Glenn Valles On the Making Of “The Warden”
Can you tell us about the inspiration behind "The Warden" and the story it tells?
Mental health is quite a concern these days and is a subject that goes unspoken, more often than not. I’ve read quite a few articles about people suffering from different kinds of mental traumas and how badly it affected their lives. As a Songwriter, I thought, the best way I could do something to make people aware of this affliction, was to write a song about it. "The Warden" is actually a Sequel to another song I wrote called “A Troubled Mind” which dealt with a similar subject matter. That song was nominated and won the Clef Music Award last year.
Could you discuss the lyrical themes or messages conveyed in "The Warden"?
This song is about how we sometimes find ourselves “a prisoner of our own mind” because of certain circumstances. “The Warden” is a metaphorical reference to such a situation. This song was written to create awareness of the importance of mental health in these challenging times we live in and also to encourage people to seek help. That’s why the opening lines of the 1st Verse of the song start with a cry for help:
Help me breakout of these shackles
And find freedom from these chains
The metal ones don’t confine me Lord
But the ‘mental’ ones chain my brain!
How did you work with the producer or engineers to bring your vision for this song to life?
I sent the Demo I recorded in my home studio to the producer and conveyed my vision of the song to him. Production is an extremely important factor as it can make or break a song. Therefore, I drew out a detailed pre-production note which had very specific instructions with regard to the genre, the type of vocalist including background vocals, instrumentation, arrangements and production ideas I had in mind for this song. After that, I periodically kept a check to see if everything was on track, suggested changes when necessary, till I finally got what I needed.
What has been the most memorable experience or achievement in your music career so far?
There have been quite a few of them. In April 2022, my song “Karma” won the Great American Song Contest award for ‘Outstanding Achievement in Songwriting’ in the Alternative Rock category. Earlier this year my song “Looking Up To Heaven” which I had written as a tribute to my late parents, Edmund and Clothilda Valles’ legacy of love, won the
UK Songwriting Contest in the Country Category. Just last month this same song, also won India’s Clef Music Award. This is the 3rd year in a row since its inception that I’ve won the Clef Music Award – which is quite an honour.
How do you continuously grow and evolve as an artist?
Being a Songwriter who writes in multiple genres (Blues, Country, Pop, Rock, Reggae, Hip-Hop, Rap, EDM, Praise & Worship & a few more), it is quite challenging, since I have to try and nail both the Lyrics and the Melody for each Genre. I try my best to study the elements that define the Genre that I write in, so it’s always a constant learning process for me. I’ve also experimented with a ‘Fusion of Genres’ so to speak, with
“A Troubled Mind” which is a blend of Blues, Rock & Rap. There’s also another song I wrote called “King Of The World” which is a blend of Reggae, Rock & a bit of HipHop. Reviews and feedback help a lot, so it would be really nice if your readers could visit my Instagram account @the_songcrafter or my YouTube Channel Glenn Valles Music and listen to some of my work. I would love for them to write back and tell me what they feel about my songs. Feedback matters to me and will help me grow and evolve as a Songwriter.
e-mail: glennvalles@yahoo.co.in