Muse from p 31 and work that out in a way that fits his larger vision. “I think it would take a lot of time for artists to get there, but once you get to a point where you know your sound and you know how to make what sounds good, a lot of the intimidation and fear goes away,” he says. “Because you’re not relying on engi- neers or other players. Then you just want people to hear it. And you’ll know, objec- tively, which songs are good, and that’s what you show people.” Of course, that’s easier said than done, and Valencia has had issues trying to get the music into the right hands. “I’m notorious for not knowing my audience,” he says. “Sometimes that’s tough when you’re an original artist, or there’s trends that are going on. Like with [‘Be in The Now’], I sent it to 100 different places. Most of the feedback I got was, ‘This is a really great song. But because it’s a full song, it sounds too old for us. We want just a verse and a hook and a chorus.’ But that’s not what I do, and so am I going to make stuff to resonate with people? You’ve got to be true to yourself. I’m not in my mid-20s; I’m in my mid-30s making a space rock album.” Even then, Valencia has the perspective necessary to truly persevere. “I didn’t even start doing things successfully until I was already 30,” he says. “When we did all those Gorky songs that were ‘little hits,’ I’d already been doing it for 10 years. It takes that long sometimes to be able to get together a song that people actually appreciate.” Not that having a “hit,” as it were, has ever been a goal. Valencia said he’s always made music for one very important, rather specific audience. “I appreciate playing live in a different way and live music in a different way,” he says. “We started Gorky because we wanted to make music that we wanted to hear. So what I got off on was hearing the music how it was supposed to sound. Pre-COVID, I didn’t care about the audi- ence. I wanted to play so that I can hear the kind of music that I love.” Getting the Band Back Together That approach helped him make The First Band on Mars, and it has been a central part of his approach to making art for his entire career. Eventually, a big song will happen if you just stay busy enough. “I’ve written so many songs that, really, the band couldn’t keep up with what I wanted to do,” Valencia says. “I was in a mode where I could write a song, record it, and have it out that week. I could do that every week for a year. The more that you can learn how to do, the more different things which you can express.” Our conversation inevitably returned to Gorky. When asked if he might have another follow-up to The First Band on Mars, Valencia said he might do another “chapter” alongside Gorky. He’d also like to Mike Mahoney get the band back together for more shows in the coming year — in addition to his many other projects. Gorky, then, might not just be a band for Valencia. If this album’s a vacation to a distant solar system, then that band repre- sents normalcy and solidarity. In essence, it’s the place where Valencia feels at home to do and say whatever’s on his mind regardless of the form it eventually takes. And like any great adventurer, he can travel Another promotional piece of art for The First Band on Mars. to the stars because he knows there’s always home base. “We’re all working-class folk, and not in a position where we could just drop our lives,” Valencia says. “We’ve survived through the last couple years to get back to the Gorky stuff. One day, we’ll come back to it, simple as that.” 32 SEPT 22ND–SEPT 28TH, 2022 PHOENIX NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | FEATURE | NEWS | OPINION | FEEDBACK | CONTENTS | phoenixnewtimes.com