Val Halla

Artist Information

Biography

***Val's tour initiatives in 2010 were made possible with the assistance and support of the Saskatchewan Arts Board, through the Culture On The Go program.
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BIO
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Val Halla is a Canadian singer/songwriter from Regina, Saskatchewan who has fused Rock N Roll, Country, Blues, Grunge, and Soul into a genre all her own.

She toured all across the United States and Canada for the last 2 years straight in 2010 and 2011, opening for such legends as Ted Nugent, Alice Cooper, and Burton Cummings, as well as headlining her own shows throughout both countries.


Her sound has been described by one fan as "Courtney Love meets the Allman Brothers", and by a friend as a cross between the Grunge and Country genres, namely "Gruntry".

"I've had a lot of people within the industry tell me that I need to pick one or the other. If i want to play heavy bluesy distorted riffs, I can't also be doing rootsy acoustic ballads. But all my heroes from the 70's were doing just that, and it worked very well! If a band like the Doobie Brothers, or Lynyrd Skynrd or even Led Zeppelin came out now, they would have some songs that might get played on rock radio, but they'd have some that would fit more on country radio. The formats for the stations now have become so narrow, and the music is sounding more similar and sterile than ever in both genres. There are still great artists in both genres, don't get me wrong. But i think that radio isn't giving anyone who is too far outside of the narrow lines a chance, and ultimately that is hurting today's artists, and their fans. That's why I called the album 'No Place'. If its too 'rootsy' for rock radio, and too 'edgy' for country radio, then I'll be content to have no place to fit in, and i'll carve out my own place! I see it as a really positive thing actually, because I have country fans who like my music, and rock fans who like my music. Why would I ever want to purposefully alienate half of my fans?"

Val Halla was born and raised in the heartland of the Canadian prairies, to a Hot Air Balloon pilot, fiddle playing father, and a motorcycle riding, visual artist mother. The cold harsh winters, coupled with humble prairie life, led Val to develop a wild imagination and a deep love of music.

At the age of 5 she was playing the piano and wrote her first song. By the time she was 11, Val had just started learning songs of the 90’s grunge movement, playing on an old nylon string classical guitar her grandfather had given to her mother. After a few years of lessons focusing on grunge and rock n roll, Val’s guitar teacher was finally able to persuade her parents to buy her an electric guitar.

“All I was playing was Nirvana and Classic Rock.” says Halla, now 26. “My guitar teacher saw how I was struggling with this thick fretboard on the nylon string with my tiny hands, trying to play Aneurysm, and just couldn’t stand to watch it anymore.” Thanks to Halla’s childhood guitar teacher, she soon discovered the joys of overdriven guitar tones and new sonic and technical landscapes she had never before dreamed of. Now an endorsing artist for both Mack Amps and Carparelli Guitars, she has found a unique style and sound all her own, and is making big waves in the guitar and music communities alike.

In the summer of 2010, Val was asked to be the opening act on Ted Nugent's Trample the Weak Hurdle the Dead tour. Val Halla played 41 shows all across America with the Motor City Madman, and performed to just under 100,000 people in 2010 alone.

Val Halla’s song “The Bad Girl Touch” was featured and reviewed in the November 2009 issue of Guitar Player magazine by the Editor in Chief himself, Michael Molenda. Molenda made note of Halla’s “seductive singing and coy lyrics” in addition to a positive review of her playing abilities.

Only a few weeks later Halla was contacted by Guitar World Magazine to be featured in their 2009 Holiday Buyer’s Guide.

Gary Allen, best known for his days drumming in the Charlie Daniels Band and with guitar legend JJ Cale, remarked “If Nancy Wilson could sing like Val Halla, she could have kept all the money.”

Steve Gunner of Creedance Clearwater Revisted testifies “She is very talented, and has a great future in the music business.” Gunner adds that Halla “is serious about her craft, and I admire her determination.”

