Jack Valero answers some questions from Soundsphere’s Dom Smith about his musical inspirations.
S] Hi Jack, how are you today?
Hey! Very good thank you, loving that summer is finally here. Thanks for coming to chat with me.
S] You have some awesome shows coming up, how are you feeling about the rest of the year?
Really excited! We’re still setting up for more dates throughout the year. Doing music involves a surprising amount of sitting at a desk doing emails and socials etc, so I can’t wait to get back on the road for a while.
S] Given your musical pedigree, do you give much thought to legacy, Jack?
That is a very good question. Never heard pedigree used to describe it before though, makes me feel like I’m in Crufts haha. I think that legacy can be a double-edged sword, it means that you can have a sense of great purpose and already be in an environment that can nurture your passion, but at the same time can put a huge amount of pressure on you and expectation and judgment.
I know myself that I got into music on my own terms, though I’m sure my upbringing influenced it. It wasn’t my mum or my dad [Billy Bragg] who told me I should do it, I found it through my own experience and my peers at school, which of course brought me inevitably into being involved in the family business so to speak. However, even to this day I will still at times receive disapproving judgement or disparaging comment from people who want to dismiss me as a ‘nepo-baby’ regardless of my music. That has not been the case, it hasn’t been until the last couple of years when I decided to embrace my background openly that people made the connection. It’s the main reason I used my middle name instead of my last in order to have my own identity and earn my stripes on that principle. Don’t get me wrong, these things no longer bother me and I’m not trying to make out like I’m a victim in any way, but I’ve worked many years towards my goal of having a career in music and I’ve paid my dues. So although I have great respect and love for what my father has achieved, the part of the ‘legacy’ I’m focused on at the moment is the one I’m trying to make for myself, as long as I’m happy I know my parents will be proud.
S] What about success?
Of course, success is important to me, I wouldn’t put in this much work if it wasn’t. However, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve decided it’s being happy that is more important. I think there’s a culture in not only music, but in all the arts that because it is your passion then you should sell your soul to it, and if you don’t then you’re not passionate or worthy enough. It’s almost like an unspoken competition of who’s sacrificed more, who has laid down the most at the altar. But at the end of the day, you must ask yourself if it’s worth it. I always find it triggering when I’ve watched the movie Whiplash because I’ve known people like that, I almost was like that and I hate it. This idea that you are expected to sacrifice all for something that at the end of the day whether they like it or not is subjective. So yes I want success and I strive for it every day, but I reject the idea of giving over my very existence and just want to be happy.
S] Do you consider yourself a storyteller, as well as a songwriter?
For sure, I think songs are just poems or stories put to music. I started out in film school when I was younger and one of my favourite parts would be writing the storyline for a film project, so it naturally gets expressed through my songwriting. I think it’s one of the best ways to write lyrics if you think of it like a story, it’s also in my opinion one of the best ways for people to connect with a song as you can be sure someone out there has experienced something similar. I’ve had a few songs where I actually have fleshed out characters playing parts, it’s a huge overlap between writing songs and writing a storyline.
S] ‘Pull Back The Hammer’ is a great slice of pop that reflects on the state of world affairs – what do you hope that song does for others?
I hope that it makes anyone else who thinks the same feel less alone, this feeling of unease and impending doom is one of the main uniting factors of my generation. For my parents it was the Cold War and the political movements that surrounded it, for my grandparents it was the Second World War and for mine it is our new political and social landscape, global warming threatening our very existence, and another Cold War to boot. These things can feel less scary when you know you’re sharing it with thousands of others like you. The world has lost its calm and the future is uncertain, but you’re not alone.
S] Is there anything else you’d like to add before we finish?
Just that we’ve got two shows at Glastonbury coming up which is amazing! As well as a show at Tim Peaks stage Kendall Calling, especially excited to play there as well as Tim Burgess has made it into a special place and it has such a great history. Followed by the next single from the EP coming out at the end of June.
S] Thanks for your time!
Thank you! It’s been a pleasure.
