We got the chance to listen to LA-based indie pop act, Velvet Rouge and their latest self-titled EP, which showcases the immense talent that they have. Fueled by fiery vocals and wonderful penmanship, it’s a fantastic listen through the 5 tracks in the EP. You’ll find several moments throughout that will leave you impressed and wanting more. Read on below what went into the crafting of this piece of art and listen on all digital streaming platforms now!
“I have always been a drama queen so it’s helped that I could feel deeply, and I could sing it out and write it into songs,” says the fiery talent whose auburn hair is a natural extension of the band name and the synesthesia-like reflexes that has her seeing red when writing new material. “It’s always been an outlet for me to sing about people I was dating,” she jokes.
From the whispered breaths of folk-pop track “Lonely Since The Day We Met” to the shout-it-out nature of rocking boot stomper “Shattered,” the material on Velvet Rouge’s upcoming self-titled debut EP — with steady beats from Buddy Mazzenga, guitar-driven rhythm from Joe McEnany and guest pianist, Zo’s younger brother Tyler DeTulleo — comes off like the soundtrack to an all-nighter at the heartbreak hotel. “Imagine someone you loved turned their back on you. Or the moment you thought someone you trusted was honest only to find out they lied,” says Zo. “Velvet Rouge is the color you exude when you’re betrayed by someone you trusted.”
Recorded with Brian McTear and Amy Morrissey (War On Drugs, Sharon Van Etten, Kurt Vile, Dr. Dog), Velvet Rouge’s raw and unrestrained five-song EP is a throwback to early 2000s pop and ‘90s rock music with each track taking on one of the essential life elements: “Lonely Since The Day We Met” (Earth); “Trial” (Space); “I Don’t Know Why” (Air/Wind); “Shattered” (Fire); and “When Did I Become” (Water). In the end, says Zo, “My mission of this album is to take listeners into the core of my songwriting, which is the struggle of every single 20-something person: figuring out who the fuck you are.”
The very origins of the group began with Zo raging (this time against a former teacher) and fueling that passion into opportunity — a big-time opportunity. “When I was in high school, a choir teacher pissed me off, so I decided to show her what I was made of and audition for The Voice … little did I know that would actually work because I got on the show.”
Then known as Gina Castanzo, she was chosen for Team Blake (Shelton) during Season 10 of the popular NBC singing competition in 2016 and, before long, was working with a record label. Although it didn’t go exactly as planned and Zo, defeated, left the music industry for a spell and focused on fashion pursuits, working at New York Fashion Week and photographing for the iconic luxury retailer, Joan Shepp.
“I felt really uncomfortable with the way I was treated at the first label I was at right off The Voice. I didn’t really have a strong enough spine to confront the issues. It wasn’t until I left the label and stopped performing for two years that I regained my joy for music again,” she explains.
When Zo did get back into the fold in 2020, she did so with a passion for changing how women in music are treated, “not only from behind the velvet curtains you see, but the moments that you never get to witness within the darkness,” she says, adding that coming out as bisexual and embracing being a member of the LGBTQIA+ community also greatly informed the new Velvet Rouge material.
“I have been so afraid to be what people think of as ‘bisexual.’ What if I am not good enough to be in the community? What if I am too straight? Is that even a thing?” Zo ponders. Though, by the end of recording, she says the message evolved to, “Stop listening to everyone else telling you who you are … who do YOU want to be.”
Velvet Rouge’s debut EP Dark Hallways was released in October of 2021 (under their previous alias, Zo) amassing over 30,000 plays on Spotify. In 2022, Gina Zo was inducted into the Recording Academy Philadelphia Chapter and set out on a journey to put her mark on rock ‘n roll.
In late 2022, Velvet Rouge was voted Best Rock Band in Philly and was featured in the March issue of Philly Style Magazine as the music to listen to in the Now section – where they were titled “Philly’s Hottest Rock Band.”
And in the end, she’s been changing her mindset on what the multi-faceted color of Velvet Rouge can come to represent. What if it’s not just rage, but self-affirming passion? “There might be sad moments or some anger intermixed still but this album is hopeful. Before I was unable to actually be the person I needed to be because I kept thinking ‘Gina Zo’ and ‘Gina Castanzo’ had to be these two different people. They are not — they are the same and this record lets that happen.”
EightBallMag 