We recently connected with VEL Stacy and have shared our conversation below.

Hi VEL, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is my debut EP, “Hearts & Bruises”. In 2009 I was in the navy and found myself surrounded by music-making shipmates. Now until this point, I hadn’t really written anything except singing to myself as a kid, but they inspired me and I began writing some songs with them. It was then I had the idea to do an album following a relationship beginning to end, with it’s twists and turns, ups and downs.

It’s funny because the EP, as emotional and dramatic as it is, is only a bit of the story. The album will be so much more drama, haha.

Heart & Bruises is a journey and it’s grown and transformed so much, but it’s also helping people- like my song “better” is second on the EP and it communicates how the love/relationship has been one-sided and lacking and that you deserve and will go get- BETTER. It’s a deep and vulnerable Lofi-HipHop track that transitions to Disco Trap as you get your confidence to leave.

I believe my music is something that can be vibed to while also helping the healing process of heartbreak.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m Vel Stacy- VEL like Velvet)

For those who find it important- I’m a Gem sun, Can moon, Lib rise

US Navy Culinary Specialist turned Artist/Storyteller.

Multiple sexual assault survivor, small town “village kid”, no stranger to struggle, abuse/neglect and many dark days, but I realize I’ve had immeasurable bright ones as well. I have done a lot work to heal and grow and when we heal ourselves, we heal our world.

So now that’s where I am.

I make music that you can vibe to, work to, or listen to with a nice drink and candles burning… and when I perform the songs live I tell a story. Craft them to take you somewhere. Sometimes just for fun, and sometimes there’s a little medicine in the message.

That’s something I’m quite proud of.

That ANNDDD the release of my debut ep Hearts & Bruises!!! Four tracks, one story, LOTS OF DRAMA.

Expect random/spontaneous unsolicited advice, questions, goofy, sexy— actually, don’t expect anything, just stay tuned!

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Something I had to unlearn is, when I was about 14 or 15 years old, I was told ‘You can’t sing. You can dance, but God did not give you the gift of singing’

Now hearing this from another kid or someone that doesn’t really hold much weight in your life is one thing, it happens and you kinda get used to it, but when that person is your mother it sticks with you. Even with your resilient response of ‘well I sing because it makes me happy’- it sticks with you.

As a little kid, my grandmother would make my sister and I sing at church and everyone would eat it up. I found comfort in front of the crowd even at a young age. Eventually those days transitioned to me standing in the back of the choir, trying to sing so low I couldn’t be heard- but my cousin Lamar always called me out and made me sing or made me at least match him… he was technically my first ear training teacher now that I think of it. Back then I only thought “you’re not good enough to sing on your own, somebody else has to tell you what to sing” and similar thoughts.

As time passed I had different people I now think of as ‘messengers’ encourage me to sing. My high school friend Ms, Key, my navy twiiinnnnn Tony “Kujo” Kujawa, Oteng, Church- we wrote some bangerz on that ship!! you know, now that I think of it so many people believed in my voice and I was holding on to that old truth that singing wasn’t for me.

So I pursued modeling. It was fun and I was great at it, and I didn’t have to sing. I didn’t even have to speak- just pose and walk. Then came acting and there was an awakening. Enough to leave the safety of the navy to chase it. It was in the training for the pursuit of acting that I was encouraged by a professor to pursue singing. “You’re a good actor- believable and present. I buy it. But singing is your ticket” -Perry Hart

Of course I didn’t believe him! Meee?! The one boo’d off stage in the talent show? The one who had the mic taken out of his hand in front of the church to be silence? But what- about what my mother said? Sometimes it takes a stranger to see you, though and something had definitely shifted. After graduating AADA, I attended Musician’s Institute to find myself in music. I knew I had some stories in my head that were screaming to be songs and had to figure it out.

Having the vocal performance classes and the mandatory live performances alongside the extensive training on top of the dramatic foundation I gained from the conservatory was electrifying.

I was then able to hone all of this training on stage with my creative family Loft Ensemble, where anything you want to try or to be is celebrated and I was able to not only sharpen myself as an actor, but as a singer at the monthly cabaret.

As my confidence grew I believed that old truth less and developed my own. Not gonna lie, I struggle very much with imposter syndrome and self doubt, as many do, but I am waayyy more free in my thinking now, hahaha. And I have such texture and depth in my singing now because of the path I experienced– ugh I love it!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

It’s kind of a two part.

On one hand, there’s the final mix where you hear YOUR creation (whether you collaborated or did it solo)- it’s done. It sounds amazing, it feels amazing- it’s done and so good you almost want to surprise drop it tonight, lol.

And then there’s the feedback of a beautiful person that has listened and was moved by what you felt and experienced and shared. They then sometimes share how they connect with it or just how the song/story impacted them.

uggghhh!!!!! stop because I’ll cry right now.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.iamvelstacy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamvelstacy/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lavel.stacy
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCW_2FRI_F9c_3HqdP0nVwug

Image Credits
Uchenna Photos Milo Fontanez Taylor McWhorter Photography MonArt.Fr