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*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+ Jack Valero
CAMBRIDGE JUNCTION 2 SATURDAY 14TH MAY 2022
WORDS & PIX
BY GEORGE AND THEO HORLER
This is the second gig that I have been invited to review
with Theo by my side to help and to take photos, so we are excited and
a bit nervous at the same time, especially as we have arranged to do
a face to face interview as well.
We arrive at the venue before the doors officially open and are not
sure what to do so we grab a couple of cans of Coke from Sainsbury’s
and hang around outside the front doors for a while.
As we are chatting I see Jack walk out and look around. I introduce
ourselves to him and he says he was looking for us as he saw us going
in and coming out again. We are immediately impressed by his efficiency
and the fact that he put two and two together.
He is also extremely polite and has the instant appeal of being a regular
guy with no ego issues. Theo warms to him straight away and he cheerfully
leads us to the dressing room where we have a very comfortable chat
on a little sofa.
I start off by saying that although I have watched him playing live
from his living room on YouTube, his single “Heaven Help Me”
is the only release available on Spotify. I ask him if this is deliberate
and if it signifies the very first stage of a new solo career. He says
that it does and that his intention is to release a single at a time
and then an E.P. Many artists now seem to release singles individually
and I like that. Why give everything to Spotify when you can do it slowly
and maybe encourage people to buy the album instead of waiting to stream
it for free? Also the album is for sale at the venue tonight so it makes
sense not to make everything immediately available as musicians need
all the revenue from their products that they can get.
Theo
really likes the astronaut suit that Jack wears on his profile picture
and says that it looks cool as it brings out more of his character and
in the ‘Heaven Help Me’ video it also works effectively as
a metaphor for the loneliness experienced during the pandemic. It is
a great video and a brilliant debut single. It didn’t grab me immediately,
for me it is a slow burner which is rare nowadays and it is also an
earworm. I can’t get the first line out of my head. It is similar
to the melody on ‘The Concept’ by Teenage Fanclub (a band
we recently saw at The Waterfront in Norwich) but then descends instead
of repeating. Melancholy and catchy at the same time and with an effective
pause before singing the concluding line which is also the song title….
Slick!
Theo noticed on his Instagram page that he posted a picture
of a tattoo on the side of his head with the words ‘Heaven Help
Me’ and a comment “Sorry, Mum!” We assumed this was real
and thought it showed a deep commitment to his work, then we realised
it was an April Fool’s joke! At the same time it was a good teaser
for the single which was released on April th 11th.
Smart move!
Theo asks him where he sees himself going ultimately and he says that
if he can pay the rent by playing his music it would be amazing as it
is the one thing that he really loves.
We talk a bit about how it all started… how did he first get into
music and decide to pick up a guitar?
He says that it wasn’t something that he was pushed into or that
was expected of him, infact he got into it firstly by playing ‘Guitar
Hero’ with his mates.
This led to getting a band together and they spent night after night
practising in a garage and blasting the tunes out. I love this!! Literally
a garage band. Through lots of rehearsals they managed to forge a sound
from their UK and US punk infuences. From there he managed to get a
place at Brighton Institute of Modern Music otherwise known as BIMM
which he said was a great experience but as the band gathered momentum
he decided to direct all of his energy into the band, firstly called
‘Teenage Wasteland’ (a reference to one of The Who’s
best songs) then renamed the RPM’s (another great name and a nod
to the vinyl revival).
The RPMs were a brilliant band with a youthful swagger and an ability
to produce catchy indie-pop tunes. They played Glastonbury Festival
in 2016 and the SXSW in Austin, Texas in 2018 just to name a couple
of highlights but you can check them out on their website and watch
their energetic and punchy live shows on their YouTube channel. Jack
makes a great frontman and has a cracking voice that is high enough
to cut through the noise of the band and create a mighty racket. “Oh
My God” is a top tune and one that he still plays live, ‘I
Don’t Lke It’ is a youthful anthem of discontent with a great
tongue in cheek video to go with it. ‘Let It Happen’ is pure,
epic indie-pop and is up there with anything you hear released by the
Imagine Dragons, MGMT or Foster The People.
I ask him why the band folded and it transpires that it is the sadly
familiar tale of differences of opinion, a member leaving amongst other
factors that signalled the end. I’m an eternal optimist and I really
hope one day they might get back together but for now this is Jack’s
chance to go out on his own and make a name for himself as a songwriter
/ performer.
