B-Side Guys

Behind layers of crystalline distortion and swirling effects, Thom Chapman’s latest single “Velvet” sketches a character study that feels both intimate and impossibly distant. The former Fox Grin frontman has crafted something that exists in the sweet spot between bedroom pop confession and psychedelic exploration.

The production immediately establishes this duality. Each element feels carefully positioned in the mix, creating a soundscape that’s simultaneously crisp and hazy – like watching a Super 8 film through gauze. This attention to sonic texture provides the perfect backdrop for Chapman’s portrait of an enigmatic figure who moves through the world in ways others can’t quite grasp: “There’s something in the song she sings / It echoes in the way she moves.”

What’s particularly striking is how the arrangement mirrors the subject’s isolation. The pre-chorus mantra of “And there’s no one who says the things she says / And there’s no one who cares the way she cares” builds with hypnotic intensity, each repetition adding new layers of instrumentation until the mix feels as thick as its titular fabric. Chapman’s experience with instrumental projects like A Co. (which has garnered millions of streams) shows in how every musical element serves the narrative.

The Beatles influence Chapman cites reveals itself not in obvious pastiche but in the way psychedelic elements enhance the storytelling. When he repeats “She’s velvet, she’s soft velvet,” the words drift through a carefully constructed maze of effects that make them feel less like lyrics and more like incantations. This is the kind of headphone music that reveals new details with each listen, proving that Chapman’s background in visual arts translates perfectly to sonic world-building.

For an artist stepping out from successful collaborative projects into solo territory, “Velvet” suggests Chapman has found his own distinct vocabulary – one that bridges the gap between psych rock’s expansiveness and dream pop’s intimacy. In doing so, he’s created something that feels both familiar and entirely his own.