Nicky Veltman on drums and back-up vocals with Vincent Frederick on guitar and lead vocals are The Singles. The two recently released their debut record “Look How Fast A Heart Can Break” on April 1. They will be participating in the San Diego Music thing, playing a set at U-31 in North Park.
After relocating from Detroit to Los Angeles, the Singles captured sunny LA energy while staying true to Detroit’s raw rock n’ roll scene. Composing sweet and catchy heartbreak tunes, the band’s songs branch from an amalgamation of musical styles including garage rock, glam rock, punk, power pop and blues. It’s no wonder why the duo describes it’s music as “balls out heartache.”
When asked if the band name The Singles had any correlation with the duo’s focus on heartbreak, the band laughed, stating the band name was influenced by oldies groups from the ’50s who most always chose the route of simple, short and sweet names for their bands, such as The Ventures,The Supremes and The Temptations.
Vincent Frederick is the founding member of The Singles. They came together in 2003, originating as a full band with multiple members. Nicky Veltman, on the other hand, was playing and touring previously with The Gore Gore Girls of Detroit. In 2012 Nicky joined forces with Vincent to restart the band as a pair.
Since then, The Singles has evolved into an explosive rock and roll duo. Its chemistry is raw and vibrant with Vincent’s rockabilly-esque voice and Nicky’s smooth drumming and sweet backing vocals. With the assistance of Producer Rick Parker, the band was able to release its debut single “(She’s Got) A Heart of Stone,” giving it the killer vibe it needed to start recording a full length album.
The spectrum of lovesick and break up songs usually comes at two opposite ends; moping about it or moving on. The Singles bring a refreshing take in its latest record by “beating the s- -t out of heartbreak” Vincent said. “Look How Fast a Heart can Break” is energetic and surprisingly optimistic. So much so as that the audience almost forgets that its music is talking about a feeling most dread.
That’s what makes The Singles so special. When asked why a broken heart was the emphasis of the duo, the duo answered that it was a way of taking something bad, such as heartbreak, and turning it into positive energy. Listen to The Singles. The lyrics don’t lie to you about the truths in lost love and the melodies and riffs are an honest reminder that life’s going to be okay.
