Nick Valensi
Nick Valensi | |
---|---|
garage rock revival | |
Occupations |
|
Instruments |
|
Years active | 1998–present |
Labels | |
Member of | |
Spouse(s) | |
Website | thestrokes |
Nicholas Valensi (born January 16, 1981)[1] is an American musician, best known for his role as lead and rhythm guitarist in the American rock band The Strokes. Since 2001, the band has released six studio albums, some of which Valensi has also contributed keyboard and backing vocals to. In 2013, he founded the band CRX, for which he acts as singer, songwriter, and lead and rhythm guitarist. Their debut album, New Skin, was released in 2016, and was followed by the 2019 album Peek. Valensi has also worked as a songwriter and session guitarist with various artists, including Sia, Regina Spektor and Kate Pierson.
Early life
Valensi was born in New York City, to a Tunisian father and a French mother, Danielle. His mother was from a Catholic family in South Western France, near
Valensi was raised on the Upper East Side of Manhattan with two sisters, Céline and Alessandra.[3][4] Until the age of 16, Valensi spent summers at his grandfather's home near Bordeaux.[5][6] He began learning guitar at the age of five, following an impromptu strum on one of his father's guitars.[7] His father described him as a natural guitarist, due to his quickness at picking up the ability to strum along with the rhythm of songs at a young age.[7] Valensi's father died when Nick was nine.[7] Valensi was arrested at age 11 and was assigned a probation officer for a year.[2]
Valensi attended New York City public schools while growing up.
Career
The Strokes
In the late 1990s, Valensi was part of an informal band with vocalist Casablancas and drummer Moretti in high school, and continued after he and Casablancas left Dwight.[12][13] Nikolai Fraiture started playing as the bassist and the band was formed when guitarist Albert Hammond Jr. joined in fall 1998. Their first show as The Strokes was at the Spiral in New York City on September 14, 1999.[14] The band released The Modern Age EP in 2001 under Rough Trade Records[15] and was signed for a five-album record deal by RCA Records.[16] The band released six LPs including Is This It, Room on Fire, First Impressions of Earth, Angles, Comedown Machine and The New Abnormal with tours and festival sets in the North America, Europe, South America, East Asia and Australia. Following the completion of their album contract deal with RCA Records in 2013,[17] the band has continued to release new music through Casablancas' Cult Records.[18]
CRX
In 2013, Valensi co-founded the Los Angeles-based rock band CRX. He is the frontman of the group, and is backed by drummer Ralph Alexander, multi-instrumentalist Brad Oberhofer, bassist Jon Safley, and guitarist Darian Zahedi.[19] The band released their debut album, New Skin, on October 28, 2016.[20] This was followed by the 2019 record Peek. Valensi has described the band's sound as a mix of power pop and heavy metal, and has named The Cars, Cheap Trick and Elvis Costello as influences.[21]
Other projects
While much of his career has been focused on playing and writing for The Strokes and CRX, Valensi has also contributed as a session musician and songwriter to some of his contemporaries. One of his first notable credits was playing guitar for
He has collaborated with artists
He plays guitar on Sia's album 2010 We Are Born and has also written several hooks and melodies on it. Sia has also stated that she and Valensi are planning to write songs together for other artists. He also co-wrote the track "Hostage" on Sia's 2014 album 1000 Forms of Fear. Other credits include co-writing with Brody Dalle in 2014, Kate Pierson for her 2015 album Guitars and Microphones,[24][25] Kesha, and again with Sia for the 2017 Blondie track, "Best Day Ever."
Instruments and influences
Valensi's main guitar, which he uses for nearly every live show and recorded song, is a 1995
His pedalboard consists of a Visual Sound Jekyll & Hyde Ultimate
He cites his influences as The Velvet Underground, The Cars, George Harrison, Slash, Bob Marley, and Blondie.[26]
Personal life
In summer 2006, Valensi married his girlfriend of five years, English photographer and television personality
Valensi speaks French.[2]
Discography
- CRX discography
- New Skin (2016)
- Peek (2019)
- The Strokes discography
- Is This It (2001)
- Room on Fire (2003)
- First Impressions of Earth (2005)
- Angles (2011)
- Comedown Machine (2013)
- The New Abnormal (2020)
References
- Cleveland.com. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Samuels, David (January 31, 2018). "Q&A with Nick Valensi". Tablet Magazine. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
- ^ "Rock Stars Next Door". New York Magazine. September 19, 2003. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
PEDIGREE: Raised by mother on Upper East Side.
- ^ "The Face Magazine August 2002". Archived from the original on March 9, 2005.
- ^ Itzkoff, Dave (June 5, 2005). "DIRECTIONS - ON THE WEB - Rockin' the Torah - NYTimes.com". Select.nytimes.com. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
- ^ "Shes Fixing Her Hair – The Strokes Latest Album Angles Is Out Now! » Interviews – Rock & Folk April 2011". Shesfixingherhair.co.uk. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
- ^ a b c "063 – NICK VALENSI – on early memories of the Strokes, meeting David Bowie, and working with Josh Homme on his new band CRX". 2 Hours with Matt Pinfield. Retrieved January 12, 2017.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-06-223309-7.
- ^ "Rolling Stone 2001 Interview". Rollingstone.com. Archived from the original on October 20, 2007. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
- ^ "This 2001 Story Of The Strokes' Rise To Fame Is A Rock & Roll Time Capsule". The FADER. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
- ^ Rapp, Allison. "On the Record: Before They Were Big, They Were CUNY – The Brooklyn College Vanguard". Retrieved November 10, 2020.
- ^ "Fabrizio Moretti: This Is The Strokes". DRUM! Magazine. February 2001.
I was around 14 when we started writing songs together, but it was never a band, we just hung out and wrote songs
- ISBN 9781944713171.
- ISBN 9780571337996.
- ISSN 0261-3077.
- ^ "The Strokes Ink Deal With RCA". Billboard. April 13, 2001.
- ISSN 0040-781X.
- ^ "The Strokes Are Back: Hear Their New EP 'Future Present Past'". Billboard.
- ^ Strauss, Matthew (August 30, 2016). "The Strokes' Nick Valensi Announces Debut CRX Album Produced by Josh Homme". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
- ^ Rettig, James (August 30, 2016). "Nick Valensi's CRX Detail Debut Album Produced By Josh Homme". Stereogum. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
- ^ Doyle, Patrick (September 6, 2016). "Nick Valensi on New Side Project, State of the Strokes". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
- ^ "Banhart Rocks With Valensi, Robinson On New CD". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 5, 2014.
- ^ ""Adam & Steve" on Youtube". Youtube.com. November 5, 2008. Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
- ^ "Nick Valensi collaborated with B-52's Kate Pierson". Archived from the original on March 16, 2015. Retrieved May 31, 2015.
- ^ "Kate Pierson – "Bottoms Up" (Feat. Nick Valensi)". January 16, 2015.
- ^ a b "Interview with Epiphone 2004". Epiphone.com. May 28, 2004. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved February 24, 2012.
- ^ "Epiphone Nick Valensi Riviera P94". Epiphone.com. Retrieved February 24, 2012.
- ^ Confirmed by de Cadenet in Hello Magazine January 2007
- ^ "How the Strokes' Nick Valensi got his groove back | CBC Music". CBC News. Retrieved November 7, 2020.
- ^ "Nick Valensi, Amanda de Cadenet list Studio City house". Los Angeles Times. July 3, 2013. Retrieved November 7, 2020.
- ^ David, Mark (July 16, 2013). "Julian Casablancas (of The Strokes) Sells Downtown Digs". Variety. Retrieved November 7, 2020.