Interview: Porcell & Chui of Values Here

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer these questions. How have you been?

Porcell: I’ve been great, just gearing up for this Values Here record to come out. We put so much time, effort, blood, sweat and tears into it so to finally see it getting released is amazing.

Chui: Yeah we are super excited to finally show the result of all the work!

Can you tell us how you developed the idea to form Values Here?

Porcell: I actually wasn’t really looking to start a new band. It just kind of happened. Call it fate or whatever, but it really did just seem to fall into place. I met Chui briefly at a Shelter show in Barcelona. She told me she was a singer so we kind of joked we should do a band, but she took the idea seriously and kept in touch with me, asking if I had any tracks I could send her to sing over. A couple of years earlier I had written a few songs for the band Bold that I played in. We were considering the idea of doing a new album, but it never ended up happening. I thought the songs I wrote were really good and since they were just laying around unused I sent the demo’d versions to Chui. Literally a few days later Chui sent me back the first song with vocals, which was Will Be Tomorrow. I loved it. From there I knew we were onto something.

Chui: Yeah this man didn’t know what he was doing when he joked about doing a band with me,  as we say in Spain “no sabe dónde se ha metido”, little he knew that we would end up writing and recording a whole album!

How would you describe your musical direction and sound development? Were there any specific influences that shaped your approach?

Porcell: It’s interesting that we ended up calling the band Values Here, which is a Dag Nasty song, because I always loved DC hardcore and wanted to incorporate that sound into this band. I wanted it to be hardcore but with melodic elements from all those great DC bands like Dag Nasty, Embrace, Scream, Marginal Man and others.

Chui: What I did in this record is let it flow, I wasn’t looking for nothing specific. When Porcell sent me some idea I listened to it in repeat until the melody and lyrics came to my mind.

Take us through your songwriting process. How do you typically come up with ideas for lyrics and music?

Porcell: For this record I would write the songs first and completely demo them on Garageband with all the instruments so they sounded like rough versions of the actual album tracks. Then I’d send them to Chui. Luckily her brother owns a recording studio so she’d write the lyrics and he’d record her singing over the demo songs. We probably wrote about 20 songs and narrowed them down to the 13 best ones. After they were written we recorded for real with Tom Soares, who produced the Shelter “Mantra” record among others.

Could you share some insights into the lyrical content? Is there a central theme or message that you aim to convey?

Porcell: I think our overall message is summed up by the song “Bring Me the PMA.” There’s so much negativity and dissension in the world today, we just hope we can bring a little light into it.

Chui: Nowadays there are a lot of people, and especially young kids that suffer from depression and anxiety. I hope that our music can lend then a hand to get better and give them hope to fight to thrive.

What is the meaning behind your debut single, “Will Be Tomorrow”? How does it reflect the band’s values and message?

Porcell: Will Be Tomorrow is about not giving up on yourself. It’s so easy to get frustrated if things don’t immediately go your way, but just keep moving forward and eventually you’ll get there.

Chui: Exactly, those words describe my life, I’m glad I never surrendered or give up on trying, otherwise I won’t be here doing this!

Can you describe the concept and themes explored in your upcoming album, “Take Your Time, I’ll Be Waiting”?

Porcell: I don’t know if there’s one particular theme, but generally I think the mood of the band is positivity and optimism. It’s the thread that runs through the entire album, even though the songs may be about different topics.

Could you walk us through the recording process? Were there any notable challenges or memorable moments?

Porcell: There were A LOT of challenges. First off, I’ll have to preface this by saying I’m a perfectionist. My idea of recording an album is to make it as close to perfect as humanly possible, and I set the bar pretty high for myself and the band. We started recording with a different drummer and it just wasn’t working out, so we scrapped everything and started all over again with a new drummer, which actually turned out to be a key move because it improved the record tremendously. Tom Soares our producer is ALSO a perfectionist lol so if the timing or performance wasn’t exactly spot on he’d have us redo it, sometimes multiple times. It took time and we spent months getting everything right, but it paid off in the end, I’m really happy with the record. We named it “Take Your Time, I’ll Be Waiting,” which is a line from our song “We Get Stronger,” because the recording and mixing took way longer than we thought it would.

