privacy attracts a major label

Val Emmich is set to take his career to the next level.

Emmich, the 24-year-old Manalapan, New Jersey resident who has had two videos picked up by MTV, is preparing for his first major-label release on Epic records, which will contain songs from his local release, Slow Down Kid.

“Six of the 10 are staying and four new ones will be added,” he said.

The CD, keeping its original title, will be produced by Mark Trombino (Jimmy Eat Word, Blink 182) and mostly promoted through word of mouth and touring.

“We’re trying to do this the long route, through kind of an organic way of people discovering me,” he said.

Emmich’s Slow Down Kid is a melodic mix of vastly-diverse feelings and relatable lyrics. The use of dynamics in Emmich’s vocals and the instrumentation in his songs, not to mention his penchant for writing appealing hooks, makes repeated listens of the CD inevitable.

Emmich credits members of his team, including his lawyer and manager, for his success.

“Now Epic’s part of the team and [so is] my A&R rep,” he said. “We basically put our heads together and made the plan that would make me a credible artist.”

Though trying to create a hit song works for some bands, Emmich would prefer longevity in the music industry and turning people onto his music through touring.

“At the same time, lyrically, I like to jar people and make people think about themselves and the people around them,” he said.

Words are important to his songs, so he spends a great deal of time tweaking them. Emmich tries to stay honest with himself and said he feels ashamed “if I don’t get the exact nuisance of what I feel.”

While his songs aren’t always about him, Emmich said he writes in the first person to take ownership of the emotions he expresses lyrically.

The Beatles are his favorite band and had a ridiculous effect on various aspects, including the harmony and lyrics, of music released by bands in subsequent eras, he said.