I Listened to Valley Boy’s Debut Album. You Should Too.
James Ghaleb, A.K.A Valley Boy discusses his debut album Children Of Divorce, his track record of writing and producing bylines (think Sabrina Carpenter), and his goals for future projects.
PHOTO BY DELACEY
Creating an album that both examines his own experience with divorce and loss while sharing stories of his peers has been percolating in James Ghaleb’s, better known as Valley Boy, mind since the start of his career. It took a considerable effort to whittle down his thoughts into a condensed track list, but Children of Divorce, released May 1,was eventually cut to the 13song collection it debuted as. After writing records’ worth of content for other artists, Ghaleb wanted to be choosy about the first release to carry his name.
“I was being so precious about the first Valley Boy album. I may have waited too long to get it out there, but I’m really happy it's out now.” he said.
At any stage of childhood, becoming a COD (child of divorce) has a profound impact on one’s upbringing. While I don’t belong to the COD club, more than half of my friends in college were in a GroupMe chat bearing the name. Through the group message, my friends and others shared conversations about the challenges, changes and continued consequence divorce held for them. To harness and share his own feelings about divorce, separation and tragedy, Ghaleb, wrote, produced and released Children of Divorce. Now that it’s officially out in the world, Pleaser had the opportunity to chat with Valley Boy about the details of this debut, the real stories of people in his life that inspired his work and how his job writing for other artists has helped and hindered his craft.
The album includes some songs that are introspective and some that depict stories of friends. Ghaleb said, though, that the whole album is about him in some ways because it’s his work; he’s perceiving each story and presenting it to listeners. Because of this, perspective is a cornerstone of this album: Ghaleb’s perspective of the events, the perspective each story contributes to the work and the perspective listeners approach the album with. Each song displays different experiences of divorce, validating those whose stories may be similar but have not yet been told.
“You’re not often validated in a broken home situation,” he said, continuing, “[the album] was an exercise in trying to validate my experience and others who haven't been heard.”
One song that contributes a particularly unique angle of grief and trauma is the 10th track and third single release, “Evan in my Japanese Beer.” Discussing the sensitive topic of a friend passing away in a drunk driving accident, Ghaleb said this song was one of the most difficult to write. While not centered around the topic of divorce, the track illuminates feelings of loss that divorce represents. Like many of the tracks on the record that feature real stories, Ghaleb was sure to send it to his family members for consent. Once approved, it was tested on tour before its release and put out as a single to highlight its importance.
Ghaleb’s voice is the main event on this song, ensuring every word is heard over a low-fi backbeat with soft synths and a hazy guitar melody. Ghaleb told Pleaser he wanted to emulate the sound of Jeff Buckley, a soulful style that features a large vocal range. And while challenging to replicate, “Evan in my Japanese Beer,” is a contender for best ode to Buckley with its quiet beginning and passionate build through the chorus mimicking Buckley’s classic pattern. This style ties the song to the rest of the album, as many tracks are similarly arranged. Written from the point of view of everybody who lost Evan, the somber lyrics describe the heartbreak and devastation of losing a friend so suddenly and so young. The first verse lay it out simply,
Evan would’ve been anybody’s favorite /
Kind to your sister /
Handling finances /
Can’t believe they took you.
While a few of the songs are about a singular person, some blend similar stories into one narrative that’s representative of the lot. “Have you Seen Rachel?”, Ghaleb explained, conveys a feeling shared by many rather than a single story. The central message describes watching a friend struggle and not being able to help them because you’re in a bad place yourself. Especially in childhood, being able to support friends through huge life changes is a challenge. Sonically, the tune traces a similar arc as the rest of the album; a deliberate build from start to finish that hits the high notes and balances them out with softer melodies between choruses. The chorus details the message,
Wish there was a way to help Rachel /
Hate to be the one to let her down /
I’m not in a place where I can save her /
But I’m watching her drown /
And she’s watching me too /
Watching me too.
Pros and Cons of the World of a Writer
Ghaleb’s day job so to speak is to produce and write songs for big names like the Jonas Brothers, Dua Lipa and Sabrina Carpenter. This work funded Ghaleb’s ability to put out Children of Divorce independently and helped him develop meaningful connections with artists and other songwriters. Being in the room with other writers is one of Ghaleb’s favorite parts of the job, as he gets to bounce ideas off of other similar-minded people. “There’s no ego in the room, it’s really special.” he said. His relationships with artists allowed him the ability to explore another person’s world and develop unique ideas that are personal to the artists [rather than himself].
On the flip side, he explained that years of writing in the voice of other artists made it challenging to decipher what his own voice was. “Suddenly, you don’t know where your limit is or what your unique talents are,” he explained. He also noted that he works with artists across genres, so discovering where he wanted to place this album took time to develop.
He seems to have found a fitting place with Children of Divorce, genre bending and floating from alternative indie to dream pop to soft rock. There’s a song for everyone! Ghaleb says next on his bucket list is playing the record at a live show, but that’s still TBD.
“My favorite thing to do is perform live, so I’m hopeful that’s to come.”
Gather your favorite COD’s and give this record a listen!
