Atarah Valentine – Break Free

By: Jamie Steinberg

Q) How would you describe your sound?

A) Raw, energetic Rock & Roll with infectious pop melodies.

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

A) I’ve never really been a purest or stuck to a particular genre. My influences are a pretty strong reflection of that.  As a kid, Nirvana probably had the biggest impact on me.  I would lock myself in my room and obsessively watch every video and performance I could get my hands on and sit with it until I could play the songs in entirety. The Muffs, Weezer and That Dog were some other bands that really made me think about music differently.  They had a very raw sound, but there songs were full of amazing top line melodies that felt almost nostalgic.  That is what stayed with me the most. At the same time, I was listening to Madonna, Queen, GnR, The Kinks, Donavan, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Tina Turner, Heart and thousands of 80’s hair bands.  My parents had a great record collection. I would just sit and go through hundreds of records a day, trying to see which ones I would steal for my own stash.

Q) Where did the idea for your song “Break Free” come from?

A) I wanted to make a modern Rock & Roll song that had a great message, but with a fun, “Fuck You” attitude. “Break Free” is about letting go of the people and situations in life that try and stop you from being your true self. I’ve faced a lot of adversity in my life, and continue to within the music world.  People are over concerned with fitting in, or making a forced effort to not fit in that is still disingenuous. When I started letting go of the people who were doubting me and holding me back in my life, everything changed.  Those same people always come crawling back in the end or try to take credit for something they had no part in. This song is about making a statement by just being who or you are at your core and not caring about fitting in anywhere

Q) What kind of fan response have you gotten the song?

A) The response to the song has been great! People seem to really understand it and are sending me amazing, really open-hearted comments.  It’s like it gave them a license to let go of some of the secrets they were hiding and some of the weight they were carrying around. In an era were people are being cyber-bullied, and everyone thinks they are a critic, the comments on my videos, pictures, Twitter, etc. have all been resoundingly supportive and full of love.  I feel so lucky to be connected to such a supportive community of people.

Q) What is it about the song that you think fans have connected with?

A) First and foremost, I think people are responding to the fact that it’s fun and guitar heavy.  There has been such a lack of rock music for way too long.  If you ask majority of people to make a list of the songs that impacted their life the most, I guarantee that most of those will be rock songs. The Stones, The Beatles, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Fleetwood Mac, GnR, Queen, etc. are all still in heavy rotation on the radio. Why is that? People still want to hear rock music, but there is such a lack in the mainstream.  I want to change that.

Q) What is the feel and vibe for your EP Break Free?

A) The message of the single “Break Free” runs throughout all of the songs on the EP, whether it’s finding your voice or letting go of people who don’t really have your best interests at heart.  The EP is a collection of songs to empower the listener to uproot all of the negativity in their lives and to have the freedom to be themselves.

Q) How much of a hand do you have in the production of your music?

A) My producer, Michael Malih, and I have a really close relationship.  We really trust each other and work very closely on everything.  I will usually bring in a finished song with all of the live elements and vocals recorded. Then, we sort of sit and nitpick through everything that is there and add all of the electronic elements.  Michael is great at reeling me in when I come through with sixteen tracks of guitars and he helps me keep my goals in perspective.  We work in a really old-school way.  He produced the entire EP and has been really involved with the project, almost since the very beginning.  That’s rare these days.

Q) What is your writing process like for songs? Do you need music before lyrics can come?

A) My writing process is all over the map. Sometimes it starts as a vocal melody idea that I record as a voice-note, sometimes it starts with a guitar part, sometimes I sit at the piano and a full song just comes through in it’s entirety. Lyrics are always secondary for me.  In my initial writing I always sing nonsense, but sometimes that nonsense just needs a little polishing and those parts become the final lyrics.

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song?

A) I don’t really have a dream list of collaborators.  I enjoy working with everyone. I like just being exposed to new methods of doing things and, especially when it comes to songwriting, I like to see how peoples’ minds work.  Every session I’ve been a part of has been completely different.  I find it really exciting to watch how everyone gets from point A to point B.

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

A) I used to hate social media.  I thought it was a total waste of time.  I have never been so wrong about something in my life.  Being able to find and connect with people is really the greatest gift that we have.  I have been able to personally reach out and connect with all of these kids that I would have never met otherwise.  It’s great for me because I can see where peoples’ heads are at through what they post, what they write about, and via the feedback and messages I receive from them directly.

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your music?

A) To everyone that has been supporting me, you have no idea how much your encouragement means.  It has honestly become the fuel of my project.  Being able to speak with you and hear from you makes me want to be better at what I do.  Don’t ever feel embarrassed or insecure about the things that make you different.  Most people just aren’t brave enough to be themselves.