That determination was first demonstrated just after Halla turned 17 years old, moving two provinces away to the big city of Vancouver, British Columbia to pursue her music further. “My parents didn’t believe me that I was going for music. They asked me if there was some guy who was brain washing me to go out there. I just told them I knew I had to go, because the music was out there calling to me. I don’t blame them for thinking I was crazy!”

After 7 years of hard work in Vancouver, including 3 years working and apprenticing at Greenhouse Studios doing Recording Engineering, Val Halla decided to leave Vancouver to see what inspiration she might find in Nashville, TN. She spent her time going back and forth between Nashville and Saskatchewan, spending hours on end writing, performing, and recording. After two years of this diligent work which Val has referred to as a "self-imposed musical boot camp", she released the album "No Place" in March of 2010.

"I wrote 7 of the songs on No Place myself, and I decided to include 3 songs that were cowrites as well. Nashville is known for its cowriting, so I was encouraged to try it out when I first went there. Cowriting is definitely still new to me, but 3 amazing songs came out of those writing sessions that I am very proud of. One of those is "Be One Tonight" which Murray Pulver of Doc Walker wrote with myself and 2 others. It was so cool because I wrote it the day before heading to Canada to start recording and it made it on the album. We sent the track back down to Murray in Nashville and he performed the guitar solo on it. It feels really good to have other people sharing in that process. Elliott Randall, who played one of my favorite solos of all time on Steely Dan's "Reelin in the Years" also played on No Place. He is the featured guitarist on the albums closing track "Drink My Life Away". This was such a personal and sentimental track for me, I can't believe how well Elliott found a way to express my own sentiments in his playing. I was honored to have him on my record."

Immediately the industry started to respond. In 2010 Val Halla performed alongside Def 3 at the Saskatchewan Olympic Pavilion in Vancouver, showcased in Toronto at Canadian Music Week, showcased in Austin during SXSW, performed multiple showcases at the Florida Music Festival, and showcased in April in West Hollywood while the Musexpo Conference was taking place. This final showcase brought out Nathan Gregory of McGhee Entertainment to the West Hollywood venue The Cat Club, where Val was performing a solo acoustic set. Only two days later, Val Halla was offered the opening spot on the Ted Nugent summer tour. This opportunity in turn lead to non-stop touring for two years, and opening for other legendary acts throughout the United States, as well as headlining shows in both countries.


For more information, inquiries, interviews, or booking, please contact info@valhallaonline.com

www.facebook.com/valhallamusic
www.myspace.com/myspacemusicvalhalla
www.valhallaonline.com

PRESS! REVIEWS! - REVIEWS! PRESS!

****** Watch for Val in the 2010 Guitar World Holiday Buyer's Guide. She is featured as one of the "Girl's of Guitar World" in their "real players" section!

"This 25 year old 'Carmen Electra meets Marilyn Monroe' and her super tight band nail a hard-boogying riff to the floor, while Halla's seductive singing and coy lyrics, coupled with her explosive octave bends and Gibbons-inspired solo licks, slam her perky pop palms up against the ceiling."

- Michael Molenda, Editor in Chief,

Guitar Player Magazine - Nov 2009 issue (published Sept. 2009)

"...guitar arpeggiated interesting rock work. We are reminded a bit of the Runaways... musically rich, energetic... We look forward to more." -Earbuzz.com

"Val's music is high energy, modern sounding with a classic (with the emphasis on 'class'), authentic vibe. Her voice has a Janis meets Rickie Lee Jones quality that pushes her upbeat, groove oriented tunes to a whole other level. I am officially a fan!"
-Todd Kerns, Musician/Producer (Age of Electric)

"Val is one to watch!"
-Greg Beatty (Prairie Dog Magazine)



Val has collaborated with Canadian & American artists: Ted Nugent, Matt King, Dan Cohen, Alan Bennett, Joshua's Habit, Snak The Ripper, Def 3, Chadio, Azrael, Kaboom, Forgetful Jones, Eekwol, and various members of Five Alarm Funk.

