Ed Vallance

Ed Vallance is on the move. From Scotland to Los Angeles from Brooklyn. From acoustic to “space rock” (although he himself wishes he could come up with a better term). The songwriter’s music has been moving both geographically and sonically and now, he says, the career is on the upswing as more people are noticing his latest EP, The Summer Fire. Even with only four songs of the new sound out there, audiences are growing in Brooklyn and his band senses the momentum.

We’re as excited to talk to seasoned veterans are we are to highlight bright new artists, and Ed Vallance certainly fits in the latter — even if it’s 10 years into his career. Then again, Ed says it doesn’t matter either way as he doesn’t even know what he’d be doing if not for music. And that’s just fine, considering the passion is evident on his latest release.

SSv: For those unfamiliar with Ed Vallance, can you tell us a bit of your own journey to Brooklyn and where things are at?

Ed Vallance: I got an EP deal initially with an L.A. label called Return. It was this Scottish guy originally who is now the V.P. of Capitol, but he has his own little label. I think he heard me at one of those industry festival type deals, but the long and short of it was that I was offered this deal. So the first thing was to go to L.A. and I went there for a year or year-and-a-half. It’s such a cliche, but moving out of your comfort zone really made everything go into gear. I basically wrote the full-length there.

The guitarist in the band I’ve known since I was seven years old and he moved to New York, and I found my manager in New York. There’s a label that wanted to put out the first record and they are in New York. So all of the arrows were pointing toward Brooklyn, so I up and left L.A. and moved to Brooklyn. And I hit the ground running really. I just feel like there’s a real music community that’s really tangible and it doesn’t exist in L.A. in the same way. I just really got off on it.

I found the band and my producer Mark Ephrain within just a few weeks. So I can put my all into it and everything just comes together that much more quickly here.

SSv: When you refer to a community, is that about the musical contacts-

Ed: No, it’s the band and the venues all over the Lower East Side are all within a small distance. There’s just so much happening all of the time. It’s not the same in London and it’s definitely not the same in L.A. since it’s all spread out. It’s very difficult to put your finger on. So I really enjoy the connectedness of it all really. There are so many great musicians and bands, which I guess could be intimidating, but I just find it really exciting.

SSv: Are there creative communities that you can tap into?

Ed: Even Mark Ephrain, the producer of the record, he’s got his own place and we said, ‘Oh, we need some cello.’ Then it takes only one phone call and this amazing cellist in there within 20 minutes. That’s doable here. It doesn’t work like that elsewhere, I don’t think. Someone can just call and tell you what they’re working on and ask if you want to be involved. Then you can just be right in it if you want. That’s a much more open approach on the whole.

I think that’s particular to New York. I’m not saying everyone is wide-eyed and together, but I think people are very passionate about their music and they’re not afraid to say so. Of course, they are the too-cool-for-schoolers and the cliques, but on the whole, the feeling is very positive and I really feel that comes across in the work that I’ve done since I’ve been here.

Also, with the band, the bass player is German. The drummer is Austrian. My friend is British and the keyboardist is from New York. He’s American. But all of these people came from all over the world to do their thing here. They’re flocking here and I think that’s pretty exceptional and exciting to be lucky enough to be involved in that.

SSv: What does the intensity of that community do for your own creativity?

Ed: I think it just snowballs. Everyone is working so hard here, even if they are pretending not to be, or if they seem to be playing it cool. I think that raises the game in itself. I’m pretty hard working. My family is from Scotland so there’s a Scottish work ethic that I can never shake. I think everyone is working so hard here that it does rub off on you and even the members of my band are just so dedicated — not only with what we’re doing but with their own art. So you don’t want to be slacking.

I think it’s writing so much and going full-tilt. That in itself pays dividends I think. The atmosphere of the place makes you feel as if this is what you’re here to do. This is what I’ve been heading toward really for 10 years, if not more. So I’m like, ‘Fuck, I better get it right and get on with it.’ [Laughs] So that’s the exciting and creative part.

SSv: You mentioned the 10 year journey. Does this feel like a long time coming?

Ed: No, not really. I’ve had my own modest success anyway, and even if nothing happened for me, I would still be happy with an album that sounded great. Oh, that sounded up my own ass, isn’t it? [Laughs] But I am pleased with what I have come up with is what I’m trying to say. I don’t think it’s a long time coming. If something is good, it comes out of something that you’ve been working out for a long time. I think music is eclectic and original as well as being relatively accessible. You can’t just get that from strumming a guitar for 10 minutes. I think I’m happy with how things have panned out really.

SSv: So what is happening for you right now?

Ed: We do have a full-length which has just been mastered. We’re really looking for the right label to put it out. I don’t want to half-ass it, so I just want to see the reaction on the EP and it seems pretty positive all around, so I am biding my time in a sense. But it’s always onto the next thing, isn’t it? I’m working on the new, new record already, so I’m not still hanging around waiting for someone to throw a checkbook at me. I’m playing as much as I can and enjoying it really.

SSv: How do the new songs compare to Modern Life?

Ed: Obviously, my voice is there, so there is some continuity. But I think I pushed myself. I think Mark Ephrain as well was encouraging as an experimental element, not that it’s savagely avant garde or anything, but some of the influences of shoegaze or whatnot that he was pulling out that I love are there. We went for more of a space rock word for want of another description. [Laughs] The last one was such an acoustic record and I felt like burning my guitar after that one.

So, we were really having fun with the sonics in a way that we hadn’t before. Also, the songwriting stepped up quite a lot and lyrically, I’ve had a lot of fun. So I would say it’s not a huge departure, but it’s fairly drastic.

SSv: Are you in a good mental state now? Good morale?

Ed: Oh, man, I’ve never been better. I’m feeling good all around. I feel like New York is absolutely the place where I should. I’m doing on this planet what I should be doing, and I’m doing it well. The shows are growing. I feel like it’s actually moving pretty quickly and I think everyone in the band is sensing that. Certainly people around us are feeling that way. Yes, I’m in a very good state of mind.

SSv: You’ve made the references to the too cool in Brooklyn and from all of your asides even here, it sounds as if authenticity is important to you.

Ed: ‘I am so fucking authentic.’ [Laughs] That’s not exactly something you want to bandy about yourself. But I do love it. I love it. I love to play and I feel it’s what I’m supposed to be doing, so I don’t even know what else I’d do. I’m always going to do it, even if I have to be doing other things in order to do it. I’m not in it for the haircut. I suspect most people who are passionate about it are that way.