Louisville psychedelic rockers Vale recently released a new video for the song, 'It Won't Be Long'. We spoke with Vale mastermind/singer/songwriter/multi-Instrumentalist Austin Garner about the the video and find out what he's been up to musically during the pandemic.
We’re longtime Vale fans and happy to see the new video for It Won’t Be Long. It’s the psych-60’s all over, but with the Vale touch. Are you sure you’re not from another place and time?
Thank you, I ask myself the same question often! Though I'm not sure I would feel entirely comfortable in the 60's either, considering everything that was happening then politically. I have to say I also quite enjoy being able to record whatever/whenever I want with as many tracks or instruments as necessary. We definitely live in a time of convenience.
We need to check out your record collection! Who are your major influences?
That would be a very long list! I have a pretty broad spectrum of influences that make their way into my music in some form or another. The first thing that really turned me on to music as a kid would have to be the Beatles tapes my dad played in the car for my brother and I on long roadtrips we used to take. My dad is a musician, one of the greatest guitarists I know, and I grew up hearing and watching him and his bands play. I was always surrounded by instruments, tapes, records and CDs. As I got older I developed a taste for 50s Rock and Roll and Blues. I love finding the roots of the music that inspired me to begin searching. Diving into the Psychedelia of the mid-late 60's is what really resonated with me as I got older. The combination of influences that went into a lot of that music is timeless for me. It was a fusion of everything that was happening in Rock and Roll, Blues, Jazz and Folk, oftentimes with traces of Baroque or Indian melodies. If I were to name a few bands I'd say Syd Barrett's Pink Floyd, The 13th Floor Elevators, The Jimi Hendrix Experience and Black Sabbath are high on my list.
You’re handling all the instruments on this one?
Yes! I also mixed the song and edited the video. My girlfriend Alison filmed most of it.
The song has been out for a bit, how did the video come together?
Since the COVID shutdown started, Alison and I decided to get more into the visual side of our music. We've invested into some equipment and I've been learning more about editing. It's been a nice distraction from writing and recording. Definitely going to start releasing videos more regularly.
With the pandemic shutting down venue performances, are you writing more? Can we expect more songs or an album anytime in the near future?
I have been writing quite a lot since this all began. More than anything I have been spending hours in the studio getting as many songs ready to release as possible. I'm taking a break from albums for the time being but I plan on releasing singles every few weeks for the foreseeable future. I have some songs that are years old I haven't released yet and I'm just looking forward to finishing them up so I can move on to new things! You will be the first to know when the new song or video is coming.
