The Velies

THE VELIES

Tom Swanson: Guitar/Vocals

Mo Carter: Guitar/Keys/Ukulele/Vocals

Alex Axup: Bass/Vocals

Marty Reyhons: Drums/Percussion/Vocals

The Velies \ thə vēlēz\features Tom Swanson (Jim The Mule) on lead guitar and vocals, Marty Reyhons (Tripmaster Monkey, Einstein's Sister, Multiple Cat, The Marlburo Chorus, and Jim The Mule  on drums...along with Maureen (Mo) Carter (Busted Chandeliers, Mo & Co.) on lead vocals, guitar and keyboards and a relative new-comer to the Quad Cities music scene and the woman with the coolest bass player name ever, Alex Axup (Fair Warning, Moe's Garage).  

The Velies  are the Quad Cities, USA house band. They exemplify American Rock music at it's finest....blending the testosterone-filled grit of Uncle Tupelo, The Heartbreakers and Crazy Horse with the feminine passion of Janis Joplin, Chrissie Hynde and Bonnie Raitt.   They can be rough and raw with songs like "Tonight" and "How To Be", but on the turn of a dime, they can be can create power-pop ear-candy on tracks such as "Hardware Store Man" and "Traveling Boots".  

Let's just say, the male to female ratio, along with the years of music making experience under their belts, makes for some interesting and creative performances both in the studio and on stage. Want to know what The Velies sound like on the record?  Go see them live. They bring that same organic live sound into the studio. No flashy effects, no overproduction...it's only Rock & Roll...and you'll like it.  One of the things you notice instantly about The Velies when they hit the stage, are the smiles. They genuinely have fun doing what they do and that translates to an exciting enthusiastic live performance. There's no shoe -gazing here. The vibe is infectious and you can feel the audience reflect that same joy that's bursting from the stage. 

The Velies have a ton of original material, but they're not afraid to break away and Rock some covers like a good old-fashioned bar band. They play those that they admire...The Band, The Pretenders, REM, My Morning Jacket, Guided By Voices...the covers are as eclectic as their own material.

To date The Velies have had the honor and pleasure of sharing the stage with luminaries including Chrash, Miles Nielsen & The Rusted Hearts, Mountain Swallower, Tell Time, Terra Lightfoot, The Candymakers, The Dawn, The Donkeys, The Still Tide, and Wild Rivers, to name a few.  

Influences: 

KT Tunstall, Nikki Bluhm and The Gramblers, My Morning Jacket, R.E.M., Sheryl Crow, Talking Heads, Janis Joplin, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Terra Lightfoot, The Band, The Head And The Heart, The Pretenders, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Wilco