Steel & Velvet Photo Credit: Loïc Moyou
Emerging from the culturally rich city of Brest, France, Steel & Velvet is a folk-rock group born in 2021 from the enduring friendship of Johann Le Roux (vocals) and Romuald Ballet-Baz (guitar). Both musicians bring a solid classical training to their craft, merging technical mastery with emotional depth. Soon after, the duo was joined by guitarist Jean-Alain Larreur, whose roots in blues-rock added a raw, expressive layer to the group’s sound. From its inception, Steel & Velvet has been defined by authenticity, intimacy, and a minimalist approach reminiscent of Johnny Cash’s “American Recordings”. Their sound relies on acoustic guitars and vocals, capturing stripped-down, honest performances that allow the music and emotion to speak directly to the listener.
The group has a deep respect for the North American folk and rock canon, covering artists from Neil Young to Mark Lanegan, while also venturing into original songwriting, as heard in their debut single, “Poppy Field (Song for the Armistice)” (May 2022). Beyond the music, Steel & Velvet places significant emphasis on the visual presentation of their art. Collaborating closely with Brest-based photographer and videographer Loïc Moyou, they have produced evocative videos that mirror the contemplative and intimate essence of their music, including One Way Street, Hurt, Pendulum, and November Rain. Their performances often favor venues that allow Johann Le Roux to sing unamplified, creating a direct, organic connection with audiences, a hallmark of the group’s philosophy of authenticity and presence.
On 24 October 2025, Steel & Velvet released their poignant new single, “Orphan’s Lament”, the opening track from their EP “People Just Float.” This song marks a return to the tender, introspective storytelling that has become the band’s signature. Originally composed by Robbie Basho in 1978, Steel & Velvet’s interpretation reimagines the piece with intricate finger-picked guitar by Romuald Ballet-Baz and the earthy, resonant vocals of Johann Le Roux. Dedicated to orphans and imbued with a universal emotional resonance, “Orphan’s Lament” introduces the EP’s main character, Joshua, and sets the contemplative, cinematic tone of the project. With its lower key, delicate textures, and careful interplay between voice and guitar, the track conveys both vulnerability and quiet strength, an intimate meditation on longing, loss, and resilience. This release continues Steel & Velvet’s exploration of stripped-down acoustic storytelling, highlighting the depth of their musicianship and their unwavering commitment to authentic, emotionally immersive music.
Steel & Velvet’s rendition of “Orphan’s Lament” opens with a striking, almost sacred sense of stillness that immediately captures the listener’s attention. From the first delicate pluck of the acoustic guitar, the song establishes a meditative, contemplative atmosphere, where every note is deliberate and carries emotional weight. The guitar is not merely playing chords but weaving intricate arpeggios, each string resonating with clarity and precision, creating a soft, shimmering texture that feels both fragile and enduring. There is a subtle vibrato in the strings, giving them a slightly quivering, human quality, as though the guitar itself is sighing with the weight of the song’s narrative. The sparse percussion, barely audible in the background, adds a heartbeat-like pulse that subtly grounds the track without ever disturbing the calm, reflective space.
The intro sets a stage that is both intimate and expansive, inviting listeners into a world that feels timeless, where every sound is suspended in a delicate balance of tension and release. As Johann Le Roux’s voice enters, it brings a powerful human element that contrasts beautifully with the crystalline clarity of the guitar. His tone is rich, velvety, and grounded, with a subtle huskiness that conveys deep emotional vulnerability. Lowered in key from the original, his vocals carry a somber weight, giving the song an earthy, resonant quality that makes the lyrics feel like a personal confession. The way he phrases each line, sometimes holding a note just long enough to let it tremble, sometimes releasing it softly into silence, adds layers of emotional complexity. His voice is accompanied by faint ambient textures, possibly a soft synth pad or reverberated guitar harmonics, which enhance the ethereal quality of the track without ever overpowering the natural acoustic instruments.
This interplay between voice and sound creates a profound sense of intimacy, as if Le Roux is singing directly into the listener’s ear, sharing not just a story but a lived experience. The instrumentation throughout “Orphan’s Lament” is both minimal and meticulously arranged, demonstrating a masterful sense of restraint. The acoustic guitar remains the centerpiece, with subtle flourishes and melodic variations that respond organically to the vocal line. At times, the guitar dips into lower registers, producing a warm, almost cello-like timbre, while higher notes shimmer delicately like wind chimes, creating a dynamic range that feels both grounded and airy. The slight, almost imperceptible brush of percussion provides a gentle, steady pulse, adding to the song’s groove without ever dominating it. Occasionally, the faint resonance of a secondary guitar or a muted bass note appears, adding depth and layering that enriches the listening experience.
This careful attention to dynamics and texture allows the song to breathe, giving each element space to resonate fully and letting the listener absorb the emotional nuances embedded in every note. As the song progresses, the dialogue between Le Roux’s vocals and the guitar deepens, creating an immersive, almost cinematic experience. The guitar does not simply accompany the vocals; it mirrors, anticipates, and sometimes even challenges them, creating an intricate call-and-response effect that feels alive and organic. The rhythm, subtle yet compelling, has a gentle sway that evokes the feeling of walking through an open, misty landscape, each plucked string and each breath of vocal phrasing acts like a step, measured and deliberate. The emotional arc of the song rises and falls naturally, with moments of tension in the guitar line that resolve beautifully when the vocals reach their emotional peaks.
This ebb and flow gives the song a meditative, almost narrative quality, making it feel like a story unfolding in real time, where the listener becomes both witness and participant. In the latter half of “Orphan’s Lament”, the production choices emphasize the raw, unadorned beauty of the performance. There is a deliberate sparseness that allows every instrument and vocal nuance to shine. The acoustic guitar continues its intricate finger-picking, sometimes echoing motifs from earlier in the song, creating a sense of thematic cohesion and continuity. Le Roux’s voice grows even more expressive here, exploring subtle inflections and emotional textures that reveal the song’s layers of longing, loss, and quiet hope. There are moments where the silence between notes carries as much weight as the sound itself, giving the listener space to reflect and feel the full emotional resonance.
Steel & Velvet’s Orphan’s Lament is a hauntingly intimate, acoustic meditation of loss, resilience, and profoundly human emotional storytelling.
The restrained percussion, subtle harmonic overtones, and occasional ambient textures enhance the song’s depth without ever detracting from its intimate, acoustic core. Ultimately, Steel & Velvet’s “Orphan’s Lament” is a masterclass in emotional storytelling through music. The song’s careful arrangement, the interplay between guitar and voice, and the attention to dynamic subtlety combine to create a piece that feels profoundly human, meditative, and cinematic all at once. It is a cover that honors the original while transforming it, infusing the track with a grounded, folk-inspired resonance that amplifies its emotional power. Every plucked string, every carefully held note, and every deliberate silence contributes to a listening experience that is both deeply personal and universally relatable. The song lingers long after it ends, leaving an imprint of solitude, reflection, and a quiet but undeniable beauty that is rare in contemporary folk music.
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