Art Imitating life for rocker val emmich

Val Emmich is so busy these days that he doesn't have time to monkey around. Unless, of course, he playing with the stuffed monkey featured in his "Little Daggers: Song By Song" Web miniseries, available on YouTube.
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The fuzzy charmer and Emmich frolic in the park in episode No. 8 of the series, which features the track "We Still Bleed" from Emmich's brand new album, "Little Daggers."

It's kooky, but it works.

"He's the same monkey from "The Only One Lonely' video (from his 2007 "Sunlight Searchparty' album)," Emmich said. "We're trying new things to try to figure out how it goes and to try to keep my interest level high as possible. We're trying to be more ambitious."

Ambition? Emmich has that, all right. He's ambitious enough to artistically express himself in multiple mediums. Accomplished musician? Check, "Little Daggers" is Emmich's fifth solo album. Novelist? Emmich just penned his first and is looking for a publishing deal. Actor? Emmich's will star on the upcoming season of "Ugly Betty" as Betty's new love interest.

Emmich, a Manalapan native who graduated Rutgers University in '01, has come a long way since he was slogging around the Exit 9 music scene in the early '00s — specifically at the former Budapest Cocktail Lounge — in bands like Ben Trovato and Awake Asleep.

Emmich's acting success — he's appeared on shows such as "Third Watch," "30 Rock" and "Cashmere Mafia" and recently completed filming his first full-length feature, "Fighting Fish" — has changed his view on his music career.

"It's not the main focus and when it does happen now, it's more natural and that takes the pressure off the process," said Emmich, who now lives in Jersey City with his wife. "I'm able to reconnect with the fun aspect of it. With "Little Daggers,' I didn't know I was making a record. I was just trying out new songs. I'm just being myself and I'm not forcing anything."

Emmich wrote, recorded and performed "Little Dagger's" largely by himself. He did have the assistance of longtime compatriot Eric Micali on drums and a few guests, including Blake Sennett of Rilo Kiley, who played guitar on the track "Darling Denise." He'll perform an in-store at 6 p.m. tomorrow at Jack's Music Shoppe in Red Bank.

Emmich, who plays a musician on "Ugly Betty," realizes there's a good chance his rising acting star may eclipse his reputation as a rocker.

"The thing about that is only time will tell," Emmich said. "If is happens, only a select few will know that that's not the case (that Emmich was a musician before becoming an actor). The thing is, a lot of actors are not very good musicians."

"I got a lot of music behind me."

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