Folk Bands and Artists
Dan Shears
London
While weaving tales of love, heartache and fantasy with their intensely dark and ethereal style, Dan Shears & The Velveteen Orkestra are proving themselves to be one of London’s most interesting and captivating bands. Beautiful, flowing vocal melodies, with lyrics that bring to mind carnivalesque lullabies written by a much older soul, cascade over delicate and intricate guitar work, soaring vocal harmonies, a surging ocean of orchestral sound and songs so immersed in passion and pathos that they’re sure to haunt the memory long after the first listen. Dan Shears recalls Matt Bellamy’s slower and more resonant tones but the Muse similarities end there. With an incredibly wide vocal range and a gorgeous poetic quality, he has a sharp wit and cockney charm and a voice that evokes memories of artists as diverse as Nick Cave, Morrissey, Frankie Valli and Roy Orbison amongst others.
