"You asked for it (7 years ago), and we delivered (7 years after you asked for it)."
Velociraptor (Source: Supplied)
Beloved Brisbane garage pop outfit Velociraptor are back with their first two new singles in seven years, returning from where they left off with Leaving Hollywood and Timebong.
The many members of Velociraptor have been working on crafting new music since 2018, and in 2024, they will release their new album. The new singles are the first taste from the highly anticipated album.
Velociraptor announced their new music on Instagram this morning. “You asked for it (7 years ago), and we delivered (7 years after you asked for it),” they wrote. “Today we’re not releasing a single // we’re releasing two singles!!”
Leaving Hollywood was written and sung by Jeremy Neale, while Timebong was written and sung by Julien James. Here’s what the respective songwriters had to say about the first new Velociraptor songs in seven years in a press release:
Jeremy Neale on Leaving Hollywood: “Leaving Hollywood is the burnout and ensuing existential crisis of trying to pursue any kind of sustainable success in the biz. Written in the aftermath of the last ‘raptor album, and a succinct summary of the reason for the long break from being a proactive musical presence. It was a time of great isolation, financial ruin and lack of self-care.
“But, in the end, a great catalyst to rebuild, to focus on other aspects of life, and to eventually return - better than ever before? Sonically, maybe. Headspace-wise, definitely.”
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Julien James added, on Timebong: “Timebong is a dark and twisted tale about a young person who finds a bong in 1986 that also happens to be a time machine. When smoked, the Timebong has the ability to send the user into the past or future by way of inputting coordinates on a futuristic numpad embedded in the side of the bong. But where did the Timebong come from? And when one smokes into the past or the future, what becomes of the present?”
You can check out both singles below.
Today, Velociraptor are: George Browning, Julien James, Jeremy Neale, Lauren Jenkins, Corey Herekiuha, Joshua Byrd, Jesse Hawkins, Jake Grossman, Ruby McGregor and Simon Ridley.
In the early 2010s, Velociraptor quickly became one of The Music’s favourite bands. They took over Australia, Europe and the UK, touring alongside Violent Soho, Radio Birdman, OFF!, New York Dolls and more.
Witnessing Velociraptor at The Brightside in Brisbane, The Music’s Steve Bell praised the band for their “Goofy, guitar-laden, grin-inducing, garage-pop greatness.”