VALE 'without you' + Interview

MusicQ&A

Oct 26

A SOFT, EMOTIVE TRACK WITH THAT KICK TO KEEP YOU HOOKED - VALE brings in the beat and groove with her latest track “without you”. Though only her fourth release, VALE continues to build a strong foundation for herself filled with strong production elements and captivating vocals. The 17-year-old carries herself with a sense of wisdom, passion and desire to grow as an artist. Taking the time to learn more about herself and her music in quarantine, VALE brings an authentic and deliberate approach to her music.

Dive into “without you” and learn more about her writing process, her inspirations and more.

LUNA: Congrats on your latest track “without you”! How does it feel to have this track out?

VALE: Thank you!! It honestly feels a little surreal that I’m four songs into my career. I know it’s not a lot, but it’s four more songs than I thought I’d ever release, so that’s that. I’m extremely grateful for all the love and positive energy everyone has been sending me after the release of each song. It just feels really good.

LUNA: Can you share a favorite moment from the making of the track?

VALE: I love how we made this track so fast, I’ve always heard that “the good songs write themselves” and that kind of what happened with this one. I also love how we used all the emotions we (heavy mellow, mark johns, and i) were feeling that day, and made it into something fun and beautiful.

LUNA: I’m sure it’s had its ups and down, but how has quarantine impacted your creative process?

VALE: Honestly, it has allowed me to just take a step back and allow myself to really try and decipher who I am, what I want to say and the message I want to spread. I kind of feel like before quarantine I was so busy doing this or that, that I really didn’t have the chance to ever be like “hey, take a breather, slow down, and figure out what’s going on in your head”. I always found an excuse, whether it was that I had something more important to do, or that my mental health wasn’t worth the attention. After realizing I need to understand myself before actually creating something genuine, I’ve made incredible songs back to back. I’m so excited.

LUNA: Which set of lyrics are you most proud of in “without you”?

VALE: I think it’d have to be “I took you for granted just because you were mine”. It’s not a poetic line or anything of that sort, but I think many can relate to it. Even though it’s not super artistic I feel like it has a deeper meaning than what it shows. To me, it represents that grief one can feel after losing someone due to stubbornness or selfishness. You just stand there after it all and feel like you just lost so much, and all for what? To protect your ego? Because you weren’t willing to give the person what they deserved? It’s a line that contains depth, and I like it.

LUNA: Though both different from one another, the videos for “one day” and “be somebody” are super tight. Do you have any upcoming plans to tie in a visual end to “without you”?

VALE: Yes! We came up with a very fun video for the song, it’s more lighthearted and youthful and certainly a kind of juxtaposition of the actual song, but they oddly match? It’s quite cool I can’t wait for everyone to see it. It’s also homemade by me and my best friend, so it’s extra special.

LUNA: What’s been inspiring you these days?

VALE: I think that the biggest thing that’s been inspiring me is seeing other artists. And I mean that in every way. For example watching live performances on youtube, interviews, documentaries, movies, about any artists I like. I really don’t know why that’s been keeping me motivated, I guess it’s because I can’t wait to be able to do all the things I see these amazing people do. It may be a little impossible right now but I know all my favorite artists and idols have been where I am in my career, so if they didn’t give up, why should I?

LUNA: How has your cultural background shaped you as an artist?

VALE: I think being from Barranquilla just has given me that extra kick of life everyone needs in order to tackle on the entire world. It’s made my skin thicker too, people here can be very intrusive in your life, they always have something to say about you, so I’ve kind of learned to push off what people might say about me.

LUNA: Now on your fourth release of the year, how would you like to see your sound evolve?

I want my sound to become more mature. Even though I’m only 17, my music influences are much older. There’s nothing wrong with having a youthful sound, in the contrary actually, it’d be sick if I could make music that is sonically mature, but still has that relatable youthful feel to it. I have a lot of ideas ready to come out as soon as I get some studio time, so let’s see what happens.

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“It’s an album where you can bop, you can groove, you can move, it’s definitely something you could listen to in the car. Or an album that you play when you’re taking a shower or making love. I very much want it to be a lifestyle project. But really there’s only so much an artist can do, it’s up to the listener how they interpret it, or where they take it. All I can do is just create it.” - Duckwrth on ‘Supergood’ ⚡️ ⭐️ A blend of soulful seventies with his signature rap flow, ‘Supergood’ takes Duckwrth’s sound to the next level. Read the feature with Duckwrth on our site now - link in bio 💥💥💥

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Issue 13 is OUT ⭐️ Our best issue yet featuring cover star Kari Faux + Alfie Templeman, MICHELLE, Spencer., Samone Zena + photos by Donée Buetessa, Zachary Francois, Logan Delaney, Darrell Jackson, Athena Merry, Andrea Riba, Jonathan Roensch & our audience ✨ 💌 20% of proceeds from print copy orders placed this week will be split between The Loveland Foundation & the Black Image Center Fundraiser. Link to the digital copy & to order a print copy in our bio - have fun checking this one out it’s fire xx