Demi Demitro of the Velveteers

Interview by Ashley Danielle

I really started deep-diving into everything The Velveteers have been coming up with, and the deep dive was in the Swiss Alps, in my beautiful bucket-list space that feels like a dream. I was getting all emotional just tapping into their soulful creation in such a beautiful space. Demi Demitro is a mountain girly pop, so it’s one of those things that being able to listen to her music in the mountains just kind of hits different. I was really excited to get on a call with her to learn more about her life, her creative process, and what it’s like to make music with her band.

Thank you for making this happen. Girl, your hair looks good as hell. It looks so beautiful!
Thank you. I just got it done. So, I’m so happy that this all worked out, too.

Where were you guys? What have you been up to?
We’ve kind of been all over the place. We’re going to New York this weekend because we’re doing an event for Prada, which came really last minute. We’ve just been getting ready for that and putting all our flights and stuff together because it was super last minute.

Congratulations… yes, that’s amazing. My gosh. How do you feel about this opportunity?
I feel really excited. I think it’s fun, literally a week ago, my friend and I saw The Devil Wears Prada. And during the movie, we thought it would be so fun to go to these events someday, and then it just kind of just happened. So, it’s really random, but it’s exciting.

I definitely love to pop in ‘divine alignment’ into the vocab in a moment like this, because it is so divinely aligned. Are you going to play a show out there, or is it something specific?
So, it’s like this event Prada is throwing called Prada Mode, and we’re going to be playing a set for a private party thing, and then they open up the exhibition to the public the day after.

That is so iconic. Is it going to be in Manhattan or in Brooklyn?
It’s going to be at the Chelsea Hotel, in Manhattan.

I am so excited for you guys. And girl, the way Johnny Knoxville feels in the comment section, that was so people were like, “Johnny, what are you doing here?
No, it’s so funny. It’s so cool sometimes the internet can be such a toxic place, but it can also be such a fun place to… I don’t know, just get your stuff out there and see who it reaches. It’s exciting to see, I think the Baby had originally told me…

Absolutely. What did you do whenever you saw Johnny Knoxville in the comment section?
I was like, “What, that’s crazy, that’s insane!” We also had Jack Black follow us a couple of months ago, and that was crazy, except we’re big fans of Jack Black.

Honestly, Jack Black is a legend, and you already know he’s a huge music fan. So, it’s beautiful that your music touched his soul in that way, because he’s a huge advocate. One of the things I love about the creativity you and Baby have consistently shown throughout it is just being authentically yourselves. And again, I know you guys are known for the double drums, but how has it been playing with the synths and everything? How has it been experimenting with and tapping into different types of instruments and sounds?
It’s been really fun. Baby does all our synth parts and has always been the main person spearheading all of that. And I think Baby just has a very pioneering spirit about the way that they go about writing things. And so, Baby is always thinking of things that I never would have thought of for our synth parts and all that stuff. Baby’s always coming up with cool drum-machine ideas, and it’s always cool to see. And I’ve been dabbling a little bit with synth. I’m not the best, but yeah.

Yeah, but it’s fun, you know what I mean? Just being able to try new things, and just figure it out, just the start of your journey, and being what? Let’s fuck around and find out. And also, I thought it was so cool that you guys recently played the Frog Wizard Festival. How have you played that fest before?
So, we played it the very first year they did it, and actually one of my good friends, his name is Dane, he puts the entire festival on and him and his partner kind of just built this whole world that’s like I don’t know, they have all these cartoon characters that they’ve kind of built into the festival and they have a screen printing business. So that’s kind of where the festival came from, but their mascot is a frog named Bubbles. And it was so fun. This year was definitely really special. And it’s in Manhattan, Kansas, so it’s kind of in the middle of nowhere, but everyone out there is a good vibe and just excited to, I don’t know, be seeing live music and be a part of it.

What made it special this year?
They expanded a lot this year versus the first year that we played. It was just in an alleyway, then this year it was like an entire block. And they had a bunch more bands playing. And I think one of the things for me, just like seeing one of my friends build something like that, it’s really cool to see them build it from being a smaller thing to being a really big thing. And the energy of the audience. The show we just played was super fun. Good vibes.

Also, thank you for being advocates for what matters in the world. It’s so important, and I really do gravitate even more so to artists not only that are female-fronted but also that are advocates for things like the T-shirt I would be wearing right now, but I wore it to a show, and it smells really bad, and it says Fuck ICE. It’s like a small business based out of LA by this girl who’s really badass. Her name is Vivian, and she advocates for just fighting against injustices and whatnot; it’s just so vital. Thank you for using your platform to speak out against important issues.
That’s a cute T-shirt! As an artist, I feel like it’s kind of your job. In a lot of ways, when you’re writing and just being an artist, I feel like you’re kind of reflecting a lot of things that are happening in the world. And so, besides just spreading kindness and good messages, I think speaking out about the very real things that are happening every single day is really important to us. And it’s also important to us cause we’re a queer band and there’s so much hate currently in the world around so many things.

