Sydney’s rising indie trio Valley Onda have returned with their arresting new single ‘Minacious’, out now via Valley Onda Records. Known for their brooding, cinematic textures and genre-defying approach, the band is composed of Jordan Wilson (vocals, guitar), Michiya Nagai (keys), and Galen Sultmann (drums). The band have steadily built a reputation through national tours alongside The Money War and Brightness, landed radio spins on triple j, and earned praise from tastemakers including The AU Review and Happy Mag. With the members bearing heavyweight credentials spanning performances alongside Paul Kelly, John Mayer, and appearances at The Grass is Greener, their synergy as a trio has made it’s triumphant culmination in ‘Minacious’: a bold, atmospheric meditation on fear and transformation, merging dusky Western tension with towering vocals, cinematic synths, and a swirl of ambient textures, drawing comparisons to Radiohead, The Doors, and The Black Angels.
Listen to ‘Minacious’ while you read our interview with frontman Jordan Wilson below.
Paint us a picture: what sparked your passion for the arts in the first place? Was there a single moment or experience that solidified your decision to pursue this path?
I was always on the fringe of the music scene, writing a few songs. But there was a crystallizing moment around 2007 when I had just left school. I was at The Great Escape Festival and there was something amazing going on with the folk scene that I can’t really explain but it was powerful. I saw Angus & Julia Stone, The John Butler Trio and Missy Higgins that year and I was sold on this whole stage thing. Another key experience was riding in my father’s car and listening to his education on all the old greats like Nick Cave, Paul Kelly and Bob Dylan. They were saying something in their songs that spoke to me on a deep level. It’s like they were describing my life better than I could live it.
When you create, what leads the way – a feeling, a story, or the sound itself?
It’s normally a moment of surrender. The start is never easy, but there is a quiet voice saying ‘go to the piano, go to the piano’. Then it’s usually the spark of a melody and eventually a story emerges. In regards to the sounds, I usually like to collaborate at this part to expand the original idea.
What’s in your toolkit? Share the gear, gadgets, or software you can’t create without.
Mine are probably more spiritual teachers like Eckhart Tolle or Byron Katie. They help me through the self doubt, or the concept of the self full stop. I’m an acoustic guy, so I have an upright piano and god knows how many guitars. I usually like to have my dogs lounging around and some incense burning.
What’s your go-to ritual or trick for getting into the creative zone?
I’m big into Qigong at the moment, that helps to settle me. But a glass of wine and burning a bit of incense also helps. Reading is another one. But at the moment I’m actually pushing myself outside of my comfort zone to learn drums and a bit of drawing.
What’s the one item you always keep within arm’s reach while creating or performing?
Definitely my Maton acoustic guitar, I’ve had it since 2009 and she’s given me so many songs. A beer doesn’t hurt either.
How did you ultimately end up defining your sound?
Nature played a big role in how I ended up settling on my sound, listening to silence and the natural movements in the Australian Bushland. I wanted to take deep lyrical matter and contrast it with intricate sounds, and then taking this initial idea to great collaborators to expand the vision into the digital age.
How has your creative process or perspective shifted since you started your journey?
Massively, I probably didn’t have a process at the start. The songs just came, in a way they still do but I have to nurture it more now. Keep myself open to the creative channels by actively taking little steps, jotting down ideas or keeping up my practise. Maybe trying something completely new to get the juices flowing.
Walk us through a recording session: what’s the most memorable moment you’ve had in the studio?
Recording ‘Brutha’ with ‘Galen’ was incredible. I was really reluctant to try looping as it didn’t feel like my style, after some persuasion Galen helped me set it all up and made the process very easy for me and I loved just getting down different ideas and layering up the track. That song was really a catalyst for the new album, it gave us the confidence to push into a new era of Valley Onda.
Are there any unexpected or dream collaborations hidden in your work?
Bon Iver would be an epic collaborator. We did a track with a rapper called Chrispy which was pretty amazing. I think there is great scope for more hip hop verses in Valley Onda’s work.
Any side projects you’re working on?
I recorded an album with my fiancé in a band called The Darling Hearts, with some great local musicians in Sydney. Mich is in an electronic duo called Lamalo and Galen produces Techno and House Music.
Who’s an emerging artist you think deserves more recognition right now?
There’s an artist called Mimi Gilbert who is incredible, she’s about to release a new album. She has an incredible presence on stage and writes amazing songs with so much space and raw power.
What’s the strangest or most surprising song currently on your playlist?
I like listening to old Irish folk songs. I always come back to the song ‘Wild Mountain Thyme’. To contrast that Sam Fischer has an absolute pop banger called ‘Hopeless Romantic’.
Which song, album or playlist do you never get sick of no matter how many times you listen to it?
‘Silver Coin’ by Angus & Julia Stone is very special to me, it’s so delicate and it takes me back to that special time when I was just leaving school. It was an innocent time.
Are there any unexpected hobbies or projects you’re exploring outside of your main work?
I’ve got a business in the disability sector which I love. There has been cross-over with my music career through music workshops, but we run all sorts of programs like fishing and horse-riding.
If your life and career were an album, what would its title be, and what’s the hidden track only your fans would know?
The album would be called While You’re Up and the hidden track would be a 12 minute Sitar rendition of Valley Onda’s song ‘Fishin’’.
Give us a glimpse into the future – what surprises or milestones are coming up for you this year?
We’re releasing the 2nd single off our album on the 18th of July called ‘Minacious’, on the 12th of September we’re dropping a real banger called ‘Reebok Fantasy’ followed by the album on the 31st of October with a big launch show here in Sydney.
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