Valarie Mulberry

Through YouTube I come across the amazing Valarie Mulberry who are just starting to wear glasses. I would like to share her work and she gladly accepted this interview.

Valarie is recording her solo debut CD to be released in early 2014.
http://www.valariemulberry.com
http://www.facebook.com/vmulberry
http://www.youtube.com/7bvoicetr


Is Valarie Mulberry is your real name?

Yes, it is. Most people with my first name spell it "Valerie" but my mom is dyslexic and dyslexics tend not to be good spellers. When I was born she asked a nurse to tell her how to spell it. The nurse wrote down about five different spelling variations of my name. My mom liked the one with two "a's" in it, as opposed to the typical spelling with two "e's." My last name was changed from a Spanish name three generations ago when that line of my family tree came from Mexico.


Where were you born and where have you lived?

I was born in Portland, Oregon but my parents moved to the Oregon Coast when I was 2 years old. I grew up in the mountains on the Oregon Coast with a river in the back yard and train tracks in the front. I lived on the Island of Maui, Hawaii for three and half years, then I moved to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam for two years. Vietnam provided a lot of interesting experiences. I rode my motorbike around the city, sang in a rock band for a time, made some wonderful friendships, taught English as a Foreign Language and did my best to learn Vietnamese. I had quite a few comical mishaps because it is a tonal language and hard to get the hang of. After Vietnam, I moved back to Hawaii for two years and then to the San Francisco Bay Area for two years. I now live in Santa Barbara, California.


How long have you played music and how did you get started?
I have played guitar, which is my main instrument, for almost 17 years and have been performing for ten years now. I was lucky that my dad played guitar when I was growing up so I learned a few chords from him. He played a lot of top hits from the 1960s, stuff from the Beatles, Otis Redding, Peter Paul and Mary and Bob Dylan. "Louie, Louie" by the Kingsmen and "Gloria" by Van Morrison were the first songs that I learned on guitar. I really didn't get serious with guitar until adulthood though.


First song ever sung?

Probably "Crawdad Song" which is an old folk song that is in the public domain. No one knows for sure who wrote it. My dad used to sing it when I was a kid. It's sort of a fun kids song. I actually re-interpreted it for myself and I sing it at gigs sometimes.


Who is your inspiration?

Anyone seeking truth and living what I call "the life of an artist." I think it is a really beautiful journey to dedicate oneself to an artistic passion. Art is a great method for healing one's self and usually results in also helping others to heal.


What are your favorite artists right now and why?

I am really digging Valerie June and also the Alabama Shakes right now. I like Ben Howard. There's a cool San Diego duo that I played a show with called "The Lovebirds" that are amazing. I love Tift Merritt and the Be Good Tanya's. They have a bit of a rootsy sound but it is contemporary too. Van Morrison is probably my favorite singer-songwriter, if I had to choose. I just love the vibration that he puts out. I also like some of the stuff that can be heard on the radio like Florence and the Machine, Adele and David Gray.


Can you describe your music?

I probably can't describe it very well. That is something that I have a hard time with. It's really hard to express sound accurately in words. My short answer is usually "eclectic singer-songwriter" or "jazzy but not jazz, bluesy but not blues, a little folky but not folk, country-ish but not country, a little bit rock." It really depends on the song though. I tend to write in slightly different genres but it is still coming from me so it has the common thread of sounding like me, of course.


What is the inspiration for your songs?

It really depends on what I am processing spiritually and emotionally at the point in time that I write a song. But insomnia has been good for my creativity. I like the solitude of night-time. I find that is when the songs come to me.


Where are you at with the new album? Is it all finished?

I am almost finished with it. I have about three more sessions to finish the mixing and mastering. I will be finished with the mastering by mid-November. I will have a slightly delayed release though, because I want to plan some promotion. It will be released February 20th, 2014. I am really excited about it. I have some great musicians playing on it and I love every note of the entire album. I have vintage organs on it, a fabulous back up singer and some really great guitar solos by my guitarist/producer. We started recording it fifteen months ago, so we really took our time. I am really happy with the producer that I chose to work with and cannot wait to share it with everyone.


Where do you buy your music?

I buy actual CD's. I love to listen to them in my car or when I am cleaning the house. I mostly buy them at live shows to support the artists. I am not into the mp3 thing yet. The sound quality for mp3's is not as good as CD's either. So I have not really gotten into the iTunes thing much yet.


Any loves other then music?

I love anything to do with culture and learning about how culture operates on us and how it changes or doesn't change. I like to learn why people behave the way that they do. I have an insatiable desire to keep learning. I love reading and I stay up to date on current events. I love to have good conversations with friends. I also love animals and do animal rescue when I am able.


Where would you most like to perform?

Right now, I would most like to perform a full length gig with an awesome five piece band backing me up in front of five thousand people in an older restored theater. One of those places with great architecture and old red velvet seats.


Any plans for a tour?
I am in the beginning stages of formulating a plan to play some shows in LA, San Diego and San Francisco after my CD is released. I am not sure if it can officially be called a "tour" or not but I will be getting out of my little hub of Santa Barbara much more often. I would like to book some shows in Oregon too and start moving up and down the West Coast much more.


For the new videos, will you keep your glasses?

I think so. Probably about half and half.


Where do you hope to be by 2014?

I want to be making an income from my music, whether that be from film, TV and advertisement placements or from playing live. I want to get an awesome live backing band. Currently, I mainly play with an electric guitarist backing me and that is very fun but it also feels exhilarating to play with a full band. Ideally, I would like to make back the amount I spent on recording my album and just keep playing better and better shows and keep connecting with audiences.