Rachel Vette has got it going on. As lead singer for New Orleans-based band The Vettes, it’s obvious that Rachel has taken a page directly from the glitzy-pop style of the ‘80s, and it isn’t just evident in her music; it’s also in her performance style and her on-stage wardrobe choices.

Emerging in quite the same attention-drawing way as a fashion-forward icon would, Vette brings an edgy femininity to the male-dominated world of rock and joins brothers Chad (keys and synth), Todd (guitar), Brian (drums), and Mitch (bass) – the other members of the band – to rise to the challenges of being entertaining and maintaining a high standard of musical integrity.

“I love Queen, and I love David Bowie’s influence on rock and roll. I just think they knew how to put on a show and they knew how to entertain,” Vette said in an interview. “I think Blondie is really cool, too. I love a lot of ‘80s stuff, if you can’t tell by listening to our music.”

This is quite fitting, since Vette’s performance style could be likened to that of a modern-day Debbie Harry. Or she could be likened to a female Freddie Mercury… That’ll be your call.

Nevertheless, Vette is driven to perform and to entertain, but she doesn’t want to sacrifice good music for a good show. This particular desire extends into what she chooses to wear onstage, as Vette puts a good bit of her time, effort, and funds into her wardrobe. She’s become synonymous with her killer outfits, which most often include embellished jumpers, chunky jewelry, and sky-high heels.

“It gets expensive. I re-wear things a lot… Pretty much all I wear now are custom clothes,” Vette said. “I have a girl in New York that makes about 80 percent of what I wear for live shows.”

She is referring to Brooklyn-based designer Julie Mollo, who has described Vette as, “my dream person to design for.” During a fashion interview for her 2012 collection, Mollo said she makes “the most fun, edgy, crazy, studded everything for [Vette].”

If Vette’s onstage outfits bring to mind another young songstress, it could be because Mollo has also designed many of the eclectic outfits worn by pop singer Katy Perry.

In addition to Vette’s progression toward becoming a fashion icon, The Vettes are progressing towards becoming a household name. Their sound is evolving and becoming more refined, but fortunately their new music will be accompanied by the same musical style and Vettes attitude that people have come to know and love. Vettes says that the band will be performing their new tunes at upcoming shows, and they will soon have a song from the album on the radio in New Orleans.

Since solidifying the group in 2006, The Vettes released an EP, T.V., in 2008, and their first album, Plasticville, in 2010. Also, in this short amount of time, they have toured and played famous venues like The Viper Room and Mercury Lounge, and they recently discovered that one of their songs, “Kill Me Now,” was used in the VH1 hit reality series “Mob Wives.”

Life is good for The Vettes these days, and they have some exciting things coming up in the near future. The Vettes have been added to the lineup for this year’s Voodoo Fest, an accomplishment that has been a consistent yearly feat since first playing the festival in 2008. This past April, the band traveled to New York City and began recording their new album, which Rachel says will be different than the last, particularly in the area of quality.

“Plasticville was pretty much self-produced and…we recorded most of it ourselves,” she said.

With the new album, The Vettes collaborated with producer Junior Sanchez, who has worked with artists like Madonna, Gorillaz, Daft Punk, and Katy Perry. Rachel said recording in a professional studio environment with a hands-on producer gave the band new insight into making music.

“It’s cool to have a third perspective – or objective perspective, I guess I should say – when you’re working on music, because they think of things that you don’t always think of… and, you know, it’s kind of a collaborative effort. It was really fun.”

See The Vettes perform this Friday, July 13, at Chelsea’s Café. For more information, visit www.MySpace.com/TheVettes.

The Vette’s
Chelsea’s Café
July 13 at 10:30 p.m.
With The Scorseses and The Wooden Wings