Kat Harlton
Valdii kicked off his musical career through the creation of the band Eleven Past One in 2009. Eleven Past One found success through their breakout gold-selling single ‘The World Is Ours’ released in 2013, with over 1 million views on YouTube, and reaching status of being a Top 15 Radio hit in Canada. Valdii has performed with artists such as Down with Webster, Hedley, Cody Simpson, Tyler Shaw, and Danny Fernandes, in addition to making tv appearances on MuchMusic’s New Music Live, The Marilyn Denis Show, YTV’s The Next Star, The Morning Show, Breakfast Television, CP24, and Family Channel among others.
Now pursuing his solo career, the recipient of the Songwriter of The Year Award (Oshawa Music Awards 2020) is continuing to work with top producers, writers, and artists to showcase his talent. We had the opportunity to chat with Valdii about his new single “The Mirror”, what he’s learned along the way, and what’s next.
Kat: Can you talk about the inspiration behind your new single “The Mirror”?
Valdii: I really wanted to write a song about the darkness that I’ve been through in my life. I remember the times that I’d look at myself in the mirror and I’d have a serious love/hate thing going on. I would love and hate some ‘bad decisions’ that I would repeatedly make. Or I would hate a certain thing about myself that I didn’t have the power to change. I think a lot of people can relate. The Mirror is about just that.
Kat: “The Mirror” was produced by Brian Howes (Simple Plan, Serena Ryder, Nickelback) What did he help you discover/bring to the track?
Valdii: Brian not only produced this song but also helped me write it. When I write with him, I go into the session with ideas, lyrics, sounds, titles that I want to write about and then he helps bring them to life. Brian has always been able to pull greatness out of me.
Kat: You were the lead singer in band Eleven Past One. The band found success in 2013 with their breakout gold-selling single “The World Is Ours,” reaching over 1 million views on YouTube and being the Top 15 Radio hit in Canada. As part of Eleven Past One, you’ve shared the stage with amazing artists including Down with Webster, Cody Simpson, Tyler Shaw, and Danny Fernandes. What did you learn from that experience, and what lessons are you bringing with you as a solo artist?
Valdii: I’ve definitely learned a lot from the success I had with my band. I’ve learned a lot about performing, a lot about the business side of the industry for sure. At one point, for a while actually, I was basically wearing all the hats for the band; manager, publicist, and performer. It was very hard, very stressful. It’s SUPER important to build a good team that believes in you and the vision and goals you have in order for you to have some burdens lifted off of you so that you can solely be the artist.
Kat: You also recently released Christmas single “The Messiah Was Born”. Can share of the inspiration for that track, and what you hope your fans take away from it this holiday season?
Valdii: Well I actually wrote this song like a decade ago. It was about time that I made a record of it. It’s the simple story of Jesus Christ coming to this earth. Being born and then dying for our sins only to be raised again. Christ is love. God is love. We need to share this love with the world. I truly believe that Jesus is the reason for the Christmas season and that’s what this song portrays.
Kat: What’s next?
Valdii: World domination! LOL I have unreleased songs ready to go, so we will be releasing more music in the near future but I’m working on another 4 or 5 songs starting mid December through January. Also, the music video for The Mirror is in the works!
For more on Valdii visit: http://www.valdii.com