How did the choice of producer Tom Soares (Judge, Shelter) contribute to the overall sound and vision of the album?

Porcell: We could not have done this record without Tom. He was an integral part, and he went WAY above the call of duty, working long hours and really giving a lot of time and attention to each song. It’s amazing to work with someone who really cares about the music and is as emotionally invested into seeing it come out great as the band is. He’s a recording genius too and came up with a lot of good ideas for sounds, guitar parts, vocals and harmonies. It’s cool because he started out recording hardcore bands like the Cro Mags, Judge, Sick of It All and Agnostic Front but he went on to produce Destiny’s Child Jay Z, Britney Spears and other huge acts so he’s the best of both worlds.

Chui: We cannot thank Tom enough, he did a great job, we love him!

In terms of musical influences, which artists or bands have had the biggest impact on Values Here’s sound and style.

Porcell: Those DC bands that I mentioned earlier, but also I’d say a lot of early punk that I listened to as a kid. Growing up I loved bands like Stiff Little Fingers, the Buzzcocks, the Adolescents, 7 Seconds and others that were powerful but also had strong hooks and melody to them.

Chui: I don’t try to recreate any one’s voice , I adapt my way of singing depending of what the words that I’m saying make me feel.

Are there any specific tracks on the album that hold a special significance for the band? Can you share the backstory or inspiration behind them?

Porcell: For me it would be the song “Do You Know Why?” It’s a song about letting destiny unfold and it’s really the story of how this whole band just magically came together.

Chui: For me there are a few ones,” will be tomorrow “is exactly my way of living life, “Do you know why “is how I feel right now with this opportunity that the universe has given me. When I sing ” earthlings” I put my guts in it. I totally mean what I say I hope it makes people question their choices. “Victory” talks about overcoming an eating disorder, but I think anyone can transfer it to their life overcoming anything. “Last Forever” talks about losing a beloved one, I get very emotional everytime I sing it, my grandparents always come to my mind.

What do you hope listeners will take away from your music, both musically and thematically?

Porcell: I can honestly say that music changed my life. So many bands from Minor Threat to the Bad Brains to 7 Seconds had a huge impact on me and how I live my life. Values Here also puts out a message of positivity and hope, and if that rubs off on people that hear us, I’ll be happy.

Chui: I always say it, that’s my goal in life, if I can help someone with my words to change the way they see the world and look at it in a more optimistic way I’ll be satisfied.

As a band, what are your long-term goals and aspirations? Are there any particular milestones you hope to achieve?

Porcell: We want to tour the entire planet. Bigger bands, if you need an opening band for your tour, give us a shout and we’re there!

Chui: Yeeesss we want to play everywhere!!!

Can you provide insight into the visual direction and storytelling of the music video for “Will Be Tomorrow”? How does it complement the song’s message?

Porcell: That video was done by our friend and incredibly talented director Joseph Pattisall. My idea was “Hey let’s do it in that cool neighborhood in Brooklyn with all the graffiti” and he really made it come to life. The song is energetic and fun and optimistic and Joseph did a fantastic job capturing that. He also directed our second video for the song “Do You Know Why?” as well.

How do you envision Values Here’s a place within the contemporary hardcore punk scene? What sets you apart from other bands in the genre?

Porcell: We’re not really trying to fit into any particular genre. The whole band comes from the hardcore scene, so I think that will always influence our music, but we’re more concerned with making music that we like and that’s honest to us than trying to fit into a particular mold.

Chui: Exactly, if you like the music that’s what matters.

What role do you believe hardcore punk music plays nowadays in conveying powerful messages and promoting a positive mental attitude?

Porcell: The great thing about hardcore is the mentality that “if you’ve got something to say, learn a few chords and say it.” It’s simple, powerful, immediate music, and I’ve always loved it. It’s really cool to see it still impacting the lives of so many kids.

Besides the album release, are there any plans for tours or other exciting projects that our readers can look forward to?

Porcell: We’re trying to set up some tours now, so if you are a show promoter or booking agent, definitely get in touch with us. We just wanna get out there and play!

That’s it. Thank you so much for your time. Anything you would like to say to our readers?

Porcell: Keep it posi. And love animals, don’t eat them!

Chui: Thank you for the support! Keep the PMA!!!