Described as “soulful, genuine, and edgy” by the San Francisco Bay Guardian and an “indie folk powerhouse” by Bend’s Source Weekly, Valerie Orth is a fearless and genre-bending songwriter. Her distinctive hybrid of rock, groove, soul, and folk reaches out and grabs your attention; her live performances captivate and charm at once.
Her tunes move nimbly between darkness and light, hope and despair, taking deft turns of phrase along unforeseen rhythmic twists in the road. And she navigates the...
Described as “soulful, genuine, and edgy” by the San Francisco Bay Guardian and an “indie folk powerhouse” by Bend’s Source Weekly, Valerie Orth is a fearless and genre-bending songwriter. Her distinctive hybrid of rock, groove, soul, and folk reaches out and grabs your attention; her live performances captivate and charm at once.
Her tunes move nimbly between darkness and light, hope and despair, taking deft turns of phrase along unforeseen rhythmic twists in the road. And she navigates them unafraid to stray from safe passage, ever flirting with the edge, crossing the uncharted bridge, confident she’ll reach her destination intact.
Rich with melody and metaphor, “her songs and vocalizations are unpredictable and highly original,“ writes the Jefferson Agrarian. “Just when you think she’s going to settle into a familiar groove, off she flies into the stratosphere with phrasings you never saw coming.”
Valerie understands song as revolution, whether personal or political, and as evolution, creating change within herself and the possibility for it within her listeners. Her calls to action, for compassion, or to a distant lover in a faraway city, are all voiced with equal clarity and conviction.
Fueled by ambitions and beliefs from years of social and economic justice work, she has merely shifted mediums as an activist, now using song to unite, inspire, and give voice to those often unheard. "Know who observes what you don’t see, who tells the long-forgotten story, who makes you feel, who makes you dance, who else feeds your movement." (Movers & Shakers)
Her forthcoming CD, Faraway City, features Scott Amendola (Charlie Hunter) on drums, Julie Wolf (Ani DiFranco, Indigo Girls) on piano and organ, and Jon Evans (Tori Amos) on bass and electric guitar. Produced by Evans, it amply displays Valerie's range as composer, lyricist, and singer.
Joining forces in May of 2009, Valerie's dynamic live band features Abigail Picache on drums and backing vocals, Veronika Safarova on bass and backing vocals, and Eryn Pola on keys. With their compelling stage presence, fluid chemistry, and collective spirit, they play like a band that's been together far longer. They'll be touring behind the album this coming fall.
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