Private Island unleash experimental excellence in their new Valleyheart EP, bringing their exuberant energy to the forefront of their latest musical project.
Bursting with feel-good ferocity, the Californian alt-rock trio depict astonishing anecdotes and tales of good times in their latest release. Rocketing into the scene, they reverberate with a sense of their playful spirit. Narrating tales of adolescence, angst and pretty much everything in between, members Christian Lum, Tommy Nickerson, and Cameron Anderson have come together to form a truly exceptional EP.
Following the success of their most recent release, 1883 Magazine chats with the band about the inspiration behind Valleyheart, how they consolidated their rather compelling narratives into their own sound, and how their musical project has formed not only a collection of fantastic tunes, but also into a tighter friendship…
Hey Private Island! You guys are back with a brand new EP Valleyheart! Before we delve into the EP itself, can you tell us how you originally formed back in the summer of 2013?
From what I can remember, we were all just friends at the time that played music and decided to do that together. The music scene where we’re from was pretty close-knit and everyone kinda at least knew of each other from shows and what not.
You’re currently residing in Southern California! How has that inspired your songwriting? Are there any references to the state in the EP?
There’s so much to be inspired by out here in Southern California. Consciously for us, not really though. We were all more or less born and raised out here so it’s just home to us.
You burst with energy and that playful spirit we’ve all come to love! We often find your music depicts anecdotal tales. Out of the seven tracks in your latest release, which in your opinion tells the best story?
I think I like Your Call the best in that regard. It was fun to write a song about me waiting on unemployment checks.
Natural was first written way back in 2017. Can you tell us how the tune came about?
We took a trip to Big Bear, CA (small town in the mountains) with our producer at the time, Bob Curtin, and busted out like 8 demos. After that we didn’t touch any of them until years later. Out of those 8 I believe Natural was the only one we ever finished and released. The original demo had some really funny lyrics that were making it hard to change/release, so I had to phone a friend to help finish writing it. Shout out Andrew Sedo.
What did you learn about yourselves throughout the recording and writing process? Was there anything that in-particular that surprised you?
I think it was surprising how easy the process was this time. No major speed bumps or fights or anything. Just did the damn thing. We’ve been doing this together for a long time and it feels like that time spent just might now be coming into fruition from a logistical standpoint. Well-oiled machine.
Valleyheart really encapsulates a true spectrum of emotions. Do you each have a favourite track from the EP, and if so, why?
It’s hard to pick a favorite track. It definitely varies over time. After being so close to the project for so long and hearing each song a billion times it’s hard to really know. I think after a few months of not hearing these songs I’d be more ready to pick a favorite.
I believe we’re right in saying that Valleyheart was entirely self-written and produced in Lum’s home studio! How have you found the collaborative process as a band?
It was great! We’re best of friends doing what we love together.
Why Valleyheart? What was the inspiration behind the name?
It’s the street I live on, where we wrote and recorded the whole EP.
How has the fan reaction been lately? When, situationally, in your opinion is the best time to delve into the EP?
It’s been great I think hahah. We’re going on tour soon, so I think we’ll find out more definitively when we play these songs live.
I believe we did a good job on this EP at making each song different from the last, so as far as when is the best time to delve into the whole EP is kinda tough.
What’s next on the cards for you? Do you have anything else exciting planned for the rest of the year? Could we see another release in coming months?
Touring the US again seems to be our next step. As far as releases go, we got a lot of older finished unreleased songs that we’re planning on releasing soon. We’re also planning on doing a full band version of Good to Die which the whole band is really excited about.
Valleyheart is out now, follow Private Island via @pvtilnd
Interview Joe Beer
