searching for authenticity

Songwriter

Emmich said that when he decided to release the B-side: "Songs, Volume 1" it was out of a desire to begin a series.

"I have [written] so many songs that I wonder if they will ever get heard," said Emmich.

He said that the B-side gives the listener the whole picture of the Woodstock experience.

"I thought about starting with the earlier stuff, but all those songs ["Songs, Volume 1"] were recorded in that house. It reminds me of that," said Emmich.

He said that the purpose of a series is to legitimize what he does.

"I feel like when I was at Epic I wasn't able to release music that I liked," said Emmich. "Besides, I don't know what I'd do if I'm not going forward and releasing stuff. I'd go crazy."

When asked whether he defines himself as a singer or a songwriter, Emmich said it is as a songwriter.

"I want to write songs for other people," said Emmich. "Some songs I write are a part of me but some are easy to write and I wouldn't want for them not to be heard."

Foray into fiction

While upcoming gigs and albums would seem to be enough to keep him busy, in his free time Emmich wrote a book. Yet that should be no surprise to fans, who are familiar with the perfect snippets of a story in his lyrics. "I always knew I was going to write [a book]," said Emmich. "I guess my music is a mini form of that. One morning I woke up earlier than before and I just started writing."

Emmich said that the book should be finished with the editing process sometime in early 2008.

The book is a first-person narrative account and although it centers on the music industry, it remains a work of fiction.

"There is some of myself [in it], but a lot of things that are nothing like me," said Emmich. "I started in a place of personal truth and just went crazy with it."

The book focuses on the male protagonist who was just invited to his high school reunion and undergoes a series of events as a result. Much of the back story is rooted in the music industry.

He said that the whole writing process was fun.

"When I first started music I was naïve," said Emmich. "Not knowing about the publishing industry - it's like a new frontier. I'm very conscious of keeping it fun."

He said that while the actually process of writing prose wasn't relaxing, the idea of writing something separate from his identity was.

"People know me as a musician, so there are certain expectations," said Emmich. "But in the writing world I have no expectations. It's very liberating to have no one expect anything of me with writing." He added, "My music is very serious, but this isn't."

When singer/songwriter Val Emmich released his latest album this past spring, "Songs, Volume 1," it was in anticipation of several B-sided albums in a series.

The artist, who had a major record contract with Epic until May of 2006, left the company to play music that felt true to himself.

So Emmich holed himself away at a house in Woodstock and wrote. And then he wrote some more.

The result of all that work was the acclaimed album, "Sunlight Searchparty," which was the first record Emmich produced last fall after leaving Epic. "Songs, Volume 1," was recorded during the inspired sessions at Woodstock and was released as the B-side.

Emmich's music, which is sometimes raw and sometimes rough, maintains a truly original sound, even when it sounds like he's not trying too hard.

Fans can hear songs from his latest album when he plays an acoustic set at the Goldhawk in Hoboken on Thursday, Sept. 20.

A listening experience

During a recent interview, Emmich, who is a Hudson County resident, spoke about his upcoming album, the music industry, and his latest endeavor - a novel.

In person, Emmich doesn't come across as some musicians can, with nervous energy tapping away through the hands or the feet. Instead, he embodies focused calm. He's soft-spoken and modest about his accomplishments, which are many for the 27-year-old, who was signed by Epic only four short years ago.

Emmich has completed five albums and is hard at work at number six, which he plans to finish later this fall and release soon after.

"I'm planning on releasing a tight album with 10 songs," said Emmich. "Not that anyone wants to listen to albums anymore."

According to Emmich, those who actually listen to an album in its entirety are a dying breed. He explained that it is much more likely for listeners to download a few songs from a site.

"I just want to make it catchy and fun," said Emmich about his next album. "I think it will be."

Emmich said that about eight songs for the new album are done in varying degrees of completion, and it will be in a slightly different direction than "Sunlight Searchparty."

"I don't know if it is so much of a change as an evolution," said Emmich. "I think the last album had a lot of restraint in it [in retrospect]. I wanted it to be really raw. And in this album I'm going for broke. I'm not holding back."

That kind of release is apparent in Emmich's music during a live show. He has played many times at Maxwell's and at the Goldhawk. If a true mark of talent is engaging, original work paired with a passionate live show - then Emmich has it. He enthralled the crowd at his last show at Maxwell's, who had their eyes glued to the stage during his energetic set.

For the new album, Emmich said that he was influenced some by the sounds of Motown. He plans to use background singers, which is a departure for Emmich, whose singular emotive voice is usually the only voice on tracks.

He added, "A record needs to be able to stand the test of time. I like a record to be a little more delicate."