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Vale Shares Debut EP ‘Aftertouch’

April 27, 2022

Rising electro-pop artist Vale has been making a serious name for himself since the return of live music with prominent support slots with the likes of Houseplants and Soda Blonde.

This Friday 29th April sees the release of Vale’s debut EP, Aftertouch – a stunning collection of six songs that display the Tipperary musician’s ability to make brave sparse electropop in an uncompromising way.

Collaborating with people like Nashville-based producer Owen Lewis , Icelandic musician Sin Fang (of the band Seabear ) and producer, multi-instrumentalist David O’Connor, Vale is the new project of Eoin Hally, who will be familiar to many from his previous band, the Cork-based Pale Rivers .

Songs like ‘Allow and Breach’ and ‘The Sun Is My Filter’ are joined by new single ‘Warning Sign’, all of them featuring Vale’s signature audio-cathedral-building soundscapes and distinctive vocal that will be familiar to fans of his former outfit.

Aftertouch is a collection of songs that has, Vale says, evolved from a moment when he was unsure if it would ever be shared with anyone. “Some of it is rooted in darkness, more of it is questioning our place here. It can sound in places, cold, careless or maybe even hurtful… but it’s quietly hopeful, moving along, step by step,” he says.

Having been conceptualised just before the dawn of lockdown in Ireland, the USA and Iceland, an incredible Vale live show is in the works with a full four piece band that includes Alex Ridley (HousePlants, Daithí) on drums, David O’Connor (Pale Rivers, The Workshop Studio) on Ableton and samples duty, Kate Twohig on piano and OP1 and Hally himself on vocals and, as he puts it, a whole bunch of synths.

Without a doubt, Vale is Hally’s most striking musical project to date; one that showcases honed writing skills and production that isn’t afraid to push boundaries, but nor is it afraid to show restraint. The result is expansive music that is as lush as it is sparse, with just the right level of restraint in between crescendos. This is music that is crying out to be experienced underneath a stretch tent, resplendent with an immersive AV show.

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