( Artist · Lisbon )

Mara Vey writes at night.

Born in Setúbal, raised on her grandmother’s fado records, discovered by us at an open mic where she played four songs and left before anyone could ask her name.

( Chapter one )

An upright piano a semitone flat.

Mara’s flat has a piano that has not been tuned since 1987. She refuses to fix it. “Every song I have written is a semitone flat,” she says, “so if I tune it I have to write them all again.”

Scarlet Hours was recorded right there, with two microphones and a borrowed tape machine, in one week of nights. The window was open. On track two you can hear the 28 tram climb the hill.

2records on Velvet

1,000red copies pressed

1987piano last tuned

28the tram on track two

( Chapter two )

The colour was her idea.

When we asked Mara what colour her first record should be she said “the colour of the light in a darkroom”. We spent eleven weeks matching it. It became the colour of every record we have pressed since.

Scarlet Hours Play The Velvet Room

( Discography )

Two records, both red.

VR-014

Scarlet HoursMara VeyLP · 2026

VR-008

The Velvet RoomMara VeyEP · 2024