Get ready to ride the smooth vibes and infectious energy wave with Velvet Rays' latest single, "Something Different." This R&B and soul duo, comprised of the dynamic duo Jayson De Buyl and Jon Glenn, is making waves from their Houston, TX headquarters.
Picture this: a dreamy conversation about the ideal woman, a muse for the ages. Turn that into a musical masterpiece, and you've got "Something Different." Released on January 12th, 2024, this track is a sonic celebration of new love, capturing that electrifying feeling when you meet someone for the first time.
Jayson De Buyl reveals the creative process, revealing that the goal was to encapsulate the essence of that fresh, invigorating love.
The chorus serves as an instant gateway to those initial moments of connection, making it clear from the get-go that this is what it feels like to find that special someone.
From the moment the first notes hit, you're enveloped in a melodic embrace that feels like a sun-soaked day with a gentle breeze. The instrumentation is a delightful fusion of soulful R&B with a sprinkle of contemporary flair. The groove is infectious, anchored by a smooth, rhythmic bassline that propels the song forward effortlessly.
Jayson De Buyl's vocals, rich with emotion and nuance, effortlessly dance alongside Jon Glenn's, creating a harmonious blend that echoes their chemistry in their real-life collaboration. As the duo croons about their dream girl and the intoxicating feeling of new love, the listener is transported into the very heart of that emotion.
Jon Glenn shares insights into their creative journey, emphasizing the seamless process of crafting their first song. What started as a casual session turned into a whirlwind of creativity, resulting in three or four strong tunes that demanded to be shared with the world.
"Something Different" by Velvet Rays is a sonic escapade that transcends the boundaries of traditional R&B and soul, creating a distinctive sound that's as refreshing as the lyrics themselves. This sonic journey transports you to the exhilarating realm of newfound love. So, turn up the volume, let the rhythm take over, and get ready to experience something different with Velvet Rays.
Welcome to BuzzMusic, Velvet Rays! We're thrilled to chat with you about your latest release! Can you please share more about Velvet Rays's genesis and how your experiences shaped your sound's evolution in "Something Different?"
We can both agree that the fruition of Velvet Rays was thought of not too long into the creation of Something Different. We crossed paths through a mutual friend and kicked it off from there. We spoke about our shared love for music and later solidified our bond over similar sounds we were heading towards individually as artists. That’s when the concept of an R&B/Soul duo came to mind, and we decided to commit to a collaborative project with a coherent sound that complements both our styles.
This track is a testament to the synergy between you two. How did your collaborative process unfold, and what unique elements did each of you bring to the table during the creation of this single?
The unique elements we each brought took us further creatively; for me, it was melody and vocal arrangement ideas; for Jayson, it was vocal and music engineering. Our collaborative process unfolded with our mutual respect and admiration for each other as solo artists.
With such vivid and emotionally charged lyrics, please highlight the inspiration behind the narrative of finding an ideal woman and the decision to channel those emotions into the songwriting.
The song's concept stemmed from one of our conversations around when we first met. Once we became acquainted and we had heard each other sing, we went in-depth on topics about situations from our past to stimulate an idea for a record, and we landed on the “Dream Girl” concept. Before moving forward, we discussed how we wanted to go about it. We didn’t want just to tell another story people could relate to but bring an atmosphere people could feel and resonate with. The goal was to breathe that “new-love” feeling to life every time you hear our record. If we could use three words to express the emotions channeled during the production of “Something Different”, we’d say; “fun, exciting and honest.”
"Something Different" was recorded and pre-mixed at Jayson's home studio. How did this intimate setting contribute to the creative process, and what challenges or advantages did you encounter working in that environment?
Recording the single at Jayson’s home studio made the creative process very easy and laid back; we weren’t limited by anything and had free, full creative control. We didn’t have to worry about time or money, if anything, recording at the home-studio gave us clarity on who our target audience is. The advantage was that two minds were greater than one, so we could piggyback off each other's ideas, making creating this record fun. Once we laid down the chorus, that was our guide to writing the rest of the record.
The final mix, handled by Danny Jones and Daniel Fernando Gutierrez, adds a layer of finesse to the overall sound. How did you navigate the production process, and what was the significance of their contributions to the final product?
When we started working on Something Different, we didn't have an engineer. It wasn’t something either of us was worried about, but we knew we’d have to find someone sooner or later. That’s when we discovered Daniel, a recording engineer/stereo mixing engineer for Lucky Run Studios. Jayson says, “I had been working with Daniel for years before meeting Jon. Most of my songs were collaborated with Daniel. So when discussing the mix, we knew he was the perfect fit.” We wanted to create an atmosphere with depth while staying true to our intentions for the song; it’s supposed to be fun! In November 2023, we came across ‘Across The Road Studio,’ run by Dave Ehninger and Danny Jones, an Immersive Mixing Engineer at ATR Studio. As for the mastering, both Danny and Dave recommended Immersive Mastering Engineer Michael Romanowski from Coast Mastering. We never met in person, but we are beyond grateful for him. Having a Grammy award-winning engineer contribute their talent and time to your record isn’t something that just happens. Our trajectory reassured us that everything else would fall into place.