HOBOKEN, NJ. (Top40 Charts/ Maxwells) - In October of 2005, Val Emmich escaped the city life he was accustomed to and disappeared into nature, renting a house in historic Woodstock, New York. His goal was to put away all distractions, shake off any prior preconceptions and return to a place within himself of artistic innocence. Two weeks alone in the woods did the trick. With a revived sense of creativity and a willingness to take fresh chances with his writing, Emmich quickly worked up thirty new songs. He was soon joined by his band and friend/producer Jason Cupp who together turned the house into a makeshift recording studio. Playing late into the night as loud as they wanted with no one around to bother them, Emmich and company recorded the demos for many of the songs that would become the basis for his 2006 full-length album, SUNLIGHT SEARCHPARTY.
The first collection of 'SONGS,' entitled WOODSTOCK, contains some of the other songs recorded at the Woodstock house during the fall of 2005 and shows the many sides of Emmich's writing: from pure pop gems to experimental soundscapes, from the sparse to the orchestral, from the lighthearted and playful to the hopeless and tragic, all containing the naked honesty and keen real-life observations that have always characterized Emmich's work.
WOODSTOCK is an authentic document of an artist testing his limits and reconnecting with his passion to express himself unhindered through song. It will be released online May 1, 2007 and is already getting rave reviews from a select group of fans part of Emmich's official street team, who have access to the entire streaming album. The first single, 'Break,' currently provides a sneak peak for the general public via www.myspace.com/valemmich and is available for purchase via SnoCap.
SUNLIGHT SEARCHPARY brought exciting acclaim for Emmich:
• The song 'This Ship's Going Down,' was among the Top 3 Alternative Songs for Mediaguide's Unsigned Radio Play Airplay Chart and hit the Number One Most Requested spot on New Jersey's G-Rock Radio.
• MTV Radio's YOU HEAR IT FIRST program, which airs on 50 modern rock stations across the country, featured an interview with Emmich and played 'This Ship's Going Down.'
• The videos for 'This Ship's Going Down' and 'The Only One Lonely' received adds on major video outlets including MTV.com, Much Music, Yahoo Music, Billboard.com and Blender.com. 'The Only One Lonely' has already cracked the 50,000 view mark on YouTube.com
• The Brick Awards used several of Emmich's songs during the national television broadcast on the CW Network on April 12, 2007.
• The documentary for 'It's Only Your Life: The Making of Sunlight Searchparty,' is currently featured on Comcast On Demand's Concert TV.
• The Aquarian Weekly chose Val Emmich for the cover of its annual unsigned artist issue, the Jersey Beat hailed, 'We need more Val Emmichs in this world,' and Asbury Park Press praised SUNLIGHT SEARCHPARTY as a 'compelling and mature statement of being,' while Suburban Roads commended Emmich 'creates a record with genuine value and meaning. An album like this doesn't come around often.'
Val Emmich is proof that a truly talented artist can achieve success without the backing of a major label. All the media praise displayed above is because these outlets honestly believe in and enjoy Emmich's music. If that's not the recipe for success, you tell me what is!
I'd love to set up an interview with Val for your publication. Please contact me for review copies of 'WOODSTOCK' or if you would like to attend the CD Release Party May 4 at Maxwells, in Hoboken, New Jersey.
SONGS, VOLUME 1: WOODSTOCK
Track Listing:
01 | So Bright
02 | Break
03 | Please Don't Accept My Apology
04 | Just To Feel Alive Again
05 | I Spend My Whole Life Waiting
06 | The Train I'm Waiting For Is Running Late
07 | Please Stop Calling Me
08 | Trite But True
09 | Power Trip
10 | Softee
11 | Glue
Val Emmich On Tour:
04/18/07: Mercury Lounge- New York, NY
04/25/07: Cumberlands-Charleston, SC
04/26/07: Back Booth- Orlando, FL
04/27/07: Vinyl- Atlanta, GA
04/28/07: Lincoln Theater- Raleigh, NC
05/03/07: The Khyber- Philadelphia, PA
05/04/07: Maxwells- Hoboken, NJ *** WOODSTOCK CD RELEASE PARTY!
06/18/07: Borders Books & Music- Eatontown, NJ
