Valencia 'This Could Be a Possibility' album

In their few short years as a band, Valencia has achieved a lot. They’ve opened for Fall Out Boy and All American Rejects, been chased down and signed to Midtown drummer Rob Hitt’s record label I Surrender, and been a finalist in SPIN.com’s Band of the Year competition. But while that list of achievements is certainly formidable, Valencia’s greatest accomplishment has always been their music. The result of the combination of five very different boys from Philadelphia, Valencia is an amalgam of the best- and hookiest- pop rock has to offer. It is exactly those varied backgrounds, personalities and influences that sets Valencia apart from their peers when it comes to songwriting. Having five different backgrounds in a band can be chaotic at times,” guitarist J.D. Perry explains. “We agree, we disagree, and we agree to disagree. Shane and I bring the sports aspect to the band, Brendan and George bring the brains, and Max brings the diversity. In the end everything just seems makes sense for us being together as a band.”

Guitarist Brendan Walter, bassist George Ciukurescu, drummer Max Soria, singer Shane Henderson and guitarist J.D.Perry allied themselves several years ago, but got their big break when Hitt discovered their three-track demo in March of 2005. So blown away by their music, Hitt called Valencia at 3 a.m. and immediately offered to release a full-length record on I Surrender. Those three songs then morphed in the album This Could Be a Possibility, which Hitt released in September of 2006.

“One of the bigger things I think makes Valencia unique is that not all the songs on our record sound the same,” Soria says of the album, which has garnered strong critical acclaim and a grand slew of fans. “Each song is different in music style and in lyrical content. Another thing that I think makes Valencia unique is that a lot of our songs paint a picture in your head when you listen to them, rather than being metaphorical or figurative.”

Since the release of This Could Be a Possibility Valencia has toured endlessly, always taking the time to sit behind their merch table and greet the fans. That bond the members of Valencia share with their crazed fan base has not only helped propel them into being a band you need to know, but help them beat out groups like The Academy Is… in the SPIN.com competition, which was based on online voting.

“We never want to be that band that you don’t see until we play our set and don’t see again after the show,” Soria says. “So if you come to one of our shows, please say hello, if not Brendan will probably walk up to you and ask if you'd like a free sticker.”

As their album and live show ultimately reveal, Valencia is a band to be reckoned with and they won’t allow hard times or limitations get in their way.

“Our CD is titled ‘This Could Be a Possibility,’” Perry says. “Anything is possible if you put your mind to it.”

And clearly, the members of Valencia have.

Biography

Philadelphia-based Valencia is taking the underground music scene by storm. Check them out live or download one of their songs and it will become clear why Valencia is set to leave a tremendous mark on independent music in 2006. One listen and you’ll be hooked—that’s what happened to I Surrender Records label owner Rob Hitt.

Rob discovered Valencia in his box of demos in late March 2005. Within 10 minutes of listening to their three-track offering, he knew that he wanted to sign them. “I immediately felt there was something very special about Valencia,” says Rob. “It was 3 am, but I was so moved by their music that I called them and offered to release a full length without hesitation.” A week later, Valencia became part of the I Surrender family.

Formed less than two years ago, this quintet creates an infectious blend of guitar-mangled, multi-layered, melodic rock reminiscent of early Saves the Day fused with Thrice, but with Valencia’s own unique personality and character. Meet the band and its clear what drives this character. The ideas and personalities of the musicians in Valencia are anything but familiar in today’s saturated scene. Perhaps this is a function of their checkered backgrounds—Shane (vocals) worked as a beer-man during Eagles games; JD (guitar) gave up a full soccer scholarship to play in the band; Brendan (guitar) was one of only 32 people in America to get sued by the RIAA for file sharing; Max (drums) builds his own instruments and immigrated from Philippians via cargo ship; and George (bass) worked in an Alaskan fish cannery one summer. Whatever the case may be, this relatively young act’s amazing musicianship, mature song writing ability, and professionalism are impressive; in fact, it’s fair to say that Valencia, as a whole package, is on par with or surpasses the skill of any of the scene’s past or present favorite bands. These characteristics set Valencia apart from their peers.

Sharing the stage with modern day peers like Brand New, The Starting Line, Me Without You, Senses Fail, Mae, The Early November, Days Away, Hidden in Plain View and Owen, Valencia has played everywhere from Los Angeles to New York City. Now, with the backing of I Surrender, these up-and-comers are set to release their debut album, “This Could All Be A Possibility,” in early October. The band will constantly be on tour for the next year in support of the album. Check them out when they come to your hometown and you will not be disappointed.

