Bio

Sex and drugs and rock n’ roll, minus the drugs. They’re the potent ingredients which shaped the sounds of Velvet City. This year sees the buzz building for Velvet City, with a punching debut album in the can and a unit of seasoned rockers ready for the road. Velvet City are all set, and ready to go.

The force behind the Australian rock group is its frontman, Craig Heath. Craig is the first to admit, the ride which has taken Velvet City to the now has been anything but a smooth one. Heath’s story is the tale of the underdog, with a cast-iron spirit. He’s tasted many of the music industry’s highs, and all its bitter blows. None were so crushing than the indictment and incarceration of his one-time manager Glenn Wheatley, a scenario which threatened to rip-down all Heath had worked for. Craig got back up again. The knocks have made the man.

Craig Heath is headstrong, confident. Unapologetic. And these traits drip out of his music. Velvet City’s debut album New World Order is a tumultuous throw-down of love gone wrong, and hope. It’s a soundtrack of lessons learned. Of being knocked down, and rising up. Above all, it’s about rock.
“We stand for being true to yourself,” says Craig. “I’ve been through dark times. I want to give people something sacred, something they can connect to on every level, both spiritually and physically. Velvet City is a fantasy world where you can escape just for those three minutes of a song.” New World Order has all the tell-tale signs of a classic rock album. But it owes its creation to the marvels of digital technology. New World Order is the vision of one man, but its creation was channelled through an unorthodox partnership which crossed the Pacific Ocean. Celebrated producer Brandon Mashburn (Matchbox 20, Jason Mraz, Hootie and the Blowfish) embedded his DNA in the project, overseeing the recording process from his Studio 2100 facility in Springfield, Missouri.

Heath and Brandon worked on the project 24-7, over a six-week period. It was a sleepless phase for Heath, who would stay up through the night writing and laying-down vocal and guitar tracks while a U.S. team led by Brandon would handle the instrumentation and mix the goods. The sessions were anything but orthodox, Brandon says. But it was efficient and precise. “Recording that album was such a blast. I wish I could do that everyday,” he says with a smile. “Anybody who knows me and knows about this project knows this is probably the most fun I’ve ever had making a record. It was an opportunity for me to really dig in deep, and to write and play and engineer and produce. Craig and I are on such a similar level musically. We hear the same thing, we’re driven in the same way. So it was a really cool experience to feel like I’m doing a project with myself.”

Through the continent-spanning project, Heath would come into contact with Brandon’s business partner Tom Whitlock, a master songwriter who penned the monster hits Take My Breath Away and Danger Zone from the multi-platinum Top Gun soundtrack. Whitlock would contribute his Grammy Award-wining skills to the Velvet City album. “With Craig, he really knows what he wants,” explains Brandon. “Craig and I, we’re both sensitive energy type people. We feel the world around us. We really wanted to tell this story that the Velvet City record is telling.” New World Order was created in the aftermath of the disappointing episode with Glenn Wheatley, which briefly had Craig questioning the role of music in his life. A chance meeting with the Australian music industry legend at a concert in 2007 led to a deal for the aspiring rocker. An inductee in the ARIA Hall of Fame, Wheatley rose to fame as an artist with the Masters Apprentices and went on to guide the extraordinary success of John Farnham. Wheatley spotted a special spark in Craig, and signed the singer to a management contract. An album was recorded, and the route to the big-stage was mapped out. And then it all came tumbling down. Wheatley was arrested in 2007 for tax fraud, and would spend time in jail. The recording was shelved, and would never see the light of day. Dreams were shattered. And not for the first time. Craig’s charisma and talents have brought all sorts of attention over time, not all of it desirable.

“There have been broken promises. Meeting Glenn, I thought we’d hit the big time. Then that happened and it sent me down again. But I got back up. And kept writing.” Born to parents of South African and Spanish origin, Craig carries both nations’ characteristics in spades. His work ethic is tireless, his heart is passionate. Following the emotional vacuum left by Wheatley’s incarceration, Craig tapped into both of those qualities. “I was in a down spiral,” the performer admits. “But I wasn’t going to sit there and sulk about it. I got to work. I went straight back into the studio. That’s my best way of dealing with it. I have that underdog attitude. I do not give up.” Craig set about building his dream from the ground up. And he’s assembled an impressive cast to help carry out his vision.

Craig’s long-time collaborator James Ryan is on-board, taking-on lead guitar duties. Endorsed by Fender, James is an in-demand session musician who has worked with the likes of Vanessa Amorosi. “He’s a sought-after guy. He’s the go-to guy for anything,” notes Craig. “James brings that something special to the table. And when we sing together, our voices match like magic.” Bass player Scott Thorburn forms a tight rhythm section with drummer John “JC” Caputo, while Croatian-born Kristian Vidakovic complements the line-up on rhythm guitar. The band will hit the road in 2011 for a national tour, under the banner “Unite The Nation.” Craig can wield the axe with the best of them. He’s endorsed by Gibson Guitar, D’Addario Strings and Mesa Boogie amplifiers and has a partnership with True Religion, one of the most popular rock clothing brands in America.

Craig is the first to admit he’s a perfectionist. He’s had music in his blood since he was a youngster, soaking up melodies and harmonies of Abba, and later, the Doors. And then the heavier-edged sounds of Nirvana, Metallica and Three Days Grace. “That is the key to the way I write — I love melody, over heavy undertones. We’re like a Bon Jovi on steroids,” Craig laughs. Velvet City are the real deal. There are no strings, no puppet-masters in play. In a world teaming with manufactured pop stars, Velvet City cuts through the crap. At its core is something unique, a tangible energy that connects with people regardless of their cultural, political or religious backgrounds. “We’re here to provide a new creative outlet, a way for people to express” explains frontman Craig Heath. “We are a voice for people to unleash their discontent with the chaos and uncertainty that surrounds the rapidly changing societies and the mundane.” Velvet City is more than music, more than an identity. For Velvet City, music is freedom. “Together,” enthuses Craig, “we can become a global tribe.”

Brandon Mashburn has the last word. “Craig is absolutely determined,” he muses. “I’ve worked with a lot of acts, and I know what attributes successful artists have. I see no reason why Craig can’t be on the top of the music world. He’s destined for greatness, there’s no doubt in my mind.”

For Craig Heath and Velvet City, being knocked down and staying down is not an option.