With producers: Aalo Guha, Factor, Aries, Bob Funk,Todd Woolsey, and Brad Prosko.

On the Audio Engineering side of the studio, she has worked with artists: Wide Mouth Mason, Callahan, A Single Few, Joshua's Habit, Reel Vinyl, The Flairs, The Pepper Sands, Shay Faded, Hot Hot Heat.


Some of Val's favorite artists are:
Bob Seger
Blue Rodeo
Joni Mitchell
Bob Dylan
Bruce Springsteen
Sheryl Crow
The Pretenders
Led Zeppelin
Heart
The Cranberries
Nirvana
Cream
Alice in Chains
System of a Down
Queens of the Stone Age
Janis Joplin
Hawksley Workman
The Doobie Brothers
CCR
Van Morrison
Steve Miller
Rage Against the Machine

Instrumentation

Val Halla - Guitars, Keys, and Vocals.

(Full band, additional guitar player, bass player, & drummer also available)

*Val is sponsored by MACK amps (www.mackamps.com) and plays through a Heatseeker HS - 18 rig.

*Val is sponsored by Dot On Shaft Guitars (www.dotonshaft.com)

Discography

2010 LP - No Place

2008 Single - The Bad Girl Touch

2007 LP - Val Halla (Self Titled)

2006 LP - Valerie Raye McLeod (Self Titled)

2002 Single - Knowing What I Know Now

2002 Single - Johnny Johnny

2002 Single - Turn Out The Light

2001 LP - At First Glance

Official Website

http://www.valhallaonline.com

Links

• Facebook
• MySpace
• Twitter
• Reverbnation
• Val Halla Official Blog
• Band Camp (Music Samples)
• YouTube

Audio

• The Bad Girl Touch
  Listen  
• Dark Sister
  Listen  
• Drink My Life Away
  Listen  
• Whiskey Evening
  Listen  
• Black Butterflies
  Listen  
• Coming Home
  Listen  
• Be One Tonight
  Listen  
• Good Lovin' Is What You Need
  Listen  
• Goodnight
  Listen  
• I Wanna Be With You
  Listen  

Lyrics

• The Bad Girl Touch
• Black Butterflies
• Good Lovin’ Is What You Need
• Goodnight
• I Wanna Be With You
• Dark Sister

Video

NoPlaceAlbumPromoValHalla

Val Stay 720p Vimeo Master

Photo Gallery

Press

• Canadian Guitarist Recruited for Ted Nugent Tour After Waco Gig [+ Show ]
  

  ...' (Ted) Nugent was quick to sing her praises. “She has the Uncle Ted seal of approval,” he said. ......' (Ted) Nugent was quick to sing her praises. “She has the Uncle Ted seal of approval,” he said. “I’m always looking for new artists who have the passion of my black heroes and when I heard her play, I said all right. There’s hope.”
  Her versatility was another point in her favor. “Her music is so diverse: rock and roll, pop and — my lips find it difficult to form these words — country . . . When Val does it, she puts herself into it. The bottom line is, she deserves me.” '
  -Quoting Ted Nugent As reported By Carl Hoover Tribune-Herald entertainment editor
  Thursday May 20, 2010

• Guitar Player Magazine - Nov 2009 [+ Show ]
  

  "This 25 year old 'Carmen Electra meets Marilyn Monroe' and her super tight band nail a hard-boogyin..."This 25 year old 'Carmen Electra meets Marilyn Monroe' and her super tight band nail a hard-boogying riff to the floor, while Halla's seductive singing and coy lyrics, coupled with her explosive octave bends and Gibbons-inspired solo licks, slam her perky pop palms up against the ceiling."
  
