The EP, Livin’ In Delafly….Side 1, is the first release for the retro alternative rock group PIGPEN JONEZ.
Founder, songwriter and producer Glen Valentino, with the help of his life long friend and multi talented collaborator John Noonan, have crafted five songs of original material that pay homage to the music that has inspired them all their lives. Joining the Schenectady, NY natives on this release is a fine collection of friends and musicians who help them evoke the artistic passion of rock n’ roll songwriting.
We caught up with Glen Valentino to talk about the new EP and what’s next for the band…
Pigpen Jonez is quite an unusual name for a band. How did you come
up with it?
I named my first Golden Retriever Pigpen after Ron “Pigpen” McKernan of the Grateful Dead. A friend of mine and I would get pretty high and also call my dog Dr. Jones while quoting Raiders of the Lost Ark.
This was many years ago! Pigpen then became known as Pigpen Jones.
He was a great dog, so the band name is a tribute to him. I added a peace
sign “o” in our logos and the “z” instead of “s” for a little flair.
The EP, “Livin’ In Delafly….Side 1” is your most recent release. Tell us
about it. How many songs? What can fans expect when they listen?
Any favorite tracks, or behind the scenes stories about the recording you can share?
This EP is our first release. We have released it independently through our
publishing company, Delafly Music, and used CD Baby for distribution. It’s
five songs of original music written over the last few years and recorded
over the last year and a half. I classify our music as retro alternative rock.
You’ll hear influences of the Beatles, Grateful Dead, Pink Floyd, Steely Dan
melted into music that I feel is original and of it’s time. You’ll also hear
funk, jazz, blues, rock and pop in the songs. I like all five tracks but right
now I’d say “Today” and “On The Hill” stand out because they lyrically
coincide with what’s going on in the US these days. I find it interesting that
all the lyrics on the EP were written prior to 2020 but resonate loudly with
many issues we’ve faced this year. I wrote the song “On The Hill” after
moving back to my hometown. While driving through an area that has
been know for high crime and low income, I noticed that the area hadn’t
changed much at all over the course of many years while other parts of the
city had been revitalized. This is an issue in may urban communities
throughout the country and the song is a call for change. I’d like people to
enjoy the musicality of these songs and get the messages of unity in them.
Far too much divisiveness we live in right now. I hope through the arts,
productive debates and a better understanding of conflicting views, we
can bring ourselves closer together as Americans and make some real and
effective changes to better all lives. Begin to look at each other as valued
people and see beyond color, race, political affiliation and economic
status. If we can do this, I feel the leaders of this country and the world will
have to take notice and follow through on real change.
Have you released any single and/or videos from the EP?
“Today” and “On The Hill” were released as singles on Spotify, most other
streaming platforms and iTunes. There are three YouTube lyric videos out
with the final two to be posted soon. If all goes well, we will begin shooting
our first music video for “On The Hill” this weekend. Should have that video
released early to mid January. You can find everything on our website
www.pigpenjonez.us.
How has the pandemic affected Pigpen Jonez? Anything positive that
has come out of it?
The pandemic has slowed the process of assembling a proper live act.
A lot of the added musicians we used on the EP live in other areas of the
country. We need to find some players we gel with locally and the
pandemic has slowed down that process. A positive is that there has
been time to focus on songwriting, recording and some marketing for the
EP. I’ve been able to tread water during the pandemic and am very
fortunate to be able to use this time creatively. There are a lot of people
out there who have it much worse than me. I feel for all the people
struggling to survive and hope better times are coming soon for all.
What’s next for the band? Any upcoming plans to tour once the
pandemic is over? Any new recordings on the way?
We are recording the follow up EP, Livin’ In Delafly….Side 2, and should
have that out in the Spring. Ideally after that release, we will be able to
start playing live and get the music out there locally and beyond!
Thanks and good luck on the release and 2021!