Tilly Valentine’s demo was originally recorded on the mic in a set of Apple headphones…
It’s been quite the journey since for ‘Coins’. After graduating from ACM in 2017, Tilly Valentine has been determined to perfect this track, re-recording vocal lines at Metropolis Studios and collaborating with a German producer. We caught up with the ACM Vocals alumna to find out the story behind ‘Coins’ and to give it an early couple of spins…
Introduce yourself!
“My name is Tilly Valentine, I was born in Oxfordshire and graduated from the Professional Performance Degree at ACM in 2017. I grew up playing instruments and performing in various bands from a young age, but only started performing under my own name about three years ago. I attended The BRIT School when I was 16 which is where I started focusing on music, songwriting and my artistry more seriously.”
What’s the story behind your new track ‘Coins’?
“I wrote this song a few years ago with a producer called Mattis. ‘Coins’ is a reminder not to lose sight of what’s really important. It’s so easy to get caught up with social media that it can sometimes make you forget what actually matters, so the song touches on this topic in a playful way. It was one of the first electronic influenced songs I’d written, so in hindsight I suppose it was the start of my journey in terms of finding my sound.”
How did you start collaborating with Mattis?
“When I moved to London I lived on my own so I spent most of my spare time writing songs to keep myself entertained. I would write on guitar or piano, but it never sounded the way I imagined it in my head. I decided to search for producers to work with over SoundCloud, which is where I discovered a bunch of great producers including Mattis. He lives in Germany, so we would send each other ideas and voice notes over WhatsApp, record our parts separately, and somehow it all came together!”
Tell us about the recording process for the new single.
“When I first wrote ‘Coins’, I recorded the original demo on the microphone attached to my Apple earphones. When I decided to release ‘Coins’ as my debut single, I re-recorded the vocal at Metropolis Studios. I flew out to Germany for the first time where Mattis and I mixed the track together in his studio whilst working on new material, and when I got back to England the song was sent back to Metropolis for mastering.”
What does the rest of 2018 have in store?
“Lots of writing, recording and gigging… you may spot me on a few feature tracks too! On September 4th I’m playing a Sofar Sounds gig at a secret location in London. Tickets and more gigs will be announced on my website!”
What’s the one piece of advice you’d give to someone about to join ACM?
“Make the most of it; take every opportunity you can to book tutorials to seek advice & feedback from tutors and Industry Link.”
Follow Tilly : Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // SoundCloud // Spotify // Apple // YouTube
If you’d like to study at ACM and follow in the footsteps of our alumni like Tilly, please call our Admissions Team on 01483 500 841 or visit www.acm.ac.uk/open-days to book a place on an ACM Open Day today.