An insider’s take on Valencia:

Meet George Ciukurescu-Bass. George is probably the most ridiculous person I have ever had the privilege of meeting. Let me tell you why: At any given time, if not all the time, George is anxious and awkward. He's the kind of guy that you throw a ball to and if it's not a clean throw; he'll desperately juggle the ball for twenty seconds before he catches it. If that doesn't paint a picture of who George is, he once told me that the pinnacle of his life was during a drunken college party his freshman year. Somehow he was hoisted up to a crowd surf and then everyone started chanting "Corduroy Coat! Corduroy Coat!" To this day George wears that coat like a high school quarterback would wear his letter jacket on game day. As anxious and awkward George is, he pulls it off so well. In many ways he reminds me of Seinfeld's George Costanza, unbearably awkward, but absolutely endearing. By far I find George to be the coolest guy in Valencia.

Brendan Walter-Guitar. There really isn't much to say about Brendan other than he's the shit. It's not everyday that you get to meet, or come to know someone that has such an amazing amount of enthusiasm and dedication towards what they do. He loves music and being in band. Brendan's enthusiasm however, is not without a bit of irony. A month after he moved to Philadelphia, Brendan received a letter from the RIAA stating that he was being prosecuted for the sharing of music files. Unable to pay for a lawyer, he buckled down and begged his parents to front him the money to avoid going to prison for piracy. He was only one of only 32 college students in America to get prosecuted. "That whole thing with the RIAA was just ridiculous, it was such a kick in the balls. Man, I could of gotten so many other things with the money my parents had to pay to keep me outta jail. I really don't know how I'm ever going to pay them back, hopefully everyone will just buy our CD and that way I can pay them back. Ah well, if there's one thing I'm happy about, it's that I'm still playing music and playing shows, and not in the slammer." Now that's the shit.

J.D. Perry-Guitar is the quiet one of the group. J.D. most likely won't say a word to you unless you address him directly. It's not that he doesn't like you; he's just not one for words. The first time I met him was at our first band practice. We probably played three or so songs before he peeped out his first words to me, "Oh I'm J.D. by the way," immediately after which he blushed and turned away. All I could think was; finally some kind of introduction, I'm only a stranger in your house. It wasn't until after a month of head nods and awkward smiles that JD finally started to become more casual. It was then that I found out this modest mouse actually had something to say: J.D., apparently, had passed up a hefty full college-soccer scholarship to stay with the band. "There probably was a good three months of silence between my parents and me when I told them I wasn't going to take up the scholarship, it was all during the Thanksgiving and Christmas season too." What do you say to something like that? My loss for words prompted my stupid response, "Umm, that sucks man."

Shane Henderson-Vocals is perhaps the most passionate person I know. Talking to Shane alone is like watching a movie during its climax, your eyes are wide and a million things are rushing through your head. I once made the mistake of mentioning how I kind of liked the band Rise Against and Shane went ape shit. "Oh my god I love Rise Against, they are like my favorite band and I've seen them like fifteen times!" For the next five minutes Shane hummed Rise Against songs all while air drumming to each one. Before I met Shane I thought the only people who had such extreme emotions in what they were into were sports fanatics. I couldn't be more right. Shane is a die-hard Philly sports fan, especially when it comes to the Eagles. Shane loves the Eagles so much he worked as a beer man at Lincoln Financial Field just so he could watch Eagles games. "I was there for this past years NFC championship at the Linc, it was so f'n ridiculous man. You should have seen the whole stadium explode when the Eagles won, I don't think I've ever been so happy in my life." As intense as it is talking to Shane, I often enjoy conversations with him. I always have a huge smile on my face and I get that feeling of I just can’t wait.

Maxim Soria (a.k.a. myself). I was commissioned by my band mates to write this biography, and so I'm also faced with the daunting task of explaining myself to you. My extreme love for music started a bit later in life than that of my band members. During my junior year of high school my long-time friend George Zbyr handed me a pair of drumsticks and put me behind his beat up old pearl drum kit. For the next four years I played in two bands and learned as much as I could about music and drums. I owe a lot to my long time friend and the two bands I’ve played in during those past four years. That was that. Now here I am five years later; still with a poor grasp of the English language, still eating rice, still laughing at my own jokes, and still loving every second; writing, recording, and playing music with my band, Valencia.

Valencia is:

JD Perry; Guitar
Max Soria; Drums
Brendan Walter; Guitar
Shane Henderson; Vocals
George Ciukurescu; Bass

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Valencia - This Could Be a Possibility