  - Michael Molenda, Editor in Chief,
  
  Guitar Player Magazine - Nov 2009

• Gary Allen's Music City Beat Val Halla Review [+ Show ]
  

  “I was calling Val, Marilyn from the first look at her picture and after listening to her Sonicbids ...“I was calling Val, Marilyn from the first look at her picture and after listening to her Sonicbids EPK. After just a few strums and her no nonsense approach to the guitar, suspected she would be the winner of this round. Her sound is a little bit pop with a big dose of electricity. If Nancy Wilson could sing like Val Halla, she could have kept all the money. I have always been a fan of Chrissie Hynde, because she sings and plays as good as any male. So does Val Halla.
  
  Val riffs and revs it up like a rock star and knocks you over with tasteful solos. The songs are clever and brings to mind Bonnie Raitt with the bad attitude of Joan Jett. Val is not afraid to step out of the ladylike gender roles from times gone by, and she no doubt invokes a lot of air guitar with her live show.
  Elle Magazine did a top ten list of female guitarists and in my opinion Val could make that list along with rocker Orianthi, from Michael Jackson’s band. She ranks up there with any rock and roll guy as well. Carlos Santana said he could pass the torch to Orianthi. Val is bad ass however and may just club you over the head with the torch. She possibly would not beat me up as her Dad is a Canadian fiddler that likes The Charlie Daniels Band.
  
  One last comparison and I’ll stop. I hear Lita Ford in some of Val’s more metal style guitar shredding, but with more of a rock feeling that well suits her music. Best of all, her music is a sexy riff filled group of songs that are accessible, well performed with a musical maturity well beyond her 25 years. She is high energy and has a wicked tight band, that totally won me over.
  
  Congratulations! See you at Disneyland… ”

• Val Halla Slays Fans at the Gates with Sass & Song [+ Show ]
  

  "...her music is as appealing as her looks and on-stage "bad girl" manner. Its a dynamite combo just..."...her music is as appealing as her looks and on-stage "bad girl" manner. Its a dynamite combo just ready to explode into a cloud of musical marketability where she could easily crossover between a country and rock music fan base. I think the "suits" better wake up and sign her to a deal as soon as possible...she's only going to continue to get better at her craft as you can see by the devotion to her music..."

• Val In [+ Show ]
  

  "...think of Val Halla as what Colin James would have been if he were a generation younger, easier o..."...think of Val Halla as what Colin James would have been if he were a generation younger, easier on the eyes, and could write better songs." -Stephen LaRose

• Val Halla Plays at Rock Hunger Concert [+ Show ]
  

  Jan. 13th, 2011 "There is something for everyone when she plays, whether you prefer softer, country...Jan. 13th, 2011
  "There is something for everyone when she plays, whether you prefer softer, country music or a harder rock feel. Her live show is energetic, playful and fun, and draws the audience in completely. A crowd favourite was her single, “Bad Girl Touch”, which brought further cheers and applause.”
  -Erin Alyse Burke
  

• The Ballad of Val Halla: Meet Canada's Acoustic/Electric Goddess of Guitar [+ Show ]
  

  '... Val Halla makes music that's both hard-rocking and acoustically rootsy... The album is equal pa...'... Val Halla makes music that's both hard-rocking and acoustically rootsy... The album is equal parts Joan Jett, Sheryl Crow, and Faith Hill, from the crunchy "the Bad Girl Touch" and "Whiskey Evening" to the flowing acoustic ballads "Black Butterflies" and "Coming Home" ' -Bill Deyoung

• Review of 2002 Singles [+ Show ]
  

  "Val's music is high energy, modern sounding with a classic (with the emphasis on 'class'), authenti..."Val's music is high energy, modern sounding with a classic (with the emphasis on 'class'), authentic vibe. Her voice has a Janis meets Rickie Lee Jones quality that pushes her upbeat, groove oriented tunes to a whole other level. I am officially a fan!"
  -Todd Kerns, Musician/Producer (Age of Electric)(Bassist for Slash)

• Earbuzz Review 2008 [+ Show ]
  

