What is your name?
Valencia James
What is your genre of music?
Alt pop
Give us a little bio about you.
I originally grew up in New York, and then lived in the beautiful state of Colorado for awhile, and then moved back to New York for about 4 years, and then moved to Sydney, Australia and I have been living here ever since.
What made you go in to music?
My friends convinced me
Are you a signed?
No
You have released your new single ‘Flames’, tell us more about the single.
Flames is a pretty aggressive track with a lot of dynamic and a mix of pop and alternative flavours.
What is the meaning behind the single?
Flames was basically written out of anger over someone destroying a relationship by messing around and not caring about the consequences and I also related it to my family’s house burning down in the Waldo Canyon fire and how quickly it was lost and engulfed in flames.
Describe the track in two words.
Aggressive pop
What was the writing process like?
I started writing it by myself in Bay if islands, NZ on holiday, then came back to Sydney to finish is up with my producer/co-writer Nathan Eshman, my friend and co-writer Scott Groom, and my husband Peter James.
What was the recording process like?
The recording process was actually crazy fun and I put so much into it I was sweating profusely by the end of the recording.
Who did you work with on the single?
Nathan Eshman as producer and co-writer, Scott Groom as a co-writer, and my husband as a co-writer Peter James
Listen to FLAMES below
Will we see a video for ‘Flames’?
Yep. There is definitely a video for flames
Will we see an EP or Album and if so, what can we expect?
Yes. There will be an EP and you can expect to see other songs that describe other situations and other emotions, and hopefully make you feel all the feelings.
Do you have any shows coming up?
I don’t as I am focusing solely on writing and getting new songs out to you, but you never know, there could be one coming up soon
What else can we expect in 2019?
A lot of songs
Do you have any collaborations coming up with any up coming artists?
I actually might. It’s not written in stone, but I’m working with two other artists at the moment so we will see if those songs will be released sometime this year.
Would you be up for collaborations if other musicians wanted one with you? and who would they have to contact?
I’m always up for it. Contact myself at contact@valenciajamesofficial.com
Do you play any instruments?
I play piano and acoustic guitar, but I am a perfectionist and I do not believe myself to be amazing at either. I use them mostly for songwriting purposes.
Who are your influences?
Wow. Too many to even think of, but here are a few: Khalid, Halsey, Lorde, Dua Lipa, SIA, Lady Gaga, Adele… Anyone I’m listening to at the moment that I connect with and feel the emotion in their song.
How do you get inspiration to write songs?
My life, my experiences, other people’s experiences, reality tv, pretty much anything…
Where do you see yourself now in 5 Years?
Having a ton of songs out and still working on more for myself and other artists. I can’t see myself not writing.
When you’re not doing music, what do you do?
Music? Haha. Working out or on holidays and even on holidays I’m probably doing some type of writing at some point. I have a note where I write down song ideas/concepts every day without fail because it’s just become a habit.
What was the song you listened to most that influenced you to go more in to the music scene?
That’s a really difficult one, but probably through the rain by Mariah Carey cause when I was stuck at home as a teenager and not allowed to go out, I would sing it at the top of my lungs until I felt better about life.
What’s the best advice you have ever been given?
Keep working hard. Don’t give up. Self-discipline will save your life.
What advice would you give to aspiring musicians not about the industry and just as an artist?
Listen to all the feedback, take it in, and go with your gut. You’ll hear so many differing opinions, but at the end of the day you need to know yourself and trust your instinct.
What quote or saying do you always stick by?
When it gets hard, work harder.
Where in your hometown is a must go to visit?
Let’s just say my hometown is Colorado Springs, Colorado and then I would say take the drive up Pikes Peak.
Your coming off tour;
1/ Where do you go first? Home
2/ Who do you see first? My husband
3/What do you eat first? Something healthy because I’m sure I’ve been eating crap on tour
When you are at a gig, what are 5 things you cannot forget?
1. My husband (for emotional support)
2. A few friends (more emotional support)
3. My lyrics (I need to remember those ?)
4. Lots of water
5. I’m actually not too fussy and don’t have a 5th.
Do you have social media accounts so your fans can follow you?
