Glenn Valles is a fantastic musician – not only has the singer-songwriter created a glorious back catalogue of music, but he’s also worked extensively in the world of film and TV. Everything I’ve heard from Glenn so far has been fantastic – check out his track, The Ride, at the end of this interview.
By Jane Howkins
We recently reviewed your track The Ride. What can you tell us about the song?
The Ride is a light hearted entertaining alternative/country-rock song. It explores the thrill of having an unexpected encounter with a stranger and the complicated rush of feelings that follows. But, it’s more than just that. The story is interlaced with a sense of mystique that mirrors the protagonist’s feelings. There’s also a twist in the tale, when the encounter turns out to be a ‘prank’, with the lead character in the story being literally and figuratively taken for a ‘ride’!
How has the reception to The Ride been so far, and where can the track be purchased?
The track is available on my YouTube Channel – Glenn Valles Music. The reviews have been quite encouraging!
Whilst you wrote the track, you did not sing the lyrics. Do you plan to produce more tracks in which you sing, or are you primarily a songwriter?
I am primarily a songwriter who writes in multiple genres, like pop, rock, country, blues, reggae, hip-hop, rap, EDM, praise & worship & a few more. When I write and compose a song, I sing and play the guitar or keyboards and record a demo version in my home studio. I then send it to a studio to get a professional recording done. But, before it gets recorded, I have a discussion with the studio manager to convey my vision for that song. Production is an extremely important aspect too, as it can make or break a song. Therefore, I also draw up a detailed ‘Pre-Production Note’ which has very specific instructions with regard to the genre, the type of vocalist, backing vocalist, instrumentation, arrangements and production ideas I have in mind for that song. I monitor the progress at each stage of the production and suggest changes where necessary, until I finally get what I need for that particular song.
While I sing and play on all my song demoes, I prefer to have specialist singers and musicians who are skilled in that particular genre to record them, so that I get the best version of what I have visualised for that song. This professionally recorded studio version is what listeners get to hear. The Ride is a perfect example where the singer has a typical country accent and the music personifies the country genre. Being a multi-genre songwriter is quite challenging, as I have to nail both the lyrics and the melody for each genre. I try my best to study the elements that define the genre that I write in, so it’s always a constant learning process for me.
Do you plan to release any more singles in the near future?
Sure! You will definitely hear more songs from me.
Are there any plans to release a full length album or EP anytime soon?
Yes, I am working towards releasing a full-length album – so stay tuned for that!
You’ve had a fantastic career within the music industry, writing for many TV/film soundtracks. Do you have anything on the go at the moment?
The pandemic threw a spanner in the works, so I hope my songs that have been shortlisted for Film & TV finally come through. However, I’ve had my moments! In 2022, my song Karma won the Great American Song Contest award for Outstanding Achievement in Songwriting in the Alternative Rock Category. Also, a song I wrote as a tribute to my late parents, Edmund and Clothilda Valles’ legacy of love called Looking Up To Heaven, won the UK Songwriting Contest in the Country Category in Jan 2023. It also won India’s Clef Music Award in June 2023. This was the 3rd year in a row since its inception that I’ve won the Clef Music Award – which is quite an honour.
Yes, I’m currently working on a couple of interesting projects. Let’s wait and see how that turns out!
The track has a folk/country sound. What/who are you most influenced by? What have you been listening to recently?
I love all kinds of music, so any genre that sounds good to my ear, is what I like to listen to. That’s probably the reason why I write in multiple genres. There are many great artists and songwriters that I admire – the list is endless, but to name a few, John Lennon & Paul McCartney, Elton John & Bernie Taupin, Merle Haggard, Kris Kristofferson, George Strait, Luke Combs, Max Martin, Ed Sheeran, Adele, Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo and a whole lot more!
Here’s some great songs that I’ve been listening to recently:
Vampire by Olivia Rodrigo
Flowers by Miley Cyrus
Dance The Night by Dua Lipa
Need A Favor by Jelly Roll
Last Night by Morgan Wallen
Wait In The Truck by Hardy
Do you have anything else exciting coming up this year?
Yes, I do! I hope it gets completed before the year is through.
Do you have any tour dates lined up for the UK?
I’m not a performing singer-songwriter, so I don’t have tour dates lined up for the UK at the moment. But you never know – I might decide to emerge from the shadows and take centre stage someday!
Any last words for the fans?
Thank you for stopping by to listen to The Ride, I appreciate it. Please visit my Instagram account @the_songcrafter or my YouTube Channel Glenn Valles Music and listen to some of my other work. I would love for you to write back and tell me what YOU feel about my songs. Feedback matters to me and will help me grow and evolve as a songwriter. Also, watch out for some new songs!
Until then… Take care and happy listening!