Seismic Interview with: VALIENT THORR. THE HIGHLINE 9/14 By Jason.F
September 13, 2013
I was able to interview Valient himself and get some insight to the new album, the critics, Seattle and life on the road. (Listen and read below).
How much of a pain in the ass is it to put a new album out?
Valient Himself: Well it’s all according to how prepared you are. And I’m not just speaking about being prepared to record your album, I mean prepared for all the things that are going on while you take six weeks or a month or a weekend or 2 months off to do that recording. Prepared so that your bills are paid, your rent is covered, you have saved money for flights or gas and lodging not to mention your recording. Hopefully all that is in your budget. Then you have to find the right place & person & time to fit it all in and all that according to how many ever people are in your band or involved in the project. Haha, it really is hinged on a variety of things you have to prepare for we’ll in advance. You don’t just “show up and rock”. It’s a lot of work actually. And you’re almost always down to the wire on time.
And once your done …do you really give a fuck what Pitchfork rates it? or is the feedback more important from your fans?
Valient: Haha, yeah we’ve never really given a shit. It’s great that we HAVE usually gotten good feedback, but it doesn’t matter what the press says. We dont write albums and play shows for critics and magazines and websites. We do it for our fans and for ourselves. Now that CAN influence other people’s opinions about it, but not ours. I remember a particularly shitty review about our 2nd album TOTAL UNIVERSE MAN on punknews. This is around 8 years ago? I remember thinking “what a complete fucking idiot this guy is” & realizing that there are always gonna be people who aren’t gonna “get it” or like it or agree with us or whatever. Speaking of Pitchfork, this album marks the first time they’ve paid any attention to us in 13 years. They were really great to us actually. But I got my panties in a wad about them way back in 03 I think it was because they neglected to report on Dimebag Darrell’s death. I figured a guy gets shot to death on stage, hey that’s “music news”. So besides a random review of a friends band here and there I hadn’t even gone to that site in almost 10 years. And it’s not like I have them bookmarked now or anything but they were super cool to us and lately have been broadening their perspective … If you will.
Should people take you guys seriously, despite what the media says?
Valient: Yes, the things we say are serious. I love to bring humor to the table, but we aren’t fucking Tenacious D or even Gwar. We’re talking about political issues and life shit & dealing with it all at the same time. I’m sure someday all the behind the scenes shit will come out and everyone will understand we are paupers or maybe ill be assassinated in some government coverup slash coup and maybe some of it will make more sense.
Besides connecting withe fans on the road……what else do you love out there?
Valient: Me personally I love treasure hunting. I love bookstores, comic shops, record stores, & flea market/ antique joints. I love weird food stops & off road sites. I also love waterfalls.
Was 3 years a necessary evil for the time it took in between the last album and ‘Our Own Masters‘?
Valient: Yeah, like I said most of the bitch of it is actually finding the time. Life happens. People fall in love, marriage, babies, family deaths, and a whole myriad of other wild things can and will happen to get in there and have to be worked around. All the while you grow and shift and roll with the punches hopefully making something bigger and better than you ever have before.
Which track means the most to you and why?
Valient: Maybe as far as the message goes, maybe No Strings Attached because that song is about us, and kind of explains what I’m talking about in that last answer. It literally is about sticking together thru the rough shit and making it happen.
Whats your favorite thing about Seattle assuming that you have been here several times over the years?
VALIENT: Ah- just all the buddies we’ve made here over the years now. We made two records here, partied, indulged, loved and lived in a couple different parts of the city. I guess I wish we could have one last bowl at the alley that was over in Ballard, but we’ll grab a cream cheese hot dog somewhere & hang with our buds. That’ll make it feel like the Seattle that we’ve called home time after time over the years.
DO NOT MISS these guys play the Highline this Saturday night with: Lord Dying, Ramming Speed and The Ancient Warlocks.
Photo By: Gary Copeland
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