Velvet Sunset: An Interview with Carmine Eleonore
Interview by Sharanya Tissera
Q.1 Go Kid was selected for Adore Art’s 2nd issue that celebrates the inner world of women and the complexity of emotion and beauty. Why did you want to submit Go Kid specifically for this issue?
Being a woman is so beautiful these days. Things are changing for the best and we take back our power to empower others girls and give them a voice to change the world. I wanted to submit because I felt drawn to the editorial line of the magazine that promotes witchy, unusual, and powerful artists.
Q.2 The lyrics for Go Kid seem to cling onto nostalgia and beg for a moment more before the inevitability of adulthood. What inspired you to verbalise this feeling that most people get, especially as we leave our teen years behind us?
I think these feelings of leaving our teen years for adulthood are coming in waves. It is not just one defined moment in time. When you leave high school, university, when a friend gets married or has a baby. When you listen to an old song or watch a movie, tv show. Many things can inspire this feeling of growing up. I think I went through many transformations in my life despite being 30.
Being a freelance artist and being very much in tune with my intuition, I can certainly revive this feeling with a nice sunset, a pretty view from the park, watching kids playing and people laughing. Finding the innocence in everyday life, like watching the wind in the trees are the things that make me feel carefree and nostalgic of my teen years. You think it will last forever. It doesn’t and it does because you can find it elsewhere. Be present, be in love, watch in awe.
Q.2 Go Kid is a single, however, the music from your album Only Lovers Left Alive follows a similar atmosphere of dreamy lyrics and hazy instrumentals. Why this sound specifically? How would you describe your genre of music?
I would say a mix of dream pop, alt rock and shoegaze. I love to feel in love. I love to feel the sadness of being happy. When you are so happy you could cry. This is the atmosphere I am looking for.
Q.3 Your interview with Liberty Music shares that you each had a deep love for music from a young age. How would you say that music has shaped the way you view passion and love? Whether that’s love for another person or yourself.
Loving yourself is a never ending process. It depends on so many things and music shaped imagination. It brings confidence. With music you can dance, make love, share food, cry, jump up and down, run, … This is the essence of life itself.
Q.5 Personal identity shares a deep part of the creative process. How would you say that your sense of identity has shaped your creative process and unique sound?
It is certainly an evolution. When you feel angry at times, or not good enough, when you go through a self love process, breakups, falling in love etc… all the beautiful and difficult moments in life shape the creative process because you are, at this moment, a different version of yourself while remaining the same at your core.
Q.6 As an additional part to the last question, you created a dreamy single Let Me Be with the incredible Emmanuelle Seigner. How has your Parisian identity shaped your music and creative identity?
I guess this is more of a British vibe that shaped our music because Velvet Sunset does not really fit into the Parisian identity. Emmanuelle is also very much inspired by the carefree, alt rock UK vibe like me. The incredible free museums and street art, the music and fashion and freedom of being whatever you want to be is very much inspiring. I could say that I try to sing as CHIC as I can, meaning melodiously, and this is pretty Parisian.