The band has been on my radar for a couple years now because of their single “70s Haze”, which was carefully selected to be in my rotation of Spotify 'liked songs'. That morning, I saw Vika and The Velvets on the Treefort lineup and knew I had to fit it into my busy schedule.

The lead singer and guitarist graced the cozy stage in a bright red jumpsuit, she looked like a star as much as she sounded like one. Only previously knowing one song, their sound shocked me and was totally different than what I heard come out of my wired headphones. The saxophone, drums, and guitar were remarkably more present in their live set than on their recorded tracks. I personally love when a live set transforms the music into something new, it matched the ambiance of the venue, the audience, and the festival as a whole. If I didn't know better, I would have thought that they’ve been doing this for a lifetime. With a much wider range than I was anticipating, some songs leaned heavy towards alt-rock and even reminded me of bands like Morphine. Their use of instruments and intense dynamics from song to song blew me away. But the winner of them all was Vika’s vocals. The young artist emulated soulful singers such as Haley Reinhart and Amy Winehouse. Barely 21 years old, she has tone well beyond her years and entranced everybody around her. 

What made the show so memorable was that each and every one of them looked like they were genuinely having so much fun. They were energetic and smooth, so smooth it looked effortless. Their music incorporated retro melodies and hauntingly vintage riffs, making it almost impossible not to swoon over. Even though I strayed from the rest of my group and attended this show solo, I couldn’t help but smile and dance during the not-long-enough 45 minute set. On their recorded releases their sound is hazy and dreamy, but their live set had all of that but with a more classic rock and roll feel--both equally as addicting. 

The Washington natives cast a spell on everyone around them. Even though I didn’t want the show to end, I was stoked to grab a word with the band after their set with the hopes of convincing them to play in Salt Lake sometime soon. I was even more surprised to find out that they normally play with 2 or 3 more instruments, but given the small build of the stage, they had to cut a few out. Hopefully they can make their way to a bigger stage, I hear Utah has a few of those.

Keep your eyes peeled for upcoming tour dates, and make sure to check them out wherever you get your music. You can follow Vika and The Velvets on Instagram @vikandthevelvets to stay up to date on new releases and shows.

Favorite tracks: The Flavor of You // Lovely Little Game // Curse of the Passionfruit