Q&A: UK Artist VALE Tells the Story of Her Long-Distance Situationship in “One Night Only”
WHO DOESN’T WANT TO BE CALLED PRETTY? — Well, get ready, because London-based singer VALE is ready to shout it at the top of her lungs. Although she describes that she used to be “kind of all over the place as far as pop can go,” VALE finally found her sound after experimenting with folk pop and dark pop.
Largely inspired by the common idols of today’s youth (Maisie Peters, Ed Sheeran, Miley Cyrus, Twenty One Pilots), she’s now opting for a blend of pop/rock with some electronic influences. After two very promising singles titled as the things you might tell your ex after breaking up with them (“Pathetic” and “Good On My Own”), VALE is back with her new track, “One Night Only,” inspired by a long-distance situationship she experienced back in 2021.
Read below to learn more about VALE, how her new single came to life, and what she sees herself doing next.
LUNA: Who is VALE? How and when was your musical persona born?
VALE: I'm VALE. I write petty pop songs for other petty souls from my bedroom in London. I've been writing ever since I can remember, but this project truly started when I met Tom Marlow, my arranger and producer, at Tileyard in London in 2021. We had one session together and [have] never stopped since.
LUNA: How has your music changed within the past few years?
VALE: Musically, I was kind of all over the place as far as pop can go until I found my sound. Back in 2018, I made folk pop, then moved on to dark pop to eventually land on this pop/rock/electronic sound that I have today. I've recently been in a more acoustic mood, though, so who knows what's in store for next year!
LUNA: Who inspired your music? Who are your biggest influences?
VALE: My most recent music is heavily inspired by Maisie Peters and Dylan, although some of my lifelong influences include Ed Sheeran, Miley Cyrus, and Twenty One Pilots (odd mix, I know).
LUNA: Could you introduce your favorite singles you've released so far?
VALE: My favorite singles would have to be "Pathetic," as it's the first one I released with this new sound — [it] holds a special place in my heart — and "Stupid," which dropped on Nov. 17. I like to insult myself in my songs, apparently. "Pathetic" is about obsessing over mixed signals so badly that you convince yourself you have feelings for someone when the truth is, you don't. "Stupid" is about letting someone gaslight you (and gaslighting yourself). Funnily enough, they were both written about the same person.
LUNA: How did you develop your style? Will you experiment with other genres in the future?
VALE: My arranger and producer, Tom, has played a very large part in my sound — he has an indie and electronic background, and [he] has helped me add elements of these genres into my songs. I like change, and I have a tendency to go through phases when it comes to genre, so I could definitely see myself experimenting with other genres — maybe full-on electronic, indie, or even rap (that would be a terrible idea but at this point, who knows).
LUNA: What inspired “One Night Only”? How did it come to life?
VALE: "One Night Only" is essentially about a long-distance situationship. Yes, I like to make things complicated for myself. It started in July of 2021 with a single line in my Notes app and developed into a song over several months and two countries, which is truly reflected in the lyrics. When I eventually finished the song on the piano, I sent it to Tom and essentially said, "Make it sound like Maisie Peters' ‘Outdoor Pool,’ but not!"
LUNA: How do you choose which producers to work with? Do you have some dream producers you'd like to work with?
VALE: Tom Marlow is my go-to arranger and producer. It was quite difficult for me to find someone who understood what I wanted before I did and who could challenge my ideas and make them better, and that's Tom. I would love to work with Joe Rubel (Ed Sheeran, Maisie Peters, Cate, Tom Grennan, Dodie) one day though.
LUNA: Is music your main occupation at the moment? If not, how are you conciliating your day job with your music career?
VALE: I wish it could be, but for now it's a full-time job on top of my actual full-time job. I'm lucky enough that my day job is in music marketing, so I get to be in the industry pretty much 24/7, and my music feeds into my job and vice versa. It's definitely exhausting, but I love it!
LUNA: Have you ever been on tour? If not, would you like to embark on one?
VALE: I haven't been on tour yet, but I know there are a few people waiting for me in other parts of England than London and I'd love to pay them a visit. My absolute dream is to one day land a support tour with an artist I admire.
LUNA: Who's your dream feature?
VALE: My all-time dream feature is Ed Sheeran — I choose to dream big.
LUNA: Where do you see yourself in one year as a musician?
VALE: Hopefully, in one year I'll be doing exactly what I'm doing now, but bigger and better — bigger stages, bigger crowds, (even) better songs and better sounds!