You’re very intentional, which is so beautiful in what you guys are doing. It’s one of those things that like-minded people will find you and the people who want to fight against certain things as well, who stand against injustice and are just wreaking havoc in the world, but also going in with love, kindness, and compassion, while also bringing awareness. So, you’re magnetizing the right people.
Hell yeah. That’s our goal.

Have there been moments where you’re like, “Wow, it’s really working. This is really happening,” just being able to magnetize the audience that your heart desires.
Yeah, definitely. I mean, it’s kind of a double-edged sword sometimes because, as I said, the internet can be such a terrible place. There’s so much negativity, and we receive a lot of it every single day, but we also have this community of people who have found us and are just super kind and aligned with what we do. And it’s definitely a cool tool to learn how to use and be like, “Okay, this can be used in a way where there’s good that comes out of it.” So yeah, I think, especially recently, our following has grown a lot, and it’s been really rewarding and exciting to see.

Honestly, I am so happy that despite it all, like you guys are again just being able to do exactly what you need to do, and again, even with that negativity, how do you navigate together? To be able to stay rooted in your truth and authentic selves while shielding against such torment in comment sections.
It’s a crazy thing because I remember when we first started having a little bit of success many years ago, and we weren’t posting as much on Instagram with reels and that kind of stuff, but the initial comments we got back in 2020 really bothered me. But I think we’re just very rooted in ourselves and we know what we want and we know what we stand for. At this point any comment that someone leaves just kind of goes right over my head because I feel like Baby and I just believe in the project so much, and I think when you do have people that are leaving bad comments, as difficult as it can be, it’s also very affirming that it means you’re reaching people. The saying is always like, if you don’t have haters then you might not be having the kind of success you want, so I think it’s always just reaffirming when someone sees what we’re doing and it triggers them for some reason I’m like we’re doing something right. You know?

Absolutely. Has there been anything in your community via your fan club or anything like that that has been really enriching to you and Baby’s soul and creative path?
I think one thing for me that just feels very like reaffirming and enriching is like when we have really young fans come to our shows and Baby is non-binary, and so I think for our younger fans who are also non-binary or queer, having that representation is super important, so whenever we get fans that come up to the merch booth then they’re like, “My god, it’s so cool having you as a role model.” That’s something that always really touches us and is important to us.

Extremely special and one of those things that no matter where in your career you are, it really is the point. It’s exciting as well because I know that you are going to be cooking up in New York, but I am also stoked that you guys are going to be in the beautiful Breckenridge. Are you excited to be closing out the Pride party in Breckenridge coming up?
I’m super excited! I love being in the mountains. It’s where we feel most at home, I think, because we grew up here. But being part of an event we really align with is also exciting. And I’m excited to see, because I’ve never been to Breckenridge Pride specifically. So, it’ll be cool to kind of see what the vibes are. I’m sure it’ll be great.

Was there anybody on the lineup you’re excited to uplift or support before your set?
I do know another band from Denver. They’re called Dog Tag, I think, that’s their name, they seem like a really cool band. So, I’m hoping I can catch them at some point. I don’t know if they’re playing the same day as us. They might be a couple of days before, but yeah.

Yeah, that’s beautiful. How did you get that opportunity as well, and in the Breckenridge Pride?
I think they might have seen us on social media and then reached out, just seeing kind of what we’re about as a band. And yeah, I think that’s how it came about. I’m not 100% sure, but yeah.

But it aligns…
Yeah, it was definitely a show we were excited to accept. Thank you.

I love all of the visual and creative collaborations, especially what you did with State of Poison. That was so cool. I feel like their visual work was such a beautiful extension of the song “Heaven.” So how did you end up connecting with them?
Yeah, I absolutely love that video they made for us. So, I think they originally kind of found us on social media after our last album came out last year, and we looked at their stuff, and we were just like, this is really cool because they do so much cool animation stuff. Do all sorts of things; they do just straightforward videos, and then they do more animation, stop-frame kind of stuff. And so, we had been wanting to collaborate with them for a while, and we stayed in touch, and then finally we were like, “This song ‘Heaven’ would be really cool to make a lyric video for, too.” And so yeah, it just kind of happened from there, and we got going on a mood board and stuff, and yeah, they did a great job on making all that. It was definitely very like I feel like they represented us in a really good way. They just really got our vibe for sure.

