A Pow Wow with the man himself: Chad Valley

Posted on July 6, 2011 by RC

Chad Valley – Now That I’m Real (How Does It Feel) from Lucy Bridger on Vimeo.

Seattle Scenester got a chance to catch up with Chad Valley, the emerging New Wavist from the ever-so-thriving Oxford scene. Chad Valley (Hugo Manuel) has put out two EPs in the last year and has become quite the name drop in the blog world. Hugo is the lead singer of another notable Oxford band, Jonquil. Above is a gem from his latest EP, Equatorial Ultravox. Chad Valley will be playing at The Crocodile with Active Child on September 23rd and should not be missed (TIX HERE).

RC: Jonquil One Hundred Suns was fucking unreal. It has to be easier to make music on your own. How are you balancing the two?

Chad Valley: Balancing the two is huge fun in a way…. I get bored very easily so its really nice being able to switch between projects, particularly now as i’m writing material for both things simultaneously. But of course there is something inherently enjoyable about playing music with friends, and that is an aspect that I don’t get with Chad Valley much.

RC: Blessing Force seems like such a rad idea and makes me wish I lived in Oxford. Who’s behind this force and where do you see it going?

Chad Valley: Thats nice to hear man. We are a loose collective of musicians and artists in oxford consisting of Pet Moon, Solid Gold Dragons, Trophy Wife, Rhosyn, and Jonquil. I think one of the main purposes of forming BF was to draw attention to our mates. From past experience a lot of us felt that it was really necessary to help your friends if you are in a position of power, and we just took that one step further. We are having a lot of fun creating the occasional event, and we are stretching out to other parts of the UK, rather than just Oxford. Those things are great opportunities to get the art side of BF recognised too.

RC: Chad Valley EP and Equatorial Ultravox are absolutely phenomenal. There are obviously a lot of hungry folks for an LP. What’s the skinny?

Chad Valley: I’m putting the thing together as we speak, but its early days. I have been constantly writing for the last year, so there is a lot of material and I am forming some kind of mood and theme at the moment. I think its going to be out early 2012.

RC: Most artists tend to wait for an LP drop before coming overseas. Are you getting a lot of love here in the States?

Chad Valley: Well this is one of the things about putting out two EPs before the album… i’m hopefully going to be in a pretty strong position when the album drops. Also, I think I have been incredibly lucky with timing, along with other things. Playing at SXSW and in New York were a great help and insane amounts of fun, so I can’t wait to see the rest of he country.

RC: You have tracks such as “Anything” and “Now That I’m Real” that are just instant jams that are timeless. Then, you have tracks such as “Acker Bilk” and “Reach Lines” that have a slow tempo that (while amazing) take a little warming up. Do you see yourself continuing to experiment or do you see yourself honing in on a particular style of tracks?

Chad Valley: Don’t expect I’ll ever stick to one thing. I see Chad Valley as a very evolving thing… I do know that I want to get more pop. I want to push myself to write the most pop thing possible, but retain my credibility.

RC: Other than Mariah Carey and R. Kelly, are there any other out-of-the-box artists you dig?

Chad Valley: I think most of the stuff i listen to is out-of-the-box. I like that phrase. I’m a lifelong Carpenters fan, i think they are so technically great, and the recording is so crisp, it really sounds like nothing else. I listen to a lot of bollywood music, but only the old stuff. I don’t know any of the films, but i’ve got a few compilations of Lata Mangeshkar or Asha Bhosle that are great. And I love Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, and other qawwali stuff.

RC: So, you’ve blessed us with a stop in Seattle. Have you ever been to Seattle before? Any Seattle connections?

Chad Valley: nope, not at all. Other than the fact that I like Sleepless in Seattle.

RC: What about Seattle music? Are there any Seattle bands that you’re into or talent you recognize?

Chad Valley: Beat Connection. I have their song “In The Water” stuck in my head all the time.