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val emmich slows down

by Nicole Roberge 11.2004

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  It was in the year after college that Emmich really settled down with his music. Though he had been playing and writing since his teen years, it was at this time that he really honed his talents and put more of himself into the music. In the oh-so-common mode of post-graduate stress and the overwhelming question, “What am I going to do with my life?,” Emmich too found himself frustrated and confused as to what that next step would be. “I knew that I did want to pursue music, but I was very stressed at that time. I was frustrated by music as well. I didn’t have the confidence I needed, and that’s just the way I am. Music was sort of an outlet for these frustrations, even though they built out of the music as well.” His anxiety seemed to pay off, as his music progressed during that time and he was left with a stunning collection of songs interpreting his anxiety and eventually telling himself to just slow down.

  “It’s been a long road with this CD,” Emmich said, as he has recorded it twice. “I just wanted to put it out and put it to bed. I’m most excited about future records.” What distinguishes Emmich’s sound though is that he pulls away from the characteristic singer-songwriter mode and expands his sounds so to not define it in any certain category. “I try to be honest, dramatic. My music could be aggressive, it could be mellow. What it’s not—it’s not what you would expect of a typical singer-songwriter,” he said of his music. As for the definitive Val Emmich song—“I like every kind of music, so there’s a lot of that reflected in my own. There are two I guess that I would pick, but they are very different. I would say “Slow Down Kid” is very spacious and then there’s “Bury Me” which is the other extreme. It’s desperate in it’s own way.”

  Emmich might find his music taking different routes because he has such an expansive regard for different genres of music. “It's the product of growing up in the mid-90’s—grunge rock. I listened to Nirvana, but the Beatle’s were also a huge influence on me. Then there was Radiohead. It was a lot to take in and then when I started my own music, I just thought, ‘These bands are all so good. How can I ever play something like that?’ There is honesty in the lyrics and to me that seemed hard to attain.” He proved himself wrong however, in that his music can be appreciated on so many levels and especially in their reflective and honest manner.

  Rocker Val Emmich was never the type the sit around and wait for success. When he first released his album “Slow Down Kid,” it was on the small label “Childlike Records.” Putting together his own video for “Privacy Attracts a Crowd,” he launched himself into the MTV spotlight and became the first unsigned artist to be featured on the networks hit show TRL. He was soon after signed to Epic Records, revamped his album, and released a newer riveting version of “Slow Down Kid” on October 5 of this year. Having toured with bands ranging from Dashboard Confessional to Gavin DeGraw, the Jersey-based rocker is now heading back on the road with earlier tour-mate American Hi-Fi, and he’s out to show everyone that even singer-songwriters can rock.

  Emmich, 25, was accustomed to the do-it-yourself approach when it came to music, so when it came time to work with a label, he was a bit hesitant. “I like control and I was very reluctant to give up that control. I was a little scared of losing my voice, but then I realized that it was sort of a trade off. There would be more exposure for my music and I would have more people to work with,” he noted. Also, working independently for so long helped him to realize his own music visions and how they should be put out there. “Working on my own helped me a lot when it came time to work with a label. Now I know what should be done. I know what I had to do on my own to get my music out there, so I knew what the label would be doing but on a higher level. It gave me the knowledge of the business aspect.”

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And when it comes down to it, Emmich would like to see his career reflect that of those bands he appreciated growing up. “Ultimately, I’d like my career to be like those bands,” he said. “And where you’re not in the public eye as much. Where the core is music. You can have a lot of fans and get your music out there and be successful without always being in the spotlight. You can build your following through the music and by not being commercial. That way, you’re always true to the music and you stay on that path.”

  Val Emmich seems to be on the right path, the same one he started in his teens. His appreciation and regard for music is projected in his own, and his artistry is reflected in his songwriting. The most important and straightforward advice he could give other musicians starting out would be—“First hone your craft, then worry about the other variables.” For Emmich, it is the music that is the first importance, and then once you are comfortable with that, you can then expand into the business and promotion side. Because once the music is established and there is something you are confident about promoting, it will take on it’s own life. For a prime example of this, pick up your copy of “Slow Down Kid” and listen to Emmich’s music come to life.

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