Mark Velvet is a London-based artist, producer, and manager working across writing, production, and the live side of his project. His new album Closer is out now.
Most weeks are split between writing, production and the practical side of running the project. I usually spend a few days working on songs — either developing new ideas or reworking arrangements until they really hit the way I want them to. Then there's rehearsal with the band, which is where the music often changes again because you start thinking about how it feels live. The rest of the week is a mix of planning releases, visuals, and shows. Being an independent artist means you're not just writing music — you're building the whole ecosystem around it.
A lot of it comes from the live scene. When you play shows and spend time around other musicians you quickly see who really cares about the music and who brings the right energy. For me it's less about technical ability and more about people who understand the vision of the project. Once someone connects with that world, the collaboration tends to grow naturally.
Probably that great music doesn't automatically find its audience. I think many artists start with the idea that if the songs are good enough everything else will fall into place. In reality you have to actively build the platform for the music to exist in. Now when I hit a wall I try to treat it more like a problem to solve — experiment, test ideas, release things, see what resonates. The creative side is still the core, but you also have to think strategically.
The best days are when a song suddenly locks into place. You might start with a rough idea and then within a few hours the arrangement, the sound and the emotional direction all click together. Rehearsals can feel like that too — when the band hits a moment in a song and everyone feels the energy shift. Those are the moments when you know something is working.
Right now I'm focused on pushing the project to a larger scale, musically and visually. I'm experimenting with production and arrangements to make the songs feel bigger, especially live. At the same time I'm thinking about how to connect that music with the right audience and build momentum around it. It's an interesting moment where the artistic and strategic sides of the project are evolving together.
Mark Velvet is playing on the 9th of April at Slim Jim's Liquor Store.