I love that, especially the ability to collaborate with various communities. How did you all do the stop motion in “Suck the Cherry”?
So that is all, Baby. Baby is amazing.

My love. I know Baby doesn’t know me, but wow, what a big brain creative angel.
Baby is really just the thing that kind of holds this band together, and they come up with the coolest things that I could never come up with on my own. But yeah, Baby and I make all our music videos, except the one we made with State of Poison. And so Baby and I, we just love doing things DIY and we were like, it could be really cool if we took this video of me and then I think what we did is I added some painting to the image and we scanned it and then we used that to make-stop frame. But it was such a fun process and just kind of cool to see how it all came out. Yeah, that was Baby who came up with that.

I just love stop motion, but that’s also me being a ‘90s baby who grew up with Gummies. I just think it’s so cool. What has been a personal favorite music video you guys have created, from your perspective?
There have been so many over the years that I’m having to go back. The one we made for “Suck the Cherry” was really, really fun. Just because anytime we can make something really cool, like an animation with our hands, and it comes to life, that’s really fun. We also made a video for one of our songs from our first album, Dark Horse. I also loved making that one. Everything we do is super DIY. So, a lot of times it’s Baby, and if I’m not in the scene, it’s us filming each other. And so, it doing everything DIY kind of forces you to get creative and be like, “Okay, we’re going to put the tripod here, and then one of us is going to go run behind it and we’re going to zoom in or whatever,” and just putting all of those concepts together was fun to kind of put a visualizer to how we felt the songs. Something that just really made it come to life.

You both have been so strong in this duration of your journey together as friends and creative musical soulmates, and then coming into a place where you’re able to figure things out and the DIY is so iconic because again there’s so much growth that comes from that and also. It’s a wonderful thing to be like, I know your brain’s going to lock in on that one.
Yeah, for sure. It’s so fun. We also did more recently, the most recent music video we did was for our song, “A Million Knives,” and Baby and I shot that in a river. We got a blowup mattress, put it in the river, and I went down the river on it. Then Baby was in the river with our vintage camera, walking backward, and it was so much fun to make. I think that one came out really cool, too.

I think that it brings and it lends a lens to your creative hearts. The dedication is strong. Especially the idea of the mattress in the river.
It’s so fun.

I love that. I was also curious about you and Baby. How long has it been since you guys have been cooking up together, because I know you guys were 14… 15?
I think it’s been 12 years that we’ve been working together, but 11 years publicly as a band. So, it’s yeah, I was just looking at Baby the other day, looking them in the eyes, and I was like, “This is crazy.” Because I remember seeing you when we were 14, and it’s just crazy. I think it’s really special to have such a close partnership with someone and just grow with them through your creativity and across different eras. So, it’s definitely something I’m really proud of, and yeah, it’s a big accomplishment for me to be able to work with someone like that.

It’s wonderful to feel safe, understood, and seen. And having a long-term friendship or partnership of any kind is very significant, because again, there are so many different phases in life and different things that happen as people. You know what I mean? not even just as creatives, but just as humans. Have there been any growth spurts recently that you guys have experienced creatively or personally that have surprised you?
I feel like we’re just super driven and inspired right now. I kind of feel like we’re in maybe one of our most exciting eras of creating. And so, I’m really excited to share what’s next with everyone when the time is right. And yeah, I think we both just feel like the most inspired we’ve ever felt right now in this very moment. And I feel like all of the years and all the different eras we’ve gone through have kind of really shaped us into this moment right now. So yeah, we’re really excited about everything.

Yes, as you should. Was there ever like a divine moment that kind of felt like, we are locked in, we are so inspired? What do you think the shift was?
Honestly, I kind of think in some ways getting rid of old energy in certain ways, just sometimes there are certain people that you don’t fully realize that their energy is affecting you in a negative way. And when you kind of break away from that, I think certain things come full circle, and you’re like, “This feels better now.” And I think that was kind of like something that we experienced the last couple of months, just being freer in our creativity.

Is there anything that you’re going to do for the full moon? A little full moon ritual?
Is it on Sunday?

It’s on Sunday. for abundance, expansion, adventure, and good luck.
That’s exciting. My friends are in town that day. My friend’s band, Girl Tones, is playing a festival, so we’re going to go see them. But I love all things to do with the moon and astrology. I don’t know. There have been a lot of cool things happening recently. I’ll probably do some sort of ritual just to show my appreciation for the universe and all that. Yeah.

