Velveteen Queen: Building a Fresh Rock Sound from Gothenburg Roots
Welcome back to the Rock'n'Blues Experience and on this edition we focus on the next generation of Rock'n'Roll talent the bands and artists who will take us forward in the next few decades as the established heritage acts hang up their fenders coming up we will introduce you to Velveteen Queen and the video feature recorded with the band will be out later this week so be sure to check back here or on YT and FB.
When i met up with Lukas Axx and that by the way is his real name and Samuel Nillson one thing was clear: the band knows where it comes from, but doesn’t want to be boxed in by nostalgia. From its Gothenburg beginnings to its fast-moving rise, the band has built a sound that nods to classic rock while still aiming to feel fresh. In this conversation and in the upcoming video feature Lukas and Samuel talk about how the band found its identity, what went into making Greater Good, and why they want rock to connect with a new generation.
How Velveteen Queen came together
Velveteen Queen’s story began in 2019 at music school. The band started as three friends, before Samuel joined. He came to an audition prepared to play guitar, but the band quickly realised his voice might be the missing piece.
“I came here prepared with a few cover songs... and we just, you know, we clicked.”
That instant chemistry changed the lineup. Samuel had played onstage as a guitarist, but stepping into the role of frontman was a different challenge.
“What am I going to do with my hands?”
It’s a relatable question—and a reminder that finding your place in a band can mean discovering a role you didn’t originally expect.
From Backlash to Velveteen Queen
Before settling on Velveteen Queen, the band was called "Backlash
. The new name came from the kind of joking around that happens among friends: nicknames like “pretty Velveteen” and “queen” began to stick. At one point, Lucas suggested “Velveteen,” and Samuel proposed the full name:
“Let’s just go with Velveteen Queen.”
The name came naturally, rather than from a formal branding exercise. Its slightly theatrical feel suits a band that balances polished songwriting with rock-and-roll energy attitude and they look they adopt.
Classic rock influences, personal style
The band is open about the music that shaped it. Lucas named Joe Perry as a major inspiration and singled out Aerosmith’s Toys in the Attic as a favourite. His musical education also included records by U2, Guns N’ Roses, and Alice Cooper from his father’s collection.For Samuel, one of his biggest frontman influences is Steven Tyler:
“He got this charisma... you can’t even explain what it is about him.”
Samuel admires Tyler’s presence and ability to command attention. But Velveteen Queen’s goal isn’t to copy its influences. The band draws on classic rock’s showmanship, melodies, and swagger while working to make those ingredients its own after all the rock'n'roll highway is littered with burnt out wrecks of those who thought a quick surefire way to succeed was to copy what was done 40 years ago without coming close to understanding why those bands became successful in the first place.
Making Greater Good
For Greater Good, Velveteen Queen wanted to find its strongest sound yet. The band worked with a producer Soren Anderson in Denmark who understood the kind of rock and roll they wanted to make. Lucas and Samuel described the collaboration as a shared effort, with everyone pulling toward the same goal Soren understands more than most as an accomplished musician himself he has worked and toured with some of rock's biggest names including Glenn Hughes, it was a live show with Glenn in Gothenburg where they initially met .
“It feels very, very good for us because... everyone really wants the same thing.”
That shared vision matters: the right production partnership can help a band sharpen its sound without losing what makes it distinctive.The album was also designed with live performance in mind. Songs like
“Adrenaline”
and
“Can’t Go Back in Time”
are built for crowd energy and sing-along choruses. Lucas said “Adrenaline” is the kind of song where the audience can pick up the chorus almost immediately.The record also makes room for ballads. Samuel enjoys singing across hard rock, soul, blues, and pop, bringing a broader vocal range to the album.
The album closes with "Try {To Believe Me}
a near six-minute track that takes a more adventurous path. It changes direction midway through, opening into a looser, more exploratory sound before ending with a long guitar solo.Lucas said the band likes to include at least one song on each record that gives it room to stretch. “Try” was recorded live in the studio, with the band jamming until it found the right take. The result adds a different dimension to an album built around strong hooks and direct energy.
Looking beyond comparisons
Listeners may hear echoes of Guns N’ Roses, Hanoi Rocks, Ratt, Aerosmith, or the Rolling Stones in Velveteen Queen’s music. The band doesn’t seem troubled by those comparisons; they can help audiences understand a new sound.But the goal is not to live in the past. Velveteen Queen wants to make rock feel fresh and relevant to a younger generation—music that carries its influences without becoming defined by them.
What the title track is asking
“Greater Good,”
takes on lies, apathy, and the excuses people use to justify harmful choices. Samuel connected the song’s message to the stark contrasts visible in city life: people living with comfort alongside people without housing or enough food.Rather than offering an easy slogan, the song questions how “the greater good” can sometimes be used to ignore the damage happening in front of us. That gives the album a thoughtful counterpoint to its high-energy rock sound and shows a degree of depth and maturity in the subject matter of some of the writing .
What’s next for Velveteen Queen
With a positive response to Greater Good and live dates planned, the band is looking ahead to more opportunities to bring the songs to audiences. The stage is where Velveteen Queen’s mix of big hooks, classic influences, and lively performance can really come together.The band’s story so far is one of chemistry, discovery, and a clear sense of direction: honor the rock that came before, but make something that feels like its own.
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