VELATINE is a project not a band according to the main person behind it all Loki Lockwood. He goes into great detail about this element revolving around music, how it got it's start, where it is going, what has been released, what hopes are set in stone for this gothic yet dark waved dementor, in the talk we had below. Also be sure to check out their latest single for "Till Death We Do Art" HERE.
Hi, is this Natalie's World? - It’s Loki Lockwood from Velatine—thanks for inviting me to chat. Shall we get into it?
1. Where did you get the idea for the band name—was it planned or spontaneous?
It was all part of what I wanted Velatine to look and feel like. The name was just embedded in the project—and I refer to Velatine as a project, not a band. I’d been thinking about doing what I do for years, so the name came early. I was just combining different words, half-words, and vibes to represent the music’s aesthetic. It’s derived from “red velvet” mixed with “codeine.” It conjures up a warm, opulent kind of feel for me—inviting. Some of the early Velatine compositions sound like that, so I guess those words stuck.
The name was probably in my mind two years before the first instrumental album, which I put together in four weeks at the start of lockdown. I needed a name and checked if the .com was still available—I had looked when I first came up with it, and it was still free. That felt like a sign that Velatine was the right choice, and I’ve gotta say, I’m really happy with the name.
2. Why did you want to play this genre?
It’s in my blood—the records I listened to when I first started understanding the music I wanted to hear, the bands I saw live… that whole post-punk explosion out of the UK. I loved it, and it definitely had an echo here in Melbourne. I just create what I want, and it happens to fall into the Gothic/Darkwave space because those bands had such a huge influence on me. This scene feels like home. I’m starting to find people who are excited about what Velatine does, and that’s thrilling. I want to keep making music that resonates. Another big part of it is the kind of people in this community—they’re tolerant, supportive, and kind. I really connect with that sensibility because of who I am and where I come from.
3. Did you know each other before the band was formed?
No—Nocturna isn’t the only singer I’ve worked with. There are another four vocalists whose recordings you can hear. I swap around, working with different singers, and I expect that to continue. Since I write both the music and the lyrics, I can tailor the songs to different vocalists and their styles, which is really exciting to me. I’ve always wanted the sound to be flexible. That said, maybe I’ll settle on one singer eventually—if they’re as passionate about the project as I am. But for now, Velatine is like this entity I interact with, and it can go anywhere musically. I trust it’ll figure out what it wants to be.
4. Where is the band based, and what’s your local scene like? Any local bands you’d recommend?
I'm based in Melbourne, Australia, close to the city. I have a home studio called Creepy Hollow, and everything for Velatine is created there. Melbourne’s always been a strong, vibrant music town—arguably the biggest in the world, unofficially for a long time, and maybe even officially now. There’s always something happening. But these days, I don’t really go out much because I’m focused on my own work. Velatine is my job, and I do side hustles like mastering and recording to fund it. I’m currently recording an album for someone else. As for current local bands—honestly, I feel out of the loop. My life revolves around the studio and Velatine. The Undertaker (who I live with) is in and out and offers valuable feedback and support, so it’s hard to leave when I have everything I need at home.
5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?
I’ve written songs since school—it’s just something that’s always been in me. I didn’t write consistently over the years, but now I’ve got the life and time to do it regularly. Inspiration comes from everywhere. I jot down lyrical ideas—digitally mostly—and those fragments become part of songs like Till Death We Do Art. I write emotional songs, so I tend to think about the feel of a track—what color it is, whether it’s made of concrete or velvet. I seem to live in the idea of a song before it’s written, always staying open to concepts and revisiting fragments when they fit into the current project.
6. What are your songs about? (What themes do they cover?)
Working backwards from our most recent release, Till Death We Do Art is about creativity—the high of finishing something, the inevitable comedown, and the pressure to top yourself. I don’t even know why I do it sometimes. I just want to write songs that resonate and make people feel something.
Granulated Sky is inspired by the English literature I read as a teen. It’s more imagined and open-ended, like a season finale cliffhanger. I’ve already started dreaming up where the story of Bridget could go next.
Orange to Black is about death. I was deeply shaken by the loss of a friend, and the song wrestles with ideas about the afterlife. I have doubts, but I believe we keep people alive through memory—that’s our form of life after death.
Fuck You All is about creating from a place of bloody-minded determination. When you get little feedback, especially early on, you can feel like you’re working in a void. This track became a mantra for resilience.
Nothing to Do With You is about empowerment and is inspired by my partner, The Undertaker. It's rooted in her—some fiction, some real. I want to see more women being commanding without being torn down. She’s incredibly self-assured and influences me in many ways. That song’s for her.
7. Can you discuss the songwriting process in detail?
I try to write all the time—lyrics, music, both. I’ve got piles of each. Sometimes a song starts with a title, sometimes a beat or a riff on bass, guitar, or piano. Once something gels, the real experimentation begins.
I’ll write six or more parts and pare them back to what works. Lyrics often emerge as I shape the music. These days I’m more focused on refining lyrics—fixing the little things that bug me. Songwriting is a chance to say something or change something. Why waste that?
8. What have you released so far, and what can people expect?
Around 50 tracks in five years. The first album came together quickly in April 2020, followed by another instrumental one during lock down. In 2022 I released a few 7-inches with Maggie Alley, then an album in 2023. More recently, I’ve worked with Inga Liljeström, Barb Dwyer, Sasha Tyler, and Nocturna.
9. Any new music in the works?
Always. But I don’t usually announce things in advance—I like the freedom to change direction. I’ll upload, set a release date, and suddenly it’s out. If you pay attention, I sometimes hint at releases by changing profile pictures a few days beforehand. I’ve also done a side project with a friend—song’s finished, video’s shot and ready to edit. It’s quite different from Velatine. Plus, there are some remixes I’ve done that’ll surface when things go quiet on the Velatine front.
I’m determined to step up the output this year.
10. What about shows or touring—any plans?
Playing live is definitely something I want to do, but it has to happen organically and it needs to entertain. I want a strong visual element—something immersive that takes the audience on an emotional ride.
It’s why I started experimenting with visuals for social media, then music videos. Some of those ideas will become part of the live experience when the time is right.
11. What are your future plans?
Again, not a band—a flux music-making project. The future depends on where the music wants to go. If people in Europe or the USA want to see us live—where we seem to connect most—that’s the direction we’ll take. But it’s got to be done right. I feel a duty to give back to the fans because they’re giving so much to us. The more they want, the bigger things will get.
12. Where can we listen to your music and buy your stuff?
You can stream us—that’s the biggest help right now. Follow, save, and play our stuff, and convince your friends too. After this promo run, I want to explore print-on-demand. Our Spotify numbers are climbing, so maybe it’s time to do at least a T-shirt. It’s about balancing costs. Will something like Shopify cover itself in sales? We also have a Bandcamp - https://velatine.bandcamp.com/track/till-death-we-do-art. You can find vinyl copies of I Won’t Be Civilised and a few 7-inches from the Maggie Alley era. They’re not cheap, coming from Australia with high postage, but they’re slowly selling—and once they’re gone, they’re gone. If you want to support us, buying a download from Bandcamp helps a lot. Albums are about $5 USD. The instrumental records Store Atmospherics and The Trap might make great background music for your next gothic dinner party. Tempted?
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