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Valerie Orth Band
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Described as "sexy, 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.
Rich with melody and metaphor, Orth's tunes move nimbly between darkness and light, hope and despair, taking deft turns of phrase along unforeseen rhythmic twists in the road. With gorgeous, multi-octave vocals and no fear of heights, she flirts with the edge as readily as she subverts expectations.
"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."
Orth's dynamic range as a performer is made all the more compelling by what the East Bay Express calls a "completely intuitive composition style."
Influenced by artists as diverse as Ani DiFranco and Bjork, Meshell Ndegeocello and Zap Mama, Valerie understands song as revolution, whether personal or political, and as evolution, creating change within herself and the possibility for it within her listeners.
"There is an honesty to Valerie's music that is both brilliant and heartbreaking," writes the San Francisco Chronicle.
Orth grew up, as she puts it, "singing before I could talk." That penchant led from musical theater productions in her youth to an African diaspora choir at Tufts University. Along the way, she studied drumming and dance in Ghana. But her background is mainly in activism. She campaigned for a women's studies department at Tufts and organized rallies for fair trade and environmental justice. After graduating, Orth took a job with Green Corps, then moved to San Francisco and became a labor organizer for Global Exchange. She challenged corporate behemoths like Procter & Gamble and led the effort to pass San Francisco's anti-sweatshop law in 2005.
After a few years of burning the midnight oil on grassroots campaigns that often found her working over 70 hours a week, Valerie decided to return to her musical roots, hopeful that her art might have similar impact to her work in social justice. "Songwriting and performing are basic necessities in my life," she says. "I couldn't stand the idea of not singing."
Her recent debut, Faraway City, which the East Bay Express described as "a remarkable piece of work," 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.
"I think we went a bit more 'out-there' than the regular singer-songwriter genre," says Orth.
Orth's live band goes even beyond that, consisting of punk-rocker and food scientist, Veronika Safarova on bass, and jazz genius and power player, Jeff Marrs on drums. They sing both gorgeous and haunting harmonies. Together they have a compelling stage presence, fluid chemistry, and adventurous spirit that continuously give back to their fans.
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Maribel (Single), Valerie Orth
Faraway City, Valerie Orth
Blinding (Single), Valerie Orth
Relinquish (Single),
Valerie Orth / Arthur Woo
Bay Vibes Songwriters Unplugged
Vol.1, Live @ Yoshi's / Various
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House Concerts &
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Sometimes sitting in a cozy living room or in a nice backyard, listening to a great singer-songwriter just a few feet away is just the right thing to do on a Friday night – or any night of the week, for that matter!
Valerie loves performing in people's homes across the country.
To host Valerie in your home, no matter where you live, contact her at: valerie@valerieorth.com
What is a House Concert and how do I host one? Here's an informative video from the folks at: Concerts In Your Home:
Valerie with Tyler Lewis perform at a House Concert in San Rafael, CA:
Read review of Valerie's House Concert in San Rafael
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We are incredibly blessed to be surrounded by so many generous and talented friends who continue to allow us to grow and help us get to where we want to go. Please check out their skills and support them.
This website was made possible by the hard work of:
Arvind Thyagarajan - Web Design & Development
Matt Wulff - Illustrations
Veronika Safarova - Concept and Graphic Design
Michael Nash - Concept Design
Special Thanks to Michael Nolan for his countless hours of web development and maintenance!
Photographers, Videographers, Designers, and
others who have given so much time and energy
to our band:
Gregg Hinlicky - Illustrator
Arthur Woo – Photographer/ Videographer
Jason Mongue - Videographer
Barry Toranto - Photographer
Don Orth – - Photographer
Meljun Galvez - Photographer
Michelle Gutierrez - Photographer
Miranda Caroligne and Trunk - Cooperative
Boutique of Bay Area-made clothing and accessories
Stacy Kray - Singer / Songwriter
Bergen Moore - Musician / Web Developer
Bob Sanders - Guitarist / Composer
Get Involved!
IMPACT - assertiveness and self-defense training program
Bread & Roses - provides free, live, quality shows to people who live in institutions or are otherwise isolated from society
BOSS (Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency) - fights against the root causes of poverty and homelessness
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BOOKING & PRESS
For Inquiries: valerie@valerieorth.com
STREET TEAM
Spread the word when we have shows or help at our merch table, and get in free to our shows! To join, simply enter your email, select the check box for your region and "Street Team" in the sign-up form.
sound check...