in Reading on 12th September. Alongside that, our main focus has been our debut album, Dark Cells, which is finally ready for its release on 4th September after being our biggest creative focus throughout 2026.
Regarding a similar audience, which band at the minute do you feel that Lost Velvet would be best suited to open for?
Mel: We actually just pitched for a support slot for a band we thought we’d be a good fit for, and got it! I can’t say who it is just yet because it hasn’t been announced.
Otherwise, I think bands like Doom Mutual, VOWWS, or A.A. Williams would be a natural fit. On a bigger scale, we’d love to open for Chelsea Wolfe, Puscifer or A Perfect Circle. I think our dark, dreamy approach and emphasis on atmosphere would naturally connect with their audiences.
Excluding yourself, which new band would you like to see break out and become a success?
Mel: Aaaah too many! Wildernesses, Million Moons (why are they not playing huge festivals already!?), SILK.
What frustrates you about the music business?
Rob: I would say that it is the sheer number of non-musical tasks that are expected of artists in order to simply be acknowledged by an algorithm. There is so much admin and social media stuff to be done that it feels more like running an IT company at times. Put simply, the dilution of the musician into some sort of influencer/gimmick creator.
Mel: I agree. Sometimes it feels like there are almost too many platforms now, and with that comes the pressure to constantly promote yourself. Back when MySpace was around, discovering music felt much more intentional. People would spend time searching for new bands, sharing recommendations, and sitting with an album. Now there’s so much noise to cut through, and it can be much harder for great music to find its audience naturally.
What are your first musical memories? And what lightbulb moment made you say “I want to do that”?
Rob: For me, it was first hearing Michael Nyman’s score for The Piano, which my mum used to play a lot. I knew I wanted to pursue music after starting secondary school and being given the opportunity to create music rather than recite it from score – it changed music from a chore into something with endless possibilities.
Mel: This is where it gets a bit weird, because Michael Nyman’s The Piano was also a huge moment for me. It was the first time I remember being completely emotionally transfixed by a piece of music, and I instantly wanted to learn it on the piano. Even then, singing and songwriting remained a quiet hobby for years. It wasn’t until I almost lost my mum to cancer that I felt this real drive to do the things I’d always imagined belonged to another lifetime.
What was the last gig that you attended as a fan?
Rob: Lee Ritenour at Ronnie Scott’s
Mel: A Perfect Circle
What current social issues are you particularly passionate about?
Mel: AI in music is something I find unsettling. I hope we don’t lose sight of the value of human creativity and lived experience, because that’s where the music we connected with growing up really came from. I worry about what the next generation will be connecting with.
The album that you have in your album collection/Spotify playlist that would surprise most people?
Rob: Donald Fagen – The Nightfly
Mel: Lionel Ritchie – Back to Front
Everybody is a fan of something; who or what are you a fan of?
Rob: Arsenal FC
Mel: I have always been a fan of Sofia Coppola films.
What new music have you enjoyed so far this year?
Mel: Holy Fawn, Som, King Woman, Chelsea Wolfe, Loathe, A.A. Williams, All Them Witches, Doom Mutual, Emma Ruth Rundle, A Perfect Circle, I could go on…
What does the rest of 2026 hold for you?
Rob: Our debut album is coming out on September 4th; we have more gigs upcoming, a show in London and an acoustic set at Down by the Abbey in Reading. We have already begun work on the next record, so I would hope we make inroads into that by the end of the year.
How active are you on social media and where can people connect with you?
Mel: We’re most active on Instagram, where we share new music, videos, live shows and everything happening around us. We’d genuinely love to hear from anyone who connects with the music, so send us a message or come and say hello at a show.
