A classic power pop band in the tradition of
the Raspberries and
Big Star,
Velvet Crush formed in Rhode Island in 1989, although their roots actually extended west to Champaign, Illinois, where vocalist/bassist
Paul Chastain and drummer
Ric Menck first met and began performing together. There
Menck founded his own small label, Picture Book, on which he and
Chastain recorded solo material as well as singles under various group names like the Springfields, Choo Choo Train, the Paint Set, and Bag-O-Shells. Picture Book also released records by the Milwaukee-based
White Sisters, led by guitarist Jeffrey Borchardt, with whom
Menck struck up a friendship. When Borchardt eventually moved to Providence, Rhode Island in 1988, he encouraged
Menck and
Chastain to follow; they did, and
Velvet Crush soon began performing their first shows. In 1991, longtime friend
Matthew Sweet produced their debut,
In the Presence of Greatness; a hit with the British music press, the record earned the group a deal with the influential U.K. label Creation.
For 1994's
Teenage Symphonies to God (the title taken from
Brian Wilson's description of the music intended for
the Beach Boys' legendary
SMiLe LP),
Velvet Crush enlisted producer
Mitch Easter, known for his work with
R.E.M. and as the leader of
Let's Active. The members of the group also continued working on solo projects, with
Menck issuing the solo collection
The Ballad of Ric Menck in 1996. The long-awaited third
Velvet Crush LP,
Heavy Changes, finally appeared on the band's own Action Musik imprint in 1998. Minus Borchardt, the group resurfaced in 1999 with
Free Expression. Rock Concert was issued in fall 2000. In 2002,
Chastain and
Menck teamed up with
Matthew Sweet, who produced and played multiple instruments on
Velvet Crush's album
Soft Sounds.
Velvet Crush returned with a harder rocking sound on 2004's
Stereo Blues, which featured production from
Adam Schmitt.
Velvet Crush's recording career went on hold from this point on, but the group continued to play occasional live shows. In 2016, Omnivore Records released Pre-Teen Symphonies, a collection of demos and live tracks from the
Teenage Symphonies to God era. ~ Jason Ankeny