Since its inception in late 1999, The Velvet Teen has traveled the world and challenged the very concept of genre with its eclectic and at times schizophrenic appeal. From the early EPs which showed prowess in the pop realm, to the dynamic indie jangle of ‘Out of the Fierce Parade’, to the romantic strings and quietly political lyrics of ‘Elysium’, to the sexually charged whip-it beats of ‘Cum Laude’, The Velvet Teen truly has a talent for seducing the masses into a cult-like state, before promptly leaving the faithless with nothing but a kool-aid aftertaste. The believers, however, will vouch that the experience is well worth the trouble.

The Velvet Teen officially made its debut in a brief Icelandic tour in the debatedly millennial new year, finding founding member Judah Nagler accompanied by electronic arrangements programmed on a portable sequencer. After returning home, Nagler teamed up with former bandmate Logan Whitehurst, and together they recorded the first EP under the moniker. Joshua Staples soon joined the group, and the trio recorded a wealth of material while touring North America, Canada and Japan until late 2004, when Logan was diagnosed with brain cancer. He died from the disease in 2006. Casey Deitz filled in during Logan’s absence and later joined the group to help extend the band’s reach to Europe and record Cum Laude.

The present day finds The Velvet Teen writing and recording as always, the newest material a culmination of its history, its vision set on the horizon. You are cordially invited to take part in the madness. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.