EXCLUSIVE! Saints Of Valory INTV!

It is hard to imagine that a band can form just but sheer chance encounters and luck. For Austin via Rio band Saints of Valory their formation was kismet. While the members of the band all had some sort of connection to Rio, yet, only singer Gavin Jasper being the only Brazilian in the band, the rest of the band hails from France, Canada, and Texas, yet, their chance encounters in the Brazilian capitol sealed their fate together. Now, after years of touring and working on music independently, Saints of Valory signed with Atlantic Records who will release their debut album in the spring of 2014. We spoke to Jasper about the band's formation, growing up in Brazil, and of course, if they have any plans of going back next year for the World Cup. Take a look at our interview with Jasper below:

The band formed in Rio but features members from all over the world? How did you come together and find each other?

At some point all of our paths crossed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. First with Godfrey and I when we were kids, as our parents were working abroad together. And then with Stephen as teenagers, he originally came over to Brazil for a month long vacation and ended up staying for about four years. 

The band started off being called, Diana, after the first fan of the band, a dog that watched you practice. How did you end up with the name Saints of Valory?

Our drummer's mother's name is Valerie, she's French. So the idea of something with Valerie was always in the mix. So you can say it was inspired by that but soon took a life of its own as we changed the spelling and added Saints. We wanted something personal but also original. 

Being a band that has influences from all over the world, would you dare explore music from other cultures to get out of your comfort zone?

Oh for sure, we love doing just that. Our song "Long Time Coming" was inspired by a carnival/samba style beat that sort of drives the whole song. 

You were a band that was discovered in the dying days of MySpace, how did that happen?

We had gotten together for three months in Brazil to write some music, with the intention of recording it and throwing it up on myspace. About three days later we got hit up by an indie label out of florida saying they wanted to sign us. We didn't sign with them, but it was a great indicator for a brand new band that we were doing something right and heading in the right direction.   

When can we expect your first full length?

There's no exact date set just yet, but sometime in the late spring next year. We have an EP called "Possibilities" that we put out as an introduction and teaser that have four songs from the full length. 

What has this experience been like for you?

Its been really fun, exciting and a lot of hard work. Meeting lots of new people every night that love our music and connect with what we're doing is the reward. 

You are now based in Austin, how has that city influenced your work and your band?

I think it made us work extra hard, when we first moved there it was a bit daunting as there were so many bands, and the city has a crazy amount of nightly entertainment. So it really pushed us to work hard, even just to stand out.  

Austin was good to us and really embraced us, so we're happy we made the decision to move and launch this band from there.

Playing to crowds all over the U.S., you recently played Rock In Rio to over 95,000 people, what was that experience like?

It was unreal, that was our first experience playing there. Rock In Rio is like "Woodstock" over there. And the Brazilians have music and rhythm in their blood so to speak so they're just as excited to hear music as we are to play it. 

How do fans from the U.S. differ from fans in Brazil?

I'd say the main difference of the two cultures are that countries like the U.S. and the UK have so much new music coming out at all times, and so many bands touring, fans have a quicker access to new music. I think that's a good thing because it helps new bands, as fans are open and are constantly looking for the "new thing" so to speak. In Brazil they love American music and they don't get as much of it, so you can definitely feel there's a vacuum, a hunger, which then turns to this genuine appreciation for you "even being there". So to answer your question, they equally love the music, just in their own way. 

Where does Saints of Valory go from here?

We're really excited about 2014! This year has been amazing, and we've grown so much as a band, its exciting to take everything up a notch, with our full length coming out and bigger tours and festivals planned, its going to be a crazy busy year. 

What has been the best experience about being in this band thus far?

Thats a tough question as there's been so many. We spend most of our time on the road, so playing some amazing venues would be one of them. We've had the honor of playing two sold-out shows at Red Rocks Colorado this year, so I'm sure thats one of them. 

Who would you love to play with and why?

 Before we played our first show as a band, we went to Austin to attend the SXSW Festival and we met "The Killers". And after having a beer with them we said "Hey, we're gonna play a show with you guys one day. " So it would be cool to play a show with them so this story can come full circle.   

Will we be hearing Saints of Valory at the World Cup next summer?

THATS THE GOAL!