saralupe asked: Hey, hello, it’s been awhile. I always hesitate on commenting on your tumblr posts or just popping up to say hey but I’m pretty sure we’re past that whole awkward phase so here I am, coffee in hand and ready to unleash my train of thought with you. I just wanted to say that you have to be one of the most inspirational people I know, as well as one of the most talented. It’s always been a pleasure seeing you perform, having a word or two with you after a show and I just wanted to thank you for always being real with your fans. There is always a sense of honesty and openness in your lyrics and the fact that you never attempt to decode them to us but rather, let us interpret them is extremely refreshing and it allows us to adapt them to situations in life that, while you weren’t striving to hit, you managed to hit the nail right on the head with things. It says a lot that you’ve been honest with us with your struggles in the music industry, that you’re willing to answer our questions and interact with us and set up ‘extras’ so people who wouldn’t normally get a chance to do something gets to do a little something special with one of their favorite musicians. This is getting long, so I should wrap it up but seriously, thank you. Thank you for being one of my favorite musicians, one of my favorite people and as long as you keep churning out music, you’ll have a fan in me.

VE: Thank you for breaking the silence.  And for using proper English—commas, capitals, tense.  And for appreciating my tightlips about my lyrics instead of getting annoyed.  And for all those bottles of wines you have brought me over the years.  Thank you.

dontlookforback asked: man, i really love your songs, i’m a big fan your! you need to come to Brazil =)

VE: I do need to come to Brazil.  Maybe for the World Cup in 2014?  Or sooner?

Anonymous asked: Val…Just To Feel Alive Again…the lyrics are an absolute reflection of my soul…my life…my state of mind…please tell me what your inspiration was for that song..and how do you reconcile having feelings such as those in the song..is someone a bad person for having them or an honest person for acknowledging them?

VE: Your last question is a really good one.  My answer is no, a person is certainly not bad for having feelings like those.  I think many people have those same feelings.  The second half of your question is the tricky part, the acknowledging.  What’s written and sang in that song isn’t the type of thing you’d want to say to your significant other.  But that’s what songs are for.  That’s what art is for.  The artist, in my opinion, isn’t worth shit if he or she can’t be absolutely, brutally honest.  Of course, there are consequences.  It’s awkward to have a song like that out there.  It was always a fear that I might hurt someone pretty bad.  But I needed to sing it.  I was repressing these feelings and I that acknowledging them in the form of a song was a big part of me moving past those feelings.  Plus, anytime I feel that I’m doing something dangerous in a song, I know I’m onto something good.

peacelaughbritt asked: hey its Brittany,saw u at the saint lol and the lunch,so as i walking to my car i remember that i wanted to tell you that i watched fight club wedesday night like you said that was my assignment and like every since Ive watched it like 4 times so yeah i loved it.my assignment is completed (: any other movies suggestion, though i cant believe i havent watched fight club before. but hey im silly like that. excited to hear any new tour information in the future,i am willing to travel to anywhere! thanks val (:

VE: Glad you liked it.  Hmm.  My all time favorite film is “Magnolia” by Paul Thomas Anderson.  It’s long and probably not for everyone.  But it absolutely crushes me.

juliannaml asked: For some time now I had thought I lost this forever. I was upset for allowing myself for be so careless with it. I searched every place I thought it could be, but no luck. Then a few weeks ago while cleaning out my car. Buried under empty CD cases, there it was…your original Slow Down Kid cd.  Val, this CD will always be my favorite. All the new music you make is wonderful, but in my mind it will never compare to this. This album means so much to me. It brings me back to, what I believe, was the best time of my whole life. I love you, and wish you well.  Julianna P.S. Believe it or not, after being under all that crap, the CD still works perfectly. =)

VE: I have albums that I feel that way about and I’m flattered that something I made could mean that much to someone else.  Thanks for sharing.  Glad you found it.  There weren’t many of those made!

bobbysconscience asked: Hey, you wouldn’t happen to have any instrumentals of your music right?  My brother’s cafe is under the provision that he play only instrumental songs if he wants to hear music. Automatically I thought of Trite but true and Got a habit now. Any shot?

VE: Yes, I have instrumentals of certain records.  No to Trite But True but yes, I have Got A Habit Now.

Anonymous asked: LFAFYNKYN - Next To Me. At 2:51 it sounds like you and your voice are having a really slow and grinding romp. I know it’s a guitar. But it sounds like something unlocked.. in your, or me. I don’t know. And then right after, ‘The electricty, the sparks fallin all around.” and “I feel a fire.” etc.

VE: Although I love this kind of geekiness and attention to detail (it warms me up), I can’t seem to figure out what you’re referring to.  I’m not even positive if this thing you hear is something you like or dislike.  I think you like it.  Nevertheless, it’s amazing how different instruments combine to create something greater than the sum of the parts.

Anonymous asked: I would have bought you a photo booth for your birthday. I want one. Mariah Carey has one. Why shouldn’t you have one?

VE: Only if it prints true photographs and if that’s the case I wouldn’t be able to afford the upkeep—ink, photo paper, etc.  The modern digital ones make me sad.

leilu14 asked: Hi Val! I’ve meant to ask you this for a while so I will finally do it now. A while ago your response to a question was something along the lines that you can only see the imperfections of a song after it has been completed. Sorry I don’t remember exact date the Q&A was posted. My question is at what point do you stop seeing the beauty in a song that you have spent so much time crafting? Do you feel you are being nit-picky or are these legitiamate flaws? This may possibly be a horribly incorrect recollection of a response on my part? Thanks!

