DELLA VALLE

In the middle of a recent gig, Jay Della Valle, his band and a large crowd received an unexpected visitor: a NYC fire inspector—who promptly shut down the club for an over-capacity violation. Risking arrest (or at least a pretty steep fine) Della Valle grabbed his acoustic, sat on the edge of the stage, and invited everyone to enjoy a completely unplugged 30-minute set. Besides speaking to the loyalty of his fans, the night summed up Della Valle perfectly: genuine, unapologetic, and taking life as it comes. And it also explains why Jay Della Valle is fast making a name for himself as a true artist.
A tried and true Jersey boy, Jay grew up in Wayne, NJ. Even from an early age, he had a restless creative spirit and felt the need to transform his experiences into something more. He got interested in acting and would later study film at New York University and acting at the renowned Maggie Flanigan Studio. However, his dad—an acclaimed Jersey musician himself—was also a major influence. In high school, Jay started playing guitar, singing and writing songs—and once he found the medium, he never looked back. “As an artist-you look for a medium to express yourself and establish “a voice” for yourself. Making music and writing lyrics was where I found my voice. It is the essence of me: a combination of my personal philosophy and my poetry,” he states. “Once you find it-all you have to do is work hard to keep getting better at it.”
Besides being an accomplished musician, Della Valle is equally well known for the movie he wrote, directed and produced, The Glorius Mustache Challenge. In the film, Della Valle challenges a new generation of men to “rock a stache” and face the consequences—and pretty rough consequences they are, considering we are living in an age ruled by beards, goatees, and clean-shaven faces. The film has been well-received at several festivals, garnered tremendous press and been shown worldwide. The guys in the film—and ultimately, the audience—take that leap of faith, because of Della Valle’s earnest, irrepressible, larger-than-life personality.
Della Valle’s crystal clear, soulful voice grabs you at first listen—but his melodies and lyrics invite you back for extended plays. Musically, he fuses the presence and foreboding energy of performers like Springsteen, with the youthful rocker edge and witty charm of new artists like Butch Walker, Gavin DeGraw, and Ryan Adams. His band’s newest lineup incorporates cello, rich harmonies, and acoustic guitar—but Jay is equally comfortable fronting a rock quartet. Lyrically, the songs can run from boot-to-the-jugular or extremely laidback. When he sings in “Now U Know”, “I ran in all directions, why the hell did I drive by, without my disguise” before you notice, the words have washed over you and made their mark. Overall, his music, just like his films, bear the signature of someone who’s completely on the cutting edge, but definitely not buying the idea that new is always better.
In the near future, Della Valle will be touring in support of his recent CD, Pink Elephants. One show at a time, he’s already growing his fan base the only way he knows how—at his own pace and naturally—not as part of some marketing campaign.
And you shouldn’t count on him to shave that ‘stache anytime soon, but you can expect that, as Rolling Stone said, for Jay Della Valle and his band, “everything they do is destined to hit listeners hard, grab them and never let them go.” MyGen Profile GeneratorBUY THE CD!