Artist Interview: Valerian

Interviewer: Coyour Lawrence

Q. How do you define success as an artist?

A. "When I really think about it, success with music, to me, is when you have a true community that you not only lean on but pour into, as well as an ever-expanding group of fans in your own region and beyond that very obviously love your work and come to those shows and buy those albums. When your needs are fully and truly met while you pursue music full-time - even if you’re receiving a lot of help - that is an accomplishment in itself, and it’s taken me a minute to really embrace that. Also, making stuff you love or are just curious about attempting, and feeling the urge to try new things and hone new skills. These are some hallmarks of success, as far as I am concerned. It all bodes well for an indie artist."

 Q. What are your favorite and least favorite parts of professional music?

A. (Favorite) "The catharsis and the alchemy. The fact that I get to just say what’s on my mind and heart, and even though my initial motivations are admittedly self-centered, I get to see how those thoughts and confessions can go on to resonate in the minds of complete strangers, even inspiring them to reflect as well. Like little ripples of healing in a big spiritual pond."

A. (Least Favorite) "Probably having to babysit coke-head bookers just to get an email reply 2 months later. Like damn dude, do your job!"

Q. Do you work with other artists, and how do they support you/vice versa?

A. "All the time. Before I finished writing for my debut solo album in 2022, I was very adamant that I avoid any co-writing, because I deeply felt that I needed a sense of being able to really stand on my own two feet as a writer before I started collaborating. But once I had that notch in my belt, it was off and running and I was stumbling upon great collaborators just about everywhere. I feel I’ve been something of a magnet for real talent; not only that, but artists I enjoy serious creative chemistry with. Whether it’s helping another songwriter finish a track they’ve left half-finished and collecting dust since the 80s, or trading harmonies for some instrumental tracking I’m not quite brave enough yet to attempt myself, or even just heavily encouraging someone to finish that solo album they’ve been procrastinating on or back-burnering in favor of side projects, there are so many ways we artists can be there for each other and enjoy mutual benefits in the process. Currently, I’m booking a nationwide tour for my California-based folkpop duo, Valerian & Canopy; meanwhile, Canopy is putting her audio engineering degree to work to get our debut album out. We’re sharing the work and at times covering a lot of ground between just the two of us. Know and play to your strengths, but always be sharpening your sword; that’s what I believe makes for an ideal team player."

Q. What have some critics said about your work?

A. "When I started releasing music videos, one stranger commented, “It’s like Kurt Cobain meets Quentin Tarantino.” I loved that. I’ve always gravitated toward classic media - particular horror and sci-fi - and early on in life, I got the filmmaking bug up my butt. At first, I was so excited about the prospect of imbuing my inner world into those videos and giving additional context to my songs through a visual medium (even if my filmmaking skills are very amateur and guerrilla) and comments like “unsettling in a beautiful way,” or comparisons to David Lynch, Hitchcock and Rod Serling, all gave me confirmation that some of my influences were coming through loud and clear. Of course, I can’t just mention the nice stuff when talking about critics, right? One pleasant gentleman once commented on my very first music video, “The singer sucks and there are too many ugly people in the video to be watchable.” I honestly laughed at the comment, and when I clicked on the profile, couldn’t help but notice his eyebrows were dyed Ronald McDonald red; suddenly, his words about my actors not being hot enough for him had a lot less weight."

Q. How would you describe your current fan base?

A. "All over the damn place, and that’s how I like it. If you took everyone that’s ever told me, “I’ve straight up listened to your album (or “x” song) on repeat for months,” and put them all in a room together, you’d be hard-pressed to guess what their common thread was. I’ve had legit toddler fans and people in their 80s loving my music. Rich, poor, white, brown, left and right; I love that my expression can be felt so universally. I take that as a sign that I am tapping into something deeply human that transcends the noise."

Q. How can profiting off your music help you improve your art?

A. "For one, I know I could benefit from a stronger visual presentation. Not just for the sake of marketing, but because we all need some escapism, and I like the idea of creating a little universe that’s so undeniably me to exist within. So, while I’m not sure the music itself would improve all that much, I do know that with the proper funds, I would definitely get a far more whimsical look going for my online profiles, something that combines a handful of interests into one really unique vibe. But alas, I’m on a shoestring budget and not particularly gifted in the realm of visual art. Hopefully sooner than later I can afford to hire some people that know their stuff to take my moodboard and run with it. And of course, if I had the money, I sure as hell wouldn’t be mixing my music at home, even though my friend Steve Wheeler has been doing a great job of helping me mix as we both learn the ropes. So yeah, money would definitely help improve my art’s turnaround time, at the very least!"

Q. What are your ultimate career goals?

A. "To keep creating and sharing stuff I love - stuff that has the power to make some people think, feel, be inspired or encouraged - to fully support myself while doing it and also, hopefully soon, let the annoying buzz of vanity metrics and egocentric goals fade into irrelevance."

Q. How do you manage a work-life balance as an artist?

A. "I don’t, pretty much. Fortunately, I rarely feel much of a draw toward many traditional recreational activities; and rather, constantly feel compelled to create, record, mix, book or perform. So work and life have kinda merged into one entity, and I’m pretty ok with that (at least for the time being.) I think if I had no social life whatsoever, this would be a bigger issue. But, I’ve almost always got something collaborative going, and even if there’s a lull in that, I’ve generally got another artist friend to just sit around and bullshit with while we individually catch up on the busywork that our solo endeavors constantly require."