Val Emmich
Encyclopedia
Val Matthew Emmich is a pop
rock
singer-songwriter
and actor from New Jersey
. In 2001 he became the first unsigned artist to be featured on MTV's Total Request Live
. As an actor he has appeared in such television shows as 30 Rock
and Ugly Betty
.
. He is of Italian
, Russian, and German ancestry. He attended Manalapan High School
where he played soccer. At age 15, he was diagnosed with Lyme Disease
and had to give up all strenuous activities. During this time, he learned to play the guitar and began to write songs. In 2001, Emmich and fellow musician Andy Gesner founded Artist Amplification, a program to help independent musicians and bands gain exposure to fans and the music industry.
, Emmich performed with various bands, including Awake Asleep and Ben Trovato. After graduating from Rutgers in 2001 with a liberal arts degree, Emmich recorded an independent EP entitled The 15 Minute Relationship. He then recorded Slow Down Kid, a full length independent album on Childlike Records produced by Wayne Dorrell. Emmich recorded a video for his song, "Privacy Attracts A Crowd." The video appeared on MTV
's Total Request Live
, making him the first unsigned artist to be featured on the show. He was then signed by Epic Records
label Red Ink and recorded a new version of his Slow Down Kid album with four new songs. The video of another track from the album,"Shock", was featured at LA's Hype Fest and Toronto's NEXT Festival. In 2005, Emmich moved temporarily to Woodstock, New York
and recorded another independent album, Songs, Volume 1: Woodstock which was released in 2007. The Woodstock sessions eventually became the independent studio album Sunlight Searchparty. In 2007, a track from the album "The Only One Lonely" won the best video category at the Independent Music Awards. After recording Sunlight Searchparty, Emmich left Epic Records in 2006 due to artistic differences. In 2008, Emmich signed with Bluhammock Music. On May 27, 2008, he released his first single from Little Daggers entitled "Get On With It". The full album was released on September 23, 2008. Emmich's music video for "Get on With It" was nominated for a Best Video Award at the 2008 Independent Music Awards. He released Looking For A Feeling You Never Knew You Needed
on September 21, 2010 in a digital only format. In June 2011 he announced his intention to use Kickstarter
to fund his next album and in just under 24 hours he reached his goal of raising $7000; by the end of the month he had reached more than $15,000. The album was produced by Jason Cupp and was designed to capture the feel of a live performance. On August 16 the album was released digitally to Kickstarter backers and was later released to the general public on October 11. Titled Aide Memoire the 10 track album was recorded completely live to tape.
, Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl Jam
, The Beatles
, Wilco
, Björk
, Radiohead
, R.E.M.
, Bright Eyes, Nada Surf
and Paul Westerberg
.
campaign as well as advertisements for Burger King
and At&T
Wireless. He has also appeared in small roles in the television shows Ed
, Third Watch
, and Hope & Faith
. More recently, he has appeared in NBC
's 30 Rock
with Tina Fey
in the seventh episode of the second season titled "Cougars
", ABC's
Cashmere Mafia
with Lucy Liu
and as a love interest of Betty Suarez
on Ugly Betty
. In the summer of 2008, he shot his first film, playing the lead role in the independent feature Fighting Fish.
with his wife Jill, an elementary school teacher, and their roommates.
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
and actor from New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. In 2001 he became the first unsigned artist to be featured on MTV's Total Request Live
Total Request Live
Total Request Live is a television series on MTV that featured popular music videos. TRL was MTV's prime outlet for music videos as the network continues to concentrate on reality-based programming. In addition to music videos, TRL featured daily guests...
. As an actor he has appeared in such television shows as 30 Rock
30 Rock
30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that airs on NBC. The series is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live...
and Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which premiered on ABC on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series revolves around the character Betty Suarez and is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombian telenovela soap opera Yo soy Betty, la fea...
.
Early life
Emmich was born in Manalapan Township, New JerseyManalapan Township, New Jersey
Manalapan Township is a township in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 38,872. The name "Manalapan" comes from the Lenape word for "land of good bread or good land to settle upon."...