VE: I never stop seeing the “beauty.”  In fact, things that are imperfect are often more beautiful to me than so-called perfect things (nothing’s perfect, by the way).  What I was probably referring to—I can’t remember—was the fact that when I’m writing or recording I’m too “inside” the moment or song to be objective about it.  In the same way that you only see why a relationship didn’t work after you’ve broken up.  It’s like, “Oh yeah, I noticed that she always tried to change the way I dressed but I just ignored it because I liked her so much.”  For a song, it may be something like: “I had a feeling I recorded it in the wrong key but that’s the key I wrote it in and I just left it.  I was probably being lazy and should have explored other keys.”  That’s just an example.  But most of the time it’s not the songs themselves that I find the flaws in (not to say they aren’t flawed, just that I’m not so hard on them), but rather the recordings.  I always feel like I could have recorded it better.  But so many things have to go right or wrong to make a recording work.  Whether I’m being nit-picky or realistic, I can’t say.  Probably a little of both.  One last thing…right now I’m poring over older songs for inclusion on an upcoming release and I’m totally in love with the recordings.  They are very “imperfect” but I can appreciate them as little timestamps of who I was at the moment and I’m enjoying it.  I hope I answered your question.  Feel free to ask a followup if I didn’t.

Anonymous asked: I wish I could help you out.

VE: I’m both extremely grateful that you care about me and extremely embarrassed that something I said here may have inspired you to pity me.  I just speak my mind and sometimes I write when I’m in a bad mood and maybe that sends a ripple that I didn’t intend.  It’s just a moment in time.  Like a song.  Doesn’t everyone feel shitty about themselves a few times a day or week or hour?  What’s done is done.  But thank you.

customod asked: Visit my blog for advice and instructions on how to fix or mod your computer! Ask me for help or read my posts for instructions!

VE: Shit, now we’ve got spam on Tumblr.  You son of a bitch.

saradan asked: I think it’s time to issue you a congratulations, you are officially my most listened to artist according to last.fm, see for yourself http://www.last.fm/user/ilalalalie

VE: Wow, eeking out Say Anything by a cool hundred.  I’m honored.  Gracias!

imstillfact-shesfiction asked: I feel like the song ‘Sidekick’ is my anthem, it’s epic. Thanks and keep on keeping on!

VE: Poot Pit, Poot Pit, Poot Pit, Poot…Pit It.  That’s me doing the opening beat.  Sorry. 

bobbysconscience asked: Bit of a rude, personal one here…So, what’s so special about being famous? You’ll still be you, you’ll still wake up and go to sleep as Val everyday. You’ll get a little astronaut from Mtv or a grammy, and yeah, you’ll be the happiest man alive! But the next day brings nothing but time. Time, for you to think back and dwell in the previous accomplishment and wonder why there’s no fans waiting at your doorstep at that very second. Time, for you to have ups and downs like roller coasters, waiting on every facebook ‘like’ or youtube comment. And there will be little thirteen year old girls all over the world singing your music, gushing over you and not even knowing the real beauty and the internal work needed to create those songs. And you’ll feel like shit everyday cuz you haven’t accomplished anything that day, mindless of the terrible fact that accomplishments are only transient, but still feeling it to the max.  And… then there’s the Val right here and now, being awesome as always, with every fan of his being a groupie. And every groupie on his Amazon page clicking all the mp3 previews and swelling up with every emotion up in their face, the girls biting their lips and the boys losing themselves in the rawness of your voice and gut-wrenching guitar strums. I know you’re not ‘fishing for compliments’, and your feelings are based on ‘logical conclusions.’ But i’m just trying to tell you it sucks to know you’re feeling unknown… “Perhaps assuming I am hated is actually a self-indulgent, almost narcissistic thought, because it assumes people even know who the fuck I am. You have to know who someone is before you hate them. And I don’t think people have even heard of me. I am unknown. “  :(  We know you Val! We heard of you! —We hear you, and everyday thirst for more, not even the slightest bit of hatred involved! And when you claim you’re unknown, it’s like a big pile of shit dropped from the sky on our faces. I dunno. I can’t really word this emotion. It’s not an angry one and I’m worried you might take it as that.  I should probably stop now.  I think too much and now am cursed with a laptop.  I KNOW none of this is gonna make you feel better, not so much my intention, but, I guess I’m just trying to say it sucks to love someone so much who doesn’t feel he is being loved at all.  Aight I’ll stop, —Bobby

VE: First, thanks for caring enough to reach out and type so much.  That said, allow me to clarify.  I never said I wanted to be famous, although I see now how you reached that conclusion.  It’s not illogical.  But I don’t want to be “known” because I desire fame (I fear fame and the little taste I’ve had was dreadful) but rather so that I can continue to afford to be a musician.  It’s for practical reasons.  If more people “knew” me, I could do so much more for my fans.  Like afford to get my band in a van and do a our.  It frustrates me that someone in Michigan, for example, begs me to play for them and I can’t.  It’s just not feasible at the moment.  But if 100 people wanted me to come to Detroit, then I could convince a club to let me play there and to pay for our gas, lodging, etc.  And so on.  (In my younger days, there were ways to work around money but now I’ve got responsibilities that can’t be ignored).  I can explain more but hopefully you understand what I mean.  Now, the part that upsets me and makes me reconsider the amount of honesty I should be laying out here on the interweb is the part about me taking a shit on your collective faces.  That sucks to hear.  I don’t mean to suggest I don’t appreciate you.  Any of you.  I so do.  I have such kind and caring people speaking to me here and it’s so crazy to think how that came to be.  It pains me that I can’t give people more of what they want.  For the same reason I just mentioned.  The guy in Michigan (this is no one in particular, by the way).  I can’t come play for him unless he clones himself a hundred times.  Or pays me (see “Extras”).  Am I being clear?  I will try to be more careful with my words next time.  I’m not mad.  I am a work in progress.  I’m just trying to be the best mother fucker I can be and it’s hard to be a mother fucker in this world.  Don’t you think?