Scout Finch

Brisbane’s Jackie Boccaccio, 20, has always been known for her cheekiness, but now it’s literally out of this world.

Not content with just producing a song as part of her final studies at Bachelor of Music at the Queensland University of Technology, Jackie decided to go the extra mile and self-fund her first album based on the adventures of a futuristic songstress who comes back to today in the search for love.

Inspired by David Bowie’s concept album Ziggy Stardust, Jackie created her stage persona Cheeky Velvet, and is just weeks away from releasing her debut EP ‘The Adventures of Velvet’ in October at West End’s The Be
arded Lady. 

The back story behind Cheeky Velvet is set in year 2115, where a mad scientist and his offsider decide to save the world from the bleak future that lies ahead.

They create a scientifically modified girl they call Velvet. They download all of the world’s knowledge to Velvet, while she lies in her cryo-tube; however they refuse to teach her about love, so as not to distract her from her mission.

The offsider develops feelings for Velvet. He disobeys the scientist and while she is sleeping he tells her what love is. The day comes to wake Velvet up and send her back to 2015. Velvet awakes from her slumber, blows the lackey a kiss and is sent back to 2015, where her adventures begin.

The ‘Adventures of Velvet’ will feature six songs and pays homage to David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust. The album is a conceptual story with elements of sci-fi fantasy and upbeat modern day love themed pop songs, all done with Jackie’s much-loved quirky tongue-in-cheek lyrics.

“I didn’t just want to just create a body of work,” Jackie said. “I wanted to create a story and a character that people could lose themselves in. I feel like it’s another edge to my art and if you’re a super fan you can sink your teeth into the story.”

“I’ve been sitting on these songs for so long and now being in the final year of my degree at QUT, I thought now is the time. Why am I waiting?

“I’ve always wanted to do this and now I can. I’m a very creative person and ultimately consider myself a songwriter and an artist. So it was an amazing feeling being able to hear my quirky songs that I’ve dreamt up come to life with the help of my producer, Hayden Johns.”

Jackie has always been inspired by retro and vintage, 1940s style, comic book pop art, pin ups, crazy 80s fashion, power dressing, as well as the modern/dominant sexy, and says Cheeky Velvet is a combination of all her loves thrown in together.

“The look is very pin-up with the bangs, but also quite futuristic with the V fringe, and I have to say if I wasn’t called Cheeky Velvet, I’d probably be called Cheeky Latex,” Jackie said.  “I also love musicians that consider themselves to be visual artists and take pride in the different art forms in their work such as fashion, film, dance and drama. It inspires me to entertain my audiences!”

Known for her love of performance, costumes and theatrics, Jackie is already causing a splash of colour throughout the Brisbane music scene. The Brisbane-born singer and songwriter is musically influenced by Eurythmics, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Dita Von Teese and Amy Winehouse.

Her eccentric style and passion for fun, drama, and creativity is expressed heavily throughout her tongue-in-cheek music. Her aim is to revolutionise the Australian music scene through her own unique lens, and bring together an explosion of dance, and theatre in her performance. And most importantly, get people dancing again!

“Overall the EP is pop music,” Jackie said. “Mostly pop rock with electropop influences. I just wanted to create something entertaining that people can belt out to in their car, and get them on the dance floor which is the beauty of Pop.

“I am tired of going out and seeing people not dancing, to the club beats, particularly the ones that have no vocals and are just boring! I just want people to go mental on the dance floor to my music, and be able to rock out and sing along!”

The first single from the album is Crazy for You and can now be streamed free on the ‘Cheeky Velvet’ Soundcloud as well as being available to purchase on iTunes. The launch party for The Adventures of Velvet EP will be on Sunday October 18 at the Bearded Lady in West End, which will also be up for purchase on iTunes. Tickets are $10 and available at the door.