. He is of Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
, Russian, and German ancestry. He attended Manalapan High School
Manalapan High School
Manalapan High School is a comprehensive four-year public high school located in Manalapan Township, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Freehold Regional High School District. The school serves students from all of Englishtown and portions of Manalapan...
where he played soccer. At age 15, he was diagnosed with Lyme Disease
Lyme disease
Lyme disease, or Lyme borreliosis, is an emerging infectious disease caused by at least three species of bacteria belonging to the genus Borrelia. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto is the main cause of Lyme disease in the United States, whereas Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii cause most...
and had to give up all strenuous activities. During this time, he learned to play the guitar and began to write songs. In 2001, Emmich and fellow musician Andy Gesner founded Artist Amplification, a program to help independent musicians and bands gain exposure to fans and the music industry.
Musical career
While attending Rutgers UniversityRutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
, Emmich performed with various bands, including Awake Asleep and Ben Trovato. After graduating from Rutgers in 2001 with a liberal arts degree, Emmich recorded an independent EP entitled The 15 Minute Relationship. He then recorded Slow Down Kid, a full length independent album on Childlike Records produced by Wayne Dorrell. Emmich recorded a video for his song, "Privacy Attracts A Crowd." The video appeared on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's Total Request Live
Total Request Live
Total Request Live is a television series on MTV that featured popular music videos. TRL was MTV's prime outlet for music videos as the network continues to concentrate on reality-based programming. In addition to music videos, TRL featured daily guests...
, making him the first unsigned artist to be featured on the show. He was then signed by Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
label Red Ink and recorded a new version of his Slow Down Kid album with four new songs. The video of another track from the album,"Shock", was featured at LA's Hype Fest and Toronto's NEXT Festival. In 2005, Emmich moved temporarily to Woodstock, New York
Woodstock, New York
Woodstock is a town in Ulster County, New York, United States. The population was 5,884 at the 2010 census, down from 6,241 at the 2000 census.The Town of Woodstock is in the northern part of the county...
and recorded another independent album, Songs, Volume 1: Woodstock which was released in 2007. The Woodstock sessions eventually became the independent studio album Sunlight Searchparty. In 2007, a track from the album "The Only One Lonely" won the best video category at the Independent Music Awards. After recording Sunlight Searchparty, Emmich left Epic Records in 2006 due to artistic differences. In 2008, Emmich signed with Bluhammock Music. On May 27, 2008, he released his first single from Little Daggers entitled "Get On With It". The full album was released on September 23, 2008. Emmich's music video for "Get on With It" was nominated for a Best Video Award at the 2008 Independent Music Awards. He released Looking For A Feeling You Never Knew You Needed
Looking For A Feeling You Never Knew You Needed
Looking For A Feeling You Never Knew You Needed is an album by American singer-songwriter and actor Val Emmich. It was released digitally on September 21, 2010.-Track listing:...
on September 21, 2010 in a digital only format. In June 2011 he announced his intention to use Kickstarter
Kickstarter
Kickstarter is an online threshold pledge system for funding creative projects. Kickstarter has funded a diverse array of endeavors, ranging from indie film and music to journalism, solar energy technology and food-related projects.-Model:...
to fund his next album and in just under 24 hours he reached his goal of raising $7000; by the end of the month he had reached more than $15,000. The album was produced by Jason Cupp and was designed to capture the feel of a live performance. On August 16 the album was released digitally to Kickstarter backers and was later released to the general public on October 11. Titled Aide Memoire the 10 track album was recorded completely live to tape.
Musical influences
Emmich has been influenced by a wide range of musicians including NirvanaNirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
, Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
, The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, Wilco
Wilco
Wilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup has changed frequently, with only singer Jeff Tweedy and bassist John...
, Björk
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
, Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
, R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
, Bright Eyes, Nada Surf
Nada Surf
Nada Surf is an American alternative rock band. Formed in 1992, the New York band consists of Matthew Caws , Ira Elliot and Daniel Lorca .-Early years:...
and Paul Westerberg
Paul Westerberg
Paul Westerberg is an American musician, best known as the former lead singer, rhythm guitarist, and songwriter of The Replacements, one of the seminal alternative rock bands of the 1980s. He launched a solo career after the dissolution of that band...
