Velvet Crush

Velvet Crush is an American power pop band from Providence, Rhode Island, United States, that achieved prominence in indie-rock circles in the 1990s. Vocalist/bassist Paul Chastain and drummer Ric Menck are the band's core members, having previously worked together as Choo Choo Train, Bag-O-Shells, and The Springfields, and they share singing and songwriting duties. Guitarist Jeffrey Underhill (of Honeybunch) played on the band's first three albums: In the Presence of Greatness (1991), Teenage Symphonies to God (1994), and Heavy Changes (1998). The lineup became a quartet when Peter Phillips (of Six Finger Satellite) joined as second guitarist for Heavy Changes. Both Underhill and Phillips left the band afterwards, although the latter appeared on the demo tracks for Free Expression (1999). After the releases of Soft Sounds (2002) and Stereo Blues (2004), the band went on a semi-hiatus.