ION INDIE MAGAZINE September 2015, Volume 16 | Page 92

Valenzuela goes on to point out conversations he’s had with well-known songwriters about the economy of lyricism to which he employs with great success. “Some of these people have never used the word ‘love’ in their songs,” he offers, “because it’s just too gratuitous in some ways--it seems like an easy way to get a point across. But, all these guys that I’ve had conversations with from my 20’s all the way now into my 50’s, they’ve all dropped that “L-word” from songs. I think that, for me, I’m probably a little more self-assured, and I really don’t care what somebody thinks anymore.” Valenzuela goes on to further reveal the experiences behind his writing that have forged the new songs. “I used to write a lot, I mean, a lot,” he says. “In the last couple of years I went through a divorce, which anyone can testify is a very painful process and very time-consuming--it took away my want to create for a while. But, even during that period, when I look back now, I still wrote some great songs. I don’t know what this means, I’ll have to talk to my therapist (laughs), but I didn’t use it in any sort of therapeutic fashion. I just knew when I was done writing about it, I was really done. I have talked to friends that have been through this process, and they have said they didn’t want to create much, either. Now, though, I’ve sort of rekindled and I have a new studio coming together in the Fall, and it looks like there are some good times coming up here.” The conversation with Valenzuela took a spin backwards at this point, when Valenzuela paused, referring to the initial spark that made him want to sit down and write his first song as a young musician. “My Uncle George, who’s only about 10 years older than me, lived with us, so he was always listening to music and had great taste in music…I fell in love with his records,” Valenzuela recalled. “He had a stereo, and when he went out to work or whatever, Photo credit: Sakin Photography