‘We think we’ve made something that’s unique and interesting’
Hi Jess/jamie - tell us all about Angel B Valentine?
We’re a duo featuring a vocalist and guitarist. We’ve been writing songs together for a year-and-a-half now. We gravitate towards the alt-pop genre but have quite an eclectic taste so we try to incorporate as much as we can. We think we’ve created something pretty unique and interesting.
How did you come up with the band name?
Jamie is from Southport and Jess is from Stoke-on-trent. We met when we both moved to Manchester. Originally the name was going to be an alter ego for Jess and so Jamie suggested it would be funny to name it after a Robbie Williams song which is where ‘Angel’ came from. The ‘B Valentine’ is a nod to My Bloody Valentine, one of our favourite bands, and we incorporate a lot of shoegaze elements into a lot of our songs.
■ What kind of vibe would you say you’re throwing out?
Our vibe captures introspective, emotive lyrics intertwined with sweet ethereal vocals and guitar melodies, complemented by dreamy synth textures and often accentuated by acoustic drums. While drawing inspiration from a mix of genres, our overarching vibe is alt-pop.
■ Do you both write the songs?
Yes. We started out with our strong suits like Jamie coming up with guitar riffs and Jess creating synth tracks or recording vocal melody then sharing it with one another. But over time we have both learned from one another. We work really well together and feel comfortable communicating when it comes to crafting a song.
■ Do you have a game plan or are you just going to see what happens?
We plan to be as consistent as possible and feel that it’s the best way to go forward in the current climate. Writing as much as we can and focusing on building up enough traction for our music but still leaving a good amount of time between releases to get everyone excited. We’re always working towards reaching potential fans through social media.
■ Where do you record and who produces your tracks?
We recorded our latest tracks at Silk Mill in Newcastle under Lyme – Georgia Fullalove is our producer. She is incredibly talented and dedicated and worked so hard to help us bring our vision to life. She cares about our music which made the whole thing much more exciting.
■ Jamie, tell us about yourself
(Jamie) I’m Jamie (they/them) and I’ve been playing music for most of my life. I started out with piano, then moved to bass guitar which I’ve now been playing for almost 15 years. I hadn’t joined a band or anything like that but two years ago I picked up my first electric guitar and it completely revitalised my passion for music. After meeting Jess and discovering how similar our tastes were I knew I wanted to start writing with her and I think we’ve written some interesting and fresh music.
■ How did you meet?
(Jess) We met in September 2022 when I moved to Manchester. We found each other on social media and started chatting about music then realised how much our tastes aligned. I was initially debating a solo music career but Jamie sent me their music and I thought they were so talented. I quickly put vocals to the track they sent and they loved it. Here we are about to release our first song together.
■ Things seem to be happening quite quickly for you guys with a single being released very soon, and also a headline show in Manchester ?
We’ve moved relatively fast – writing, forming the live band, rehearsing, and playing our first gig within nine months of starting. We’ve discovered that we both thrive under pressure so the combination of releasing our debut single as well as planning a headline gig has kept us on our toes.
■ I see you’ve been doing quite a few gigs with the Scruff of the Neck record label in Manchester. Are you working with the label?
We have a great relationship with Scruff and their head of live Joe Cockburn. They’ve put us up for four gigs now and have been a great help while we’re making a name for ourselves. We’re hoping that relationship continues into this year’s festival season and beyond!
■ Do you have an EP coming out or are you working on an album?
It has definitely been discussed but at the moment we’re just writing as much music as possible. We tend to write very varied songs in terms of genre, tone, and overall feel so we want to make sure any collection of songs we release work together as well as separately. We’re also thinking from a marketing strategy on what the best way to release an Ep/album is in 2024.
■ What else have you got coming up this year?
Our first headline show takes place on April 12 at Off the Square in Manchester. We’ve written five new songs for this one and they’re some of our favourites yet so we’re super excited. Aside from that we have a few more singles that were recorded alongside Parasite that will be released later this year, so watch this space!
■ You played Year’s End Fest in Manchester alongside some pretty decent bands which must have been amazing?
It was a great experience for our first festival. We are music fans first and foremost so being able to share the stage with some other fantastic bands was so much fun.
■ Any particular countries or festivals you’d love to play?
(Jamie) For me, Leeds/ Reading as it’s the one closest to my heart but obviously Glastonbury would be nice too! In terms of country, anywhere hot that we can play outside in.
(Jess) I agree with Jamie that long term, Glastonbury is the dream for every musician. Primavera in Barcelona would also be pretty cool. But in the nearer future it would be amazing to play Green Man Festival as it’s hosted some of my favourite artists over the years as well as some really talented smaller/ introducing musicians too.