ION INDIE MAGAZINE September 2015, Volume 16 | Page 91

noir, dark Rockabilly vibe of “Sound of Temptation” and the sweetened harmonies of the Tejano-inspired “Tragic Hero”--are all delicately crafted pieces of Valenzuela’s vision. It turns out, though, that this new record wasn’t exactly just sitting on the shelf for over a decade. “Honestly, I had put out two other records during that time, a couple of records with some other people and two Gin Blossoms records; I also produced a couple of records,” Valenzuela explains. “So, I was pretty busy with other stuff, but I probably had half of this record recorded for quite a while.” About a year and a half ago, Valenzuela entered the studio during some winter “down time” from Gin Blossoms touring, and fleshed out the songs he had already worked on, plus some added new material as well. “I found a great producer that I hadn’t worked with in a while,” he tells. “It felt like a magic couple of weeks that I was up there with him--all the stars fell in alignment. I took that as a sign that I should just go ahead and put the record out.” That producer, it turns out, is one half of the powerpop duo THE REMBRANDTS in DANNY WILDE (remember the theme song “I’ll Be There For You” from the sitcom “Friends”?) Other notable names that assisted Valenzuela on the album are drummer GARY MALLABER, who played on BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN’S “Human Touch” and “Lucky Town” albums, and keyboardist MICHAEL RAMOS, who has done session work for artists like JOHN MELLENCAMP and BODEANS. “Danny and I are great friends…I met him over 20 years ago,” says Valenzuela of the musical connection with Wilde. “We’ve written a lot together over the years for film and TV. Having done all that time with him in recording studios, we take really great shorthand, and he’s a great songwriter and a gifted record producer. If he puts a second part on a harmony, I’ll just be like, ‘Ah, it sounds great--use it!’…he really cares. The music is so immediate to him. He’s also a great sounding-board. If I throw something at him and he says, ‘Yeah, let’s do it,’ I know we’ve got something. If I tell him something and he’s like, ‘Really?’, then I know there’s a little more concern and the song needs some work. Danny doesn’t stop--he’s just consumed by music.” Listening to Rembrandts’ tunes and Gin Blossoms vocal harmonies, it’s not dissimilar; the styles in which Valenzuela and Wilde approach their respective music. “Well, Danny did produce a couple of Gin Blossoms records,” Valenzuela says (one of which was actually “No Chocolate Cake” in 2010), “and, that vocal approach I have with ROBIN (WILSON, Gin Blossoms lead vocalist) always came from what THE EVERLY BROTHERS did. That’s the same Everly Brothers’ influence for PHIL (SOLEM, Rembrandts co-lead vocalist) and Danny. There’s much to be said about the songwriting on Jesse Valenzuela’s “Hotel Defeated.” He’s a master of saying much with minimal phrasing--an economy of words, if you will. One might wonder how his songwriting has evolved since his solo debut back in 2002--and throughout his entire career, for that matter. “I think going through life and getting a few bumps and bruises along the way has sort of defined who I am, and I think it’s refined the way I write,” Valenzuela responds. “I’m glad you saw that clarity, because even in chord changes and stuff, I’m simplifying it all the way around. I think it’s more honest, for the moment. Maybe when you’re younger and you’re clever you’ll say it elaborately to get your point across, but I don’t have that time-- I’d rather make my point completely.”