INTERVIEW: Popular Clonmel-based musician sits down with Cathal O'Reilly

Rising electro-pop artist Vale returns on Friday, November 12 with the beautifully atmospheric single, Allow and Breach.

The Tipperary-based producer and vocalist has been quietly building his catalogue and testing the waters with previous singles like Tore It Down and The Sun Is My Filter.

Collaborating with people like Nashville-based producer Owen Lewis, Icelandic musician Sin Fang (of the band Seabear) and producer, multi-instrumentalist David O’Connor, Vale is the new project of Eoin Hally, who will be familiar to many from his previous band, Pale Rivers.

Cathal - People regard you as a creative person. Do you agree?
Vale - I hope that is true!

Cathal - How did you get into your creative work?
Vale - Like most people, I started out playing in bands while I was in school. Lot’s of practising covers really badly, way too loud, in sheds and garages. From there I was bitten by the music bug and have been pursuing it ever since.

Cathal - What is creativity to you? Do you consider yourself to be creative? Why or why not?
Vale - I think creativity and curiosity aren’t too far apart. For me being creative is kind of a constant state of learning and trying to do new things. If you’re not trying to push boundaries things can become formulaic very fast.

Cathal - Do you critique your own work? Tell me about this process?
Vale - I think you have to. To me it’s a really important part of the process. Every single element in a piece of music has to serve a purpose within that track. If it isn’t making it sound better then it’s taking up space that other parts need. Nowadays myself and my production/studio partner, Dave, will sit down with a song before it’s finished and just start turning different instruments and sounds off. So often you can surprise yourself by doing this. Things suddenly sound ten times bigger when you get rid of x or y that you thought was a cool part.

Cathal - What inspires you? What do you do to get inside your creative zone?
Vale - Inspiration is something that when it hits, is amazing, but is not always reliable. Instead I have created habits so that when motivation or inspiration are not there, I am still working on my craft. I do draw influences from my life experiences, books I resonate strongly with and movies. It’s important to me to explore art forms outside of music.

Cathal - What is your favourite accomplishment?
Vale - It’s early stages, but I’m really proud of launching this project during the pandemic. There were so many plans and ideas that had to be put on the back burner and lot’s of moments when I thought it wasn’t going to happen for one reason or another. With the help of an amazing crew of people working on it with me, it eventually got there and I’m glad that it did.

Cathal - Do you pay attention to other people’s strong reactions to your work? Does this affect what you create?
Vale - It’s wonderful when something resonates with people and they like something for some particular reason. The act of putting music out there for other people to hear would inherently indicate that you do want some kind of reaction, be it on a conscious level or subconscious level. But I try not to let that dictate or impose on what I want to write or make. You’re ultimately making music or art because you love it and if it’s not for you first, it’s probably not your best work.

Cathal - I agree 100%. Do you think creativity is something you are born with or is it something that can be encouraged and nurtured?
Vale - Definitely encouraged and nurtured. I was fortunate enough to have a supportive family and some amazing teachers in secondary school that really pushed those interests and opened doors to opportunities to begin a career/path in music.

Cathal - What do you wish to accomplish with your music?
Vale - I feel like the answer to this is a little open ended...there’s a lot of things on my list...more touring, an album and collaborations. I’d love to be involved in scoring for film at some point. Ultimately though, the first goal is to get to a place where making music is sustainable in and of itself. If that is possible anymore!

Cathal - What music are you playing at the moment?
Vale - Saint Sister, the new Villagers’ album, Julianna Barwick, Porches.

Cathal - Do you think music and creating music helps with your mental health? How?
Vale - I feel that being in a creative line of work is a double-edged sword. When something goes well, the reward feels huge. There is no feeling quite like collaborating with like-minded creatives and the energy that can come about in a room when something has clicked. Conversely there are naturally quieter times when you’re not gigging or collaborating and that can feel a bit tough. You can feel like you don’t have a direction, and quickly forget the things you have achieved or the progress you’ve made. Being level headed and grounded in this industry is very important to surviving the ups and downs.

Cathal - Do you think creative endeavours like music can be negative for mental health?
Vale - When you commit to a life working in music, there is an acceptance that you will have a life lacking in security. That is security of work, security of income, saving for a future etc. It’s not for everyone but for me the reward is compensation enough for all those other things. The hours put in don’t always (ever) come back to you in euros.It would be great if a universal basic income for artists became the norm.

Cathal - Yes, this would be a great policy and should be open for discussion. Tell me, do you ever get overwhelmed when making music? If so, how do you combat this feeling?
Vale - Not so much when making music. It’s the administration side of it that gets me. Arranging release dates and getting a song from a mix to a master and finally to people can be very overwhelming. It’s important to be as prepared as possible, work well in advance and take one step at a time.

Cathal - Does creativity make you feel more in alignment with your true purpose?
Vale - That’s a two way street. It can feel like an impossible task when it’s not going well. But...when it clicks it’s hard to define that feeling with words.

Cathal - Do you feel like you are doing what you were born to do when making music?
Vale - I have just watched Soul and the message I took from that is my answer to this - life is to be lived each day, in the small insignificant moments. We weren’t born to fulfil a pre-written destiny. We work hard at what interests us. But there is more to life that what you do. I think...