  Guitarist, Valerie McLeod, leads the band Val Halla with an eclectic metal mix that fuses more progr...Guitarist, Valerie McLeod, leads the band Val Halla with an eclectic metal mix that fuses more progressive tonal support ala Rush with lyrics that land between poetry and pros. Her vocal and lyrical approach is a dichotomy as the words reflect darkness, submission, evil, death, despair, with a parental advisory sticker for the occasional word - yet the tone of her voice, strong and clear, has a gentle quality that delivers the lines with conviction but without the anger/evil that the words would assume. The recording and band are first rate - especially the rhythm section. The entire self-titled record sounds as if it were recorded live and has that kind of performance gelled vibe to it. The record opens with "Dirty in the End" - and we immediately hear McLeod's guitar arpeggiated interesting rock work. We are reminded a bit of the Runaways. The lyrics, again, are dark and in this tune mysterious - Val sings 'it won't come off it will never come clean' - and we're left wondering if she's singing about a real or metaphorical diabolical tattoo. The following tune, "The Mark", opens with chugging mid range guitar - the higher strings are panned more right, while other strings fill center left providing and interesting and tight spatial guitar riff - cool. The CD continues with epic tunes similar to a Metallica approach until we get to track 9, "Strange". (actually, there's a brief instrumental 'Interlude' just before). "Strange" has the most commercial potential if that's important to anyone. It has an 80's punk pop groove that is infectious - and the vocal is one of the best delivered on the record - especially when the doubling hits at the chorus. .leaving us with 'you people are so strange'. Yes we are. All tolled, this is a satisfying 11-tune rock collection and certainly one of the finer female fronted bands we've heard. McLeod's compositions are musically rich, energetic, and convincingly dark as is her guitar wielding. We look forward to more.

Setlist

Set can run from half an hour to two hours depending on needs. Can include but not limited to any of the following original Val Halla compositions:

1. If August Never Ends
2. Stay (I Wanna Be With You)
3. Whiskey Evening
4. The Bad Girl Touch
5. One Night in Kentucky
6. Day Off
7. I'm Fine
8. Too Easy
9. Come On Home To Me
10. Misused
11. The Real Me
12. Drunk Dial
13. Chill
14. Break You Down
15. The Mark
16. Can't Sleep
17. Encounter
18. Turn Out The Light
19. Somebody Else
20. Dared To
21. Angel Inside
22. This Is It
23. Safe Distance
24. Dark Sister
25. 40 days & 40 Nights
26. Black Butterflies
27. These Ghosts
28. Sioux City
29. Drink My Life Away
30. Goodnight, Its Time for Leaving
31. Be One Tonight
32. Dirty In The End
33. Good Lovin' Is What You Need
34. Coming Home
35. Taste for Blood

36.
*Cover songs by special request, or if needed for event.

COVER REPERTOIRE CAN INCLUDE BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO:

1. Black Velvet - Allanah Myles
2. Want You Back - Jackson 5
3. Ballroom Blitz - The Sweet
4. Dreams - Fleetwood Mac
5. Strong Enough - Sheryl Crow
6. Home - Sheryl Crow
7. Sweet Rosalyn - Sheryl Crow
8. The First Cut is the Deepest - Sheryl Crow
9. Picture - Kid Rock & Sheryl Crow
10. Runnin' Down a Dream - Tom Petty
11. Fortunate Son - CCR
12. Turn The Page - Bob Seger
13. Black Horse & the Cherry Tree - KT Tunstall
14. Big Yellow Taxi - Joni Mitchell
15. After the Goldrush - Neil Young
16. Morning Song - Jewel
17. Old Bloody Orange - Hawksley Workman
18. Moondance - Van Morrison
19. Long Time Gone - Dixie Chicks
20. Before He Cheats - Carrie Underwood
21. Against the Wind - Bob Seger
22. To Be With You - Mr. Big
23. What I Got - Sublime
24. Say It Ain't So - Weezer
25. Old Time Rock and Roll - Bob Seger
26. Wheat Kings - The Tragically Hip
27. Landslide - Fleetwood Mac

Basic Requirements

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