ALL ABOUT
Velvet Rouge.
The story behind the group, Velvet Rouge, and their leading lady, Gina Zo.
In 2016, Gina Castanzo (AKA Gina Zo) was featured on NBC’s The Voice, Team Blake for the show’s tenth season.
After her time on The Voice, Zo formed Velvet Rouge. In March of 2023 the band was WMMR's Local Shots Artist of the Month. They have performed at an eclectic mix of Philly’s music venues, including a sold-out show at Johnny Brenda's, Brooklyn Bowl, and World Cafe Live. Velvet Rouge has also had the opportunity to perform on WXPN for National Public Radio Day 2022, as seen in NPR Music.
In 2022, Gina Zo was inducted into the Recording Academy Philadelphia Chapter and has set out on a journey to put her mark on rock n roll. In late 2022, Velvet Rouge was voted Best Rock Band in Philly by PHL Live & was featured in the March issue of Philly Style Magazine as the music to listen to in the Now section - where they were titled "Philly's Hottest Rock Band".
As they prep for their EP release in early 2024, they have been recording at Philly’s top studios with Brian McTear and Amy Morrissey (War On Drugs, Sharon Van Etten, and Dr. Dog) at Miner Street Recording, Tommy Joiner at Milkboy Studios, and Mitch Beer at Retro City Studios.
The rock band has only just begun their rock reign in Philly and beyond. They have begun touring in NYC, Toronto, the West Coast, and everywhere in between.
what’s in the name.
When Gina Zo came back into the industry in 2020, she saw the need for a change in how women in the music industry were being treated, not only from behind the velvet curtains you see but the moments that you never get to witness within the darkness. When the band gathered together on a Tuesday night in May, the discussion began about what it really meant to be a rock-n-roll band in Philly. Specifically, what it meant to be spokespeople for young artists who were trying to make it in the industry. Raging against the machine that holds them back, they could only think of one thing - the color red.
Imagine someone you loved turned their back on you. Or the moment you thought someone you trusted was honest with you, you find out they lied. Imagine a secret of yours got leaked. Or a person you just met doesn’t tell you who they really are. That makes you mad. It makes you feel things you’ve never wanted to feel. It makes you… well. Velvet Rouge: the color you exude when you are betrayed by someone you trusted.
The music of Velvet Rouge brings about a sense of red. In every word, phrase, and beat, you can hear a sense of rage - from a whisper… a kick drum, a bass drop, or a guitar lick. Synesthesia describes the visual of hearing music or words and seeing colors in return. From the very early stages of Velvet Rouge, the band has stuck with this core feeling and vision: to show the world what it means to be in a state of Velvet Rouge.
