AN EVENING WITH VALIUM STATE

We’re back again for another Creative Spotlight this week, this time with London/Essex based band Valium State. In occasion of their gig at the historic venue Hope And Anchor in Islington, Bennie met Arthur (lead singer, guitarist) and Johnny (guitarist, backing vocalist) for some pints and a chat about music: the one they listen to, the one they wish they had written, the one they have made and the one they are currently working on.

Exciting stuff coming out soon, they promise us - and we believe them. Just keep reading and we are sure you will too.

Find Valium State on instagram: @valiumstatee

& on Spotify: here

Words & Pictures @benedetta.zonca

All clothes vintage @atikalondon

*WALTHAMSTOW VILLAGE - 6 PM*

*TWO PINTS OF GUINNESS AND A GLASS OF ORANGE JUICE ON THE TABLE - RECORDING BEGINS*

I: Let’s begin by talking about your background - some of you currently live in Essex, others are London based. What first got you into music and what brought you together as a band?

J: Everyone likes music, that’s a fact! I’ve been playing guitar since I was like… probably 17 or something; I was quite late coming on to it, I was never really good at it…

A: I started when I was 14.

J: Yeah! So obviously when you’re growing up and you’re going to concerts in London and stuff, you’re seeing all these cool bands and great music.. and anything you see online, like videos, movies, tv shows… about all these really cool people just making tunes.. we just sort of said to each other “yes, we wanna do that!”

I: You wanted to be part of the scene…

J: I mean. We ARE the scene (laughs)

A: We met through a uni friend, we instantly fell in love and then Johnny sent me some voice recordings with songs he had written - they were really good, really catchy so that’s when we realised we wanted to be in a band together. We started playing as Valium State with Luke (bassist) and Dom (drummer) 3 years ago!

I: What are your main music influences? Is there a particular band/artist who you think had an impact on your sound?

A: Well The Jesus and Mary Chain - for their simple catchiness and the noise and stuff. Also the song “Velocity girl” by Primal Scream - songs like that, where there’s no wasted space, they’re just purely catchy and straight to the point.

J: Yeah which leaves you wanting more!

A: Exactly. The Clean also is another band we got really into.

J: Yeah anything from Flying Nun Records from the 80s - they were all just really jangly and pop with cool guitars, just generally catchy…

A: Lo-fi!

J: Lo-fi yeah, and very DIY… that’s what we do!

I: Can you name five songs you wish you had written?

A: “God Only Knows” by The Beach Boys

J: “You Can’t Put Your Arms Around a Memory” by Johnny Thunders

A: “Just Like Honey” by The Jesus and Mary Chain

J: “Made Up in Blue” by The Bats

A: Yeah, cool one.

*BRIEF INTERRUPTION AS WAITER BRINGS GARLIC BREAD TO THE TABLE*

A: I’d like to state for the record that there is some garlic bread on the table and it’s arrived with cheese on it.

J: (Bites into garlic bread) Where were we then, I lost the count

I: We need one last song - your turn Atlas!

A: (Takes some time to think) I’d say “Mama You’ve Been On My Mind” by Bob Dylan

I: Good choices! So tell us more about your writing process now - is it normally a collective practice or is one of you specifically in charge of the lyrics?

A: Generally Johnny would come up with some chords, melodies and interesting lyrics, he’d take what he’s written in the form of voice notes and then we’d arrange it into a pop song, basically. When Johnny writes the lyrics I then sometimes arrange it.

J: And every so often we would jam at practice!

A: Yeah the structure of the song is developed through the years that we’ve been together, it just develops through playing with the band.

I: So Johnny, what inspires your songwriting?

J: (Eats garlic bread)

A: (To Johnny) Well I guess you take a situation, you present an image and then you just simply describe it?

J: Yeah. “Say what you see”.

A: Exactly, you take a simple image, you describe it, you just put it out there, a few lines, you then just leave that hanging in the air..

J: Yeah that’s precisely how the song Hayley was written. It’s a reference to a documentary by Louis Theroux, I was just describing that. So I guess my inspiration comes mainly from the things I’m interested in really. (Has another bite of bread) God this is so greasy.

A: (Laughs)

J: I thought it was raining but it’s just the greasy bread.

I: Yeah I think there’s some oil on your phone now Arthur, I’m sorry.

