Shane Henderson on life after Valencia and going solo
When you're young and involved in a job that consumes your life, it's pretty damn hard to have the foresight and understanding that it won't last forever. I myself have fallen victim to wide eyes and naive thoughts many times, but sometimes you just know when it is time to try something different. As simple as that sounds, that is pretty much what led to the recent hiatus of Valencia. There were no fights or harsh words, there wasn't even any drama (how boring, right?). We just realized that we were blessed to have spent the last 7-8 years doing something we love, meeting so many amazing people, building something greater than the sum of the 5 of us, and we honestly just didn't want to run the name into the ground. By no means are we gone for good, I truly believe that when all of us feel ready to approach this with open arms again we will. I think sometimes people need to see what they're missing to become excited about a band again.
Since the hiatus, my focus has switched from Valencia, to all things music. Literally! I have dabbled in producing, co-writing, music composition for commercial use, I've even been making hip-hop beats. My main priority however, has been a project i've been working on since I was 16, a project called Promise Of Redemption. It wasn't a very hard decision to make when I was faced with it. I love music, I think it is more powerful than people give it credit for, and to be able to change someone's life by simply expressing yours is an unbelievable power. The new music has been taking a pretty crazy turn back to my roots, but also staying true to the style that put me here in the first place. I'm anxious, nervous, proud, happy, and pant-shittingly excited all in one. I've added my friend (and latest member of Valencia) Trevor Leonard to the POR team, and we've been working on the new album at Studio 4 in Conshohocken, PA with Will Yip and Phil Niccolo.
The whole transitional process was pretty tough on me. I loved Valencia, its fans, and everything it stood for. It took a while to really let the fear of “holy shit what am I going to do now” subside, and when it did the answer was what it had always been. Just keep moving. So once January 1st rolled around, it was time to shake of the rust and get right back into the swing. There was only one problem, Valencia had a team of people behind it to really push it in the right direction. I had myself. While I had been through the gauntlet many times, and I understood the business, let's face it–I had no label, no management, no booking agent, no publishing deal. I was truly the only person I had to rely on besides my family and loved ones. It felt like I was staring up at Mount Everest, but sometimes when your back is against the wall you tend to do your best work, and I feel like the stress and pressure boosted my work ethic and reminded me that I can't take anything for granted. So I went back to writing the way I always had, with my heart on my sleeve and an honest look at myself.
In this business, there are so many ups and downs that it is hard to stay flat-footed. I'm not going to lie, sometimes it feels like I inappropriately touched karmas sister and am feeling wrath of his baseball bat upon my future. You know that feeling where you say to yourself “what the hell do I have to do to get this to work out?” All of us have been there, even the successful ones. While this industry is not a very forgiving one, it can be a very rewarding one. I truly feel that all the downs will someday lead to an up, cause success doesn't make the man, work ethic does. Which is why rather than bitching to you about all the issues that have gone on in my life, and all the bullshit that prevented the further success of my band, I'd rather let you know that I am grateful for my fans for putting me in the position I am in. Even though my band is on a break, I can continue on doing something I love and it's all because of them, the fans. That, my friends, is an up to me.
The future of POR is still being written. I've been working and writing a lot with Trevor Leonard, and Will Noon (of FUN), and it truly is starting to feel like a band or even better, a family. I think you will all be a little surprised with the new tunes. I am so anxious for you all to hear them! I just hope if you ever see that I am in your town playing a show, you'll come say hi! We are headed to the UK from May 17th-May 29th including two stops at the Slam Dunk Festival. This summer we hope to finish the record and have it out to all of your wonderful ears ASAP. I am excited for this new journey, there's just one thing I have left to say.
Will you come with me?