Yeah. A time to shed, release, make room for the new. I’m so happy that we were able to talk and shed light on the wonderful things that you are going to be cooking up. Is there anything that you’re excited about for this summer? I know you said you guys are creating and will eventually release things in due time, but is there anything in particular you’re excited about?
There’s a lot I’m excited about. I think mostly just kind of stepping into this new era that we’re in and definitely sharing new music, I think, is going to feel really good when the time is right, and also just touring more. I’m not going to say anything yet because we’re not allowed to talk about it. Just getting back out on the road. I’m really excited!

It’s one of those things where all of the work that you’ve been doing is going to come to fruition whenever you go to those spaces and are able to connect with exactly what you are calling in, which is your audience.
Yes. I’ve just learned a lot about growth in the last year and the kinds of situations that feel bad or kind of shitty. I think I’ve just had a lot of growth around being that’s just kind of a part of the ride of everything, and learning to be just so grateful for every little thing that happens, because I don’t know, I’ve just felt so much growth around change. Normally, I feel like when you’re in the moment of change, it feels scary and hard, but it’s the most rewarding thing in the world. And sometimes it’s change is the thing knocking on your door, the thing that’s scary. And being able to just kind of step into something new and not being afraid of it is, I don’t know, for me, that’s been a huge blessing, and I don’t know it’s transformed my life in the last couple of months.

It definitely resonates. So, I could not agree more. I am totally aligned. I totally feel that, and I’m so happy you shared that, because it is really real and very significant. It is really hard to go through change and then accept it, or just because we’re living in our own perspective and… our own lens. So, sometimes it’s hard to zoom out, and it’s in those moments when you’re getting scared, and just, I don’t know, but to finally get to a place where you’re like, I see why this needed to happen. This was actually always working out for me. Always protected, always everything was working out the way it needed to, and certain challenges had to happen to sharpen us, just as you said about growth, which I think is so illuminating for what a lot of people are going through right now. And so, I think that that’s so beautiful to share. I would like to have a little closing segment that I like to call a message in a bottle. So, is there anything you would like to share as a message in a bottle to the world? for illuminating some type of encouragement to people in the world who might be going through a hard time, through change, to encourage them to be able to get out of that moment that might be hard to navigate.
I was just going through my close friend’s Instagram story this morning, and I had all these quotes that were helping me as I was going through a hard time, kind of just with discernment and stuff. And maybe I’ll share one of those. But I think a lot of times we like to kind of push away the darker sides of ourselves, that are going through grief. And I think it might sound cliché, but I think just feeling like every range of emotions, it’s like such a human and such a normal thing. I feel like we have to feel it in order to get through the things that are kind of hurting us. And so, I would just encourage everyone, if you are going through something, just know that it’s a season of your life and it’s not going to stay forever, but it’s something that, hopefully, in the long term, you’ll feel as a blessing. And let me find that quote really quickly.

It’s one of my favorite things, speaking with artists and shedding light is just being human.
Yeah. So, “I renew my commitment to all that helps me bring my gifts into the world. I break ties with all that tries to convince me to stay small, quiet, or comfortable,” and that is by I think her name is Channy Nicholas. Yes.

Channy Nicholas! Yesssssss!. I literally have Channy queued up already because I was like, “Yeah, I forgot that I haven’t seen my little weekly Channy thing.” I’m so happy that you just shared that. Thank you so much for sharing that quote, and thank you so much for taking the time to chat and to share everything you guys are up to, your heart and soul, and the wonderful things you’re advocating for and growing from. Because, again, just being an artist in the world is such a powerful thing, because everybody has their own divine purpose. Having those words of wisdom is just so enriching, especially with Pride coming up in a few days. And so being able to share those messages with your fans and new fans to come is just exactly part of the magnetism of this time right now.
Thank you so much for taking the time as well. This has been a really good conversation, and you seem like a really cool person.

I really appreciate you so much. Also, I forgot to introduce myself, but I’m all crying.
Also, I want to say I love your necklace, by the way. It’s so cool.

Thank you. My friend made it. And then my friend made this, too. I’d be repping my girls. Community is so important. It’s so vital to uplift our community in all the different facets that they’re in. And thank you again for chatting with me and hyping me up, too. And I hope to go to one of your shows soon, when you’re on tour, because it’s going to be sooner than later.
Where are you located?

Austin, Texas.
Awesome. Yeah.

We travel around, especially because my man tours. I work in live music as well, but mostly on marketing and content. So, I have my loved ones in the Denver and Boulder area as well. So, I’ve been meaning to go visit. But if I’m ever in your area, I’m going to be like, “Hey girl, are you in town?”
Hit me up. Yeah. And anytime you want to come to a show, just let us know, and we’ll put you on the list. And I would love to meet you in person, too!

You’re so sweet. And I’m little as hell, so my 411 ass will be holding you and hugging you and hyping you. And I’m so honored, and thank you again so much.
[Laughs] Thank you so much. See you soon.