.
Acting career
Emmich began acting in 1997 to finance his college education. He appeared in a television ad for the Got Milk?Got Milk?
Got Milk? is an American advertising campaign encouraging the consumption of cow's milk, which was created by the advertising agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners for the California Milk Processor Board in 1993 and later licensed for use by milk processors and dairy farmers. It has been running...
campaign as well as advertisements for Burger King
Burger King
Burger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
and At&T
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
Wireless. He has also appeared in small roles in the television shows Ed
Ed (TV series)
Ed is an NBC television program co-produced by David Letterman's Worldwide Pants Incorporated, NBC Productions, and Viacom Productions that aired from 2000 to 2004....
, Third Watch
Third Watch
Third Watch is an American television drama series which first aired on NBC from 1999 to 2005 for a total of 132 episodes, broadcast in 6 seasons of 22 episodes each....
, and Hope & Faith
Hope & Faith
Hope & Faith is an American sitcom that aired for three seasons on ABC from September 26, 2003, to May 2, 2006. For its first two seasons the show was part of a revived TGIF comedy block....
. More recently, he has appeared in NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's 30 Rock
30 Rock
30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that airs on NBC. The series is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live...
with Tina Fey
Tina Fey
Elizabeth Stamatina "Tina" Fey is an American actress, comedian, writer and producer, known for her work on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live , the NBC comedy series 30 Rock, and films such as Mean Girls and Baby Mama .Fey first broke into comedy as a featured player in the...
in the seventh episode of the second season titled "Cougars
Cougars (30 Rock)
"Cougars" is the seventh episode of the second season of 30 Rock, and the twenty-eighth episode overall. It was written by co-executive producer John Riggi and directed by Michael Engler. Guest stars in this episode include Laura Berrios, Kevin Brown, Grizz Chapman, Val Emmich, Alan H...
", ABC's
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
Cashmere Mafia
Cashmere Mafia
Cashmere Mafia is an American television dramedy which ran on ABC from January 6, 2008 to February 20, 2008. The series was created by Kevin Wade, who also served as executive producer alongside Darren Star, Gail Katz, Jeff Rake and Michael Pressman, with Susie Fitzgerald co-executive producing....
with Lucy Liu
Lucy Liu
Lucy Alexis Liu is an American actress and film producer. She became known for playing the role of the vicious and ill-mannered Ling Woo in the television series Ally McBeal , and has also appeared in several Hollywood films including Charlie's Angels, Chicago, Kill Bill, and Kung Fu Panda.-Early...
and as a love interest of Betty Suarez
Betty Suarez
Beatriz "Betty" U. Suarez is a central fictional character and heroine of the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. She is portrayed by America Ferrera, who won a 2007 Golden Globe and 2007 SAG award for her portrayal of the character, as well as the Outstanding Actress in a Comedy award for the role...
on Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which premiered on ABC on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series revolves around the character Betty Suarez and is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombian telenovela soap opera Yo soy Betty, la fea...
. In the summer of 2008, he shot his first film, playing the lead role in the independent feature Fighting Fish.
Personal life
Emmich lives in Jersey City, New JerseyJersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
with his wife Jill, an elementary school teacher, and their roommates.
Discography
- The Fifteen Minute Relationship (Childlike Records) (2002)
- Slow Down Kid (Childlike Records) (2003)
- Slow Down Kid (Epic) (2004)
- Sunlight Searchparty (2006)
- Songs, Volume 1: Woodstock (2007)
- Little Daggers (2008)
- Looking For A Feeling You Never Knew You NeededLooking For A Feeling You Never Knew You NeededLooking For A Feeling You Never Knew You Needed is an album by American singer-songwriter and actor Val Emmich. It was released digitally on September 21, 2010.-Track listing:...
(2010) - Aide Memoire (2011)
- Ton Papa (2011)