A: (Laughs) it’s okay we can deal with that…

I: Right so on to the next question - fashion and music undoubtedly influence each other. Do you think the music you listen to/you make affects the way you like to dress on stage? How would you define your style, and who are your main style icons if you have any?

A: Yeah music and fashion are always kinda linked. My favourite music comes from the 60s, times in which there was an explosion in musical creativity and the same kinda explosion in fashion, which always represents points in time and culture. My fashion heroes… well I have quite a few, but I’d say my main one’s Brian Jones from The Rolling Stones. I just love how he dresses, like a the French duke or something, his hair as well… and just the beautiful clothes he wears really. I think it’s nice to have beautiful clothes, to look beautiful… why not!

I: Totally agree. What about you Johnny?

A: (To Johnny) Pavement, Blur? Normal core!

J: Yeah I’d say my style is very Normcore. I got many Fred Perrys. I sort of like to be how Damon Albarn dressed in the 90s; but maybe when I’m on stage I’d be a bit more like Stephen Malkmus, like when he’s trying to dress smart but he still looks kind of scruffy.

A: Yeah you can always take part to the mod thing.

J: Yeah I mean you can be a scruffy mod and still look really cool!

I: What’s been your favourite gig so far, and where would you like to play in the future?

A: For me the first one we played (The Good Mixer, Camden) because it took us so long to finally perform live and so many people and friends were there to support us.

J: I agree, it opened so many different opportunities to us!

A: Yeah gigs have started piling up since then!

J: Ever since we played there we got a promo who loves us, and we got so many gigs coming up which is fun! Though I guess the most memorable one was the one we played at Luna Lounge. That’s when we got asked to stop playing.

I: Why? What happened?

J: The one toilet in the venue blocked up… (laughs)

I: So you weren’t allowed to play anymore?

J: Yeah cause of health and safety (laughs). We just played Bad Dreaming and that was the one song we were allowed to play. We were about to turn it off but then we thought “fuck it, we won’t stop”. The crowd was going crazy!

A: Yeah crowd went off!

J: It was a riot - so we kept playing until the manager physically unplugged our amps! (both laugh)

I: Is there a particular place or venue where you’d like to perform in the future?

A: In terms of our actual expectations for the future, I’d say The Old Blue Last.

J: I wanna be on Soccer AM one day! Really wanna have a go at kicking the football into the net (both laugh). But yeah I’d also love to go abroad to play that’d be really cool! Maybe somewhere in France, there’s a very cool music scene in Paris at the moment. And also… yeah. I’d play fucking anywhere ain’t gonna lie! (laughs). I’d play as much as I can, wherever I can!

I: Are you guys working on new projects at the moment? Is there anything new coming out soon?

A: We just finished recording vocals for our latest single Negroni…

I: Well, that’s a good song title.

A: Yeah, it’s about a shit cocktail! (both laugh)

I: I love a Negroni!

J: Yeah like the Italian interviewer who introduced us to it (both laugh)

A: That song will be coming out really soon, before Christmas.

J: Yeah we’re currently trying to get a video filmed for it. And then we’ve got more gigs coming up - we’re really looking forward to the New Years Eve party, we’re playing again at the Good Mixer in Camden, we’ll be the band playing then there’s gonna be a DJ set later in the evening. Gonna be wicked.

A: We also recorded a new song, Hayley, the one Johnny mentioned earlier… so they’ll be both out before the new year.

J: Oh and we’re gonna try and get some singing lessons…

I: Do you think you need them?

J: Yeah, absolutely. (both laugh)

I: Are there other bands (either that you know personally or not) you’d like to play with?

A: There’s a very good friend of ours, Ryan Turner who plays in a band called Teleforme…

J: We’re looking forward to hopefully playing with him next year!

A: That’d be great cause they’re really good.

J: Also I’d like to play with Square Wave again - we played with them at the “forbidden gig” at Luna Lounge. Braden is a good mate and he just carried that night, he’s great. Then who else…

A: Well if I could pick any band I’d say The Clean!

J: Yeah… And I’d just love to go on tour with The Brian Jonestown Massacre. Or the Dandy’s.. (laughs)

A: No not the Dandy’s! (laughs)

I: Finally - give us three words that best describe Valium State:

J: Crusty?

A: Catchy?

J: Crusty Fizzy… (takes a sip of Guinness)

A: Catchy Fizzy Buzzy?

J: Yeah that’s it. Catchy Fizzy Buzzy. We’re a bumblebee band.

*STARTS BUZZING - RECORDING STOPS*