"'On and On' is a song about kissing off predatory men in the music scene,” says the Boulder rock band's frontperson, Demi Demitro, referencing the Velveteers' new song and video. "I always wonder if there will be a day when I won’t feel the need to write about this subject, but unfortunately misogyny is far too rampant in the music industry, and I refuse to put up with it."
As if Demitro's disclaimer doesn't make it clear, "On and On" is a distortion-injected rager. In the song's video, which debuted December 19, she clutches a guitar strung with barbed wire and pulls no punches while vilifying the toxic men in the music community who "run in circles in the scene" and then "crawl back like a hungry dog."
The song is a preview of the band's upcoming second full-length album, A Million Knives, which hits streaming platforms on February 14 and will be celebrated with a release show at the hi-dive that night. Like its predecessor, 2021's Nightmare Daydream, A Million Knives was produced by Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys, with whom the Velveteers toured in 2022.
Guns N' Roses, Smashing Pumpkins and Greta Van Fleet are three other huge acts that have shared the stage with Demitro and crew over the past few years, and Nick Bockrath of Cage the Elephant plays guest guitar on "On and On." Not bad company to be in. And with a fanship that broad, not to mention famous, the members of the Velveteers have a knack for crafting anthems that are as universal as they are uncompromising.
"Sonically speaking, we wanted to make sure the song was heavy, but we also wanted to take some inspiration from more pop artists like Lady Gaga," Demitro says. "It has some drum machines on it, which was something we had been really wanting to incorporate into our sound.”
Demitro is hardline about one thing: "On and On" is "a big fuck you to the ongoing cesspool of men who are unable to take any accountability for their actions.”
"I think music is extremely powerful in that sense," she adds. "It’s a universal language. A lot of times when I'm writing songs, it’s just something that naturally comes through in the music. I think the magic in making music is that you can write about a bad situation and it can help you heal and process in a certain way."
The Velveteers 2025 Tour Dates
February 14: hi-dive (album release show), Denver, ColoradoFebruary 28: Aggie Theatre, Fort Collins, Colorado
March 3: Shrine Social Club, Boise, Idaho
March 6: Mission Theater, Portland, Oregon
March 8: The Funhouse, Seattle, Washington
March 11: Rickshaw Stop, San Francisco, California
March 13: The Echo, Los Angeles, California
March 14: Voodoo Room at House of Blues, San Diego, California
March 16: The Rebel Lounge, Phoenix, Arizona
March 20: The Underground, San Antonio, Texas
March 21: Sundown at Granada, Dallas, Texas
March 22: Empire Control Room, Austin, Texas
March 23: White Oak Music Hall, Houston, Texas
March 26: The Bottleneck, Lawrence, Kansas
March 27: Slowdown, Omaha, Nebraska For more information, visit thevelveteers.com.
