Valkyrie Interview: Jake Adams on Reissues, New Material and Sharing His Brother with Baroness
Among the releases MeteorCity has set for the earlier part of 2010, two reissues from Virginia rockers Valkyrie are bound to stand out. The band’s 2006 self-titled and 2008’s Man of Two Visions were both records of exceptional quality, but even more than that was the fact that from one to the next, the double-guitar four-piece made leaps in terms of their sonics and songcraft. Not only was Man of Two Visions more intricate than its predecessor — and that’s not to take anything away from the album Valkyrie, which was powerful in its own right — but also more organic.
It had a natural sound and feel that came across in the songwriting, yes, but also in the performances of the players themselves. Guitarist and vocalist brothers Jake and Pete Adams — the latter also of Baroness — demonstrated an impeccable chemistry, playing off each other with harmonies and riffs that were flat-out gorgeous, while bassist Will Barry-Rec and drummer Warren Hawkins grounded the material and added a low-end thickness that made sure the band’s sense of heavy was always in tact.
For anyone who missed either of these two records, the MeteorCity reissues should be a clarion call. Both Valkyrie and Man of Two Visions were works of exceptional quality that proved the southern underground still had plenty to say in this new millennium. In the following interview, Jake Adams talks candidly the band’s sonic shifts, plans for the future, and how the success of his brother’s other band has played into Valkyrie‘s ongoing work.
As always, Q&A is after the jump. Please enjoy.
How did MeteorCity reissuing the two albums come about?
Well, I had been working with Dan at MeteorCity a lot because he was selling our CDs through the All That is Heavy distro. He asked what our plans for reissuing the self-titled were, and at that time I was planning on doing it under my Noble Origin imprint, but MeteorCity offers much better distribution, and also it will require much less work on my end, which would give me a nice break!?So I said how about it, and while you’re at it, how about Man of Two Visions? It was selling fast, so it made sense. MeteorCity is a fine label with many excellent releases and we are proud to be working with them. Ultimately this will make it much easier for our fans to get ahold of our music.
How has it been for Valkyrie with Pete also in Baroness? Does Valkyrie have to be put on the back burner for tours and recording and stuff like that?
I have been happy that Pete has the opportunity to play music full-time. It definitely requires that Valkyrie lay low when Baroness is busy, but right now it is cool because we are mainly writing our next album anyway. But yeah, they are getting major opportunities right now that would be silly to turn down, so what can you do? It is exciting to see their progression and the cool tours and festivals they get to be a part of. I just started a career in teaching, so I am busy right now anyway.
Has playing guitar with your brother changed the relationship at all? Are you able to separate band matters from family stuff or does it all bleed over?
Sometimes it bleeds over, but actually playing?in Valkyrie together has really brought us together even closer.?We usually get along fine, but arguments will happen, we just don’t dwell on the negative and we move on pretty easily.
There was a change in the Valkyrie sound on Man of Two Visions coming off the self-titled. How would you describe the direction the band went in? Was there something in particular you wanted to change or some catalyst for altering the approach?
Yeah, there was definitely a change. I was consciously trying to do less of the “stoner” sound that came out a bit on the first record. My influences have grown considerably since we wrote the stuff on the first album — I listen to much more prog rock and classic heavy metal and hard rock, like ?70s Scorpions, UFO,?and Judas Priest. But really there wasn’t a?particular sound we were seeking to create on Man of Two Visions, it was really an attempt to capture what we had been playing around that time. I think it is closer to achieving my original goals for the band’s sound. We are still strumming and not palm-muting riffs which allows the music to have a more old school sound and what I consider an earthy sound.
What do you think caused that growth? Where do you see the progression heading for the next batch of material? Has the writing process for the band undergone any shifts?
I think the stuff we are writing now will be a further progression in that same direction. Our writing process is still pretty much the same, I usually come in with about 60-70 percent of the ideas and Pete tweaks that out and adds his own touch, especially harmonies. He helps me get “outside the box”?a lot. Of course when we bring the music to our rhythm section it inevitably continues to develop. I think this new album will be in some ways more metal, some of the riffs I play?are with?a lot of downstrokes and faster chord changes. But it will still be a Tull and Zeppelin-influenced album that will be as organic sounding as possible.
There is some subtle social commentary in the lyrics. Do you consider Valkyrie a political band or does it just happen to be what?s on your mind when writing that day? Does the less straightforward approach allow you to keep the songs universal while still tackling a specific subject, or would you just rather not name names?
Well, I don’t consider Valkyrie to be a political band, but I do make a point of having a message in our lyrics rather than staying on a pure fantasy level. Part of the universal message comes from the fact that my main influence is the writings of the Baha’i Faith, of which I am a member. On this last record I made some overt references to Baha’i teachings, I will probably continue to do so. Basically the message is love, peace, and unity. A focus on the spiritual rather than the material. It is what it is, I guess, it’s just the approach I have to life and it will inevitably come out in the lyrics. I also write a lot in criticism of consumer culture and rampant materialism, and following your own path rather than one laid out for you by corporations.
What happened with Gary Isom? How did you find Warren to replace him and how do the two compare stylistically?
Gary was?awesome to?play with, he puts his all into it. I had also admired his drumming with Spirit Caravan, so it was a dream come true when he joined the band. But it turned out that our personalities weren’t compatible for the long-term. We met Warren at?one of Gary‘s last shows with us, and we stayed in touch. Warren hits hard and heavy like Gary, but also has a Neil Peart influence that brings a more technical approach. He is extremely versatile, and aside from being awesome to play with, he is a great guy that has become a really good friend. Gary is back?touring with Pentagram right now, and they are quite busy, so he is right where he needs to be.
How are things in general in the VA scene? You guys seem to be doing well, but how about everyone else? Anyone you?ve played with recently people should know about or cool spots to play?
Virginia is pretty cool and is stronger now than maybe in some recent years …?I feel a bit out of touch right now, but?Cough and Inter Arma in Richmond, Freedom Hawk in Virginia Beach, Earthling in Harrisonburg stand out in my mind as ones to look out for. But there are always some old favorites from Virginia like Suzukiton, The Wayward, and Beaten Back to Pure that we have always enjoyed playing with.
What?s up for the next record? Has writing started, and do you know if that will be on MeteorCity too?
Not sure when it’s coming out, or when it will be recorded,?or what label?or anything. Next summer, in July 2010, we are planning on touring a little bit and we will be playing some new stuff definitely. We have definitely started writing though, and I am very excited about this new stuff. Other than that, we don’t have much of a timetable for anything.
Any other plans you want to talk about or closing words?
Just thanks for caring enough?for the?interview!! Thanks to everybody who has helped us out since we started up in ’02. Be patient, we will be back in full force eventually and will have a whole new bunch of songs. Cheers!!
Tags: MeteorCity, Valkyrie, Virginia