As it happens, he tells us that the pandemic wasn’t really a deciding
factor in their fate. It had all been happening before the country locked
down and it gave him time to write and plan his solo career. It is fitting
then that ‘Heaven Help Me’ is his debut single and is also
a reflection of that strangest of times.
We decide to wrap up the interview and let Jack prepare for his set.
He shows us how to get back to the venue and says he’ll be at the
t-shirt stand afterwards if we want to chat some more. Theo asks if
he is on any social media and he says that he’s on Spotify, YouTube,
Instagram and TicTok, as well as Facebook for the old people!! Theo
finds and follows him on Instagram and he says he’ll return the
favour. We are both impressed by the way Jack comes across, self-confident
but also personable and perceptive with an eye on the small details.
Jack and Theo fist-bump and we head outside again for a chat while he
gets ready to perform.
When we enter the auditorium, we find our seats and we
are facing a single microphone with two guitars placed behind it. I
am conscious that having this level of focus on one person could cause
anxiety for some performers, especially if they are used to having a
band around them but Jack had said earlier that he doesn’t mind.
He likes talking to the audience and even making the occasional mistake
as it feels real to the people watching and is all part of the live
experience. This is definitely true and following a long period of isolation
and watching virtual performances at home, it is great to feel connected
to the music and absorb the energy of someone performing their own material.
There is a bit of movement behind the curtains and sure enough Jack
walks on without an introduction looking completely relaxed and kicks
off with “Eggshells and Anxious” a perfect opener with a steady,
solid rhythm and strong, melodic vocals ringing out a statement of intent
and optimistic lyrics.
‘Heaven Help Me’ sounds great and stands up well without the
piano hookline used in the recording. The next song, ‘Innocent
Light’ is a well-crafted ballad and could be a good contender for
the next single? It has a lovely chord sequence behind the melody that
builds up to a strong chorus and ultimately some nice synchopated bar
chords to round it off. We are treated to a new song, ‘Broken Strings’
which is a melanchony ode to a lost friend / lover? with a slow tick
/ tock finger-picking part on the 7th fret rocking gently between two
chords as the melody swoons over the top. “Take down all the pictures,
put them back in the drawer” is an effective image that most people
can relate to. ‘Hollow Warmth’ is another reflective song
with great finger plucking accompanying the vocals. Things build up
towards the end of the set and ‘Homecoming Time’ has a fantastic
rhythm part made of plectrum-strummed open chords and some great high
notes… he’s got an impressive range! This leads to the closing
number, ‘This Is A Nightmare’ which is my favorite track,
all chunky, solid rhythm, strong vocals and a catchy chorus. Love it!!
There are a couple of songs, ‘You Know Better’ and ‘Pull
Back The Hammer’ that I would have loved to have been in the set
but maybe we’ll hear them next time we see him play?
We pay Jack a visit at the t-shirt stand and he is chatting to a queue
of people and signing Cd’s. We notice again how relaxed and easy
to talk to he is. He is also apologetic for not remembering a couple
of things that he said he’d do for people. He’s just performed
a belter of a set but is keen to get everything right for the people
who have payed to come and see him. He is polite and professional but
with a mischievous glint in his eyes. He has no problem making the audience
laugh inbetween songs and we reckon he’d be a scream on a night
out! We have another quick chat and tell him which songs we liked and
how much we enjoyed his set. He agrees to pose for a selfie then we
head off to watch the next act, Will Varley who is also outstanding
so we get a great night’s live music in!
Ultimately, Jack Valero is a fresh artist with just a guitar and his
songs to present to the world which is a challenging prospect. To make
his living out of writing and performing his own material is his aim
and intention. As Jack said in the interview, it is easier and cheaper
to go solo initially so he needs to gather a large following to fill
venues and move from being support act to headliner which he will in
time. He writes refreshingly tuneful and honest songs with a social
conscience without always tackling subject matters directly which I
think is his strength. He has said that ‘Heaven Help Me’ covers
a wide range of personal issues all pieced together into one song but
with the theme of things falling apart in general, which must be resonate
within people in these uncertain times. He is a great role model for
young people and a singer / songwriter who can already pen well-crafted
folk / pop tunes. The longer he travels down this road the more his
songs and voice will improve and the larger his following will become.
Theo and I are already followers of his and if he carries on the way
he is without losing his self-determination and great work ethic then
there is no reason that he shouldn’t achieve his dream, the one
that many of us have had, that when someone asks
“....and what do you do?” he can finally say
“I’m a musician”. Or better still they won't have to
ask because they'll already know.
Big thanks to Jack for his time and kindness and
to Thom at Sonic PR for fixing this up.
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usicm
the 3rd album?