Lovina Falls pulls back the curtain of illusion in the ‘Vaulted’ music video
The art-pop project of Valerie Forgione embraces a Lynchian landscape with a Joan Hathaway-directed music video debuting Wednesday, September 27
NOW PLAYING: Watch the ‘Vaulted’ music video on YouTube
Lovina Falls’ debut album ‘Calculating the Angle of Our Descent’ is out now
Lovina Falls makes its live debut December 2 at The Rockwell in Somerville
BOSTON, Mass. [September 27, 2023] -- Lovina Falls would like to extend us all a personal invitation. And no one needs to be physically present to come along for the ride.
The art-pop project of Boston songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Valerie Forgione returns with a David Lynch-inspired music video for “Vaulted” on Wednesday, September 27. The second single from this enchanting debut album Calculating the Angle of Our Decent, the visual was directed and produced by Joan Hathaway. But where Hathaway's video for summer single “On Your Side” broke through into cinematic color midway through the journey, “Vaulted”, with its carnival scene, illusionary optics, and hypnotic electronic-pop intro, wastes no time in drawing us into Lovina Falls’ colorful, psychological world.
“‘Vaulted’ is about smoke and mirrors,” Forgione admits, pulling back the curtain on her latest creation. “It’s about being mesmerized, swindled, and ultimately turning the tables in self-defense. It is a circus of trickery, where the unusual becomes linked through illusion and showmanship. The song is a bit darker than most of the songs on the album and has a bit of underlying anger at how people treat each other. It also displays more of an emotional variety than the others, as it begins delicately, evolves into slight chaos, and resolves with some heft.”
The themes swirling around “Vaulted” are illustrated in vibrant color and intrigue throughout the video as Forgione stars alongside a traveling circus, and with her former bandmate Scott Patalano, of ‘90s-era alt-rock luminaries Mistle Thrush, as the magician. It was filmed on location at two distinct Massachusetts locations: The Quannapowitt Players theater group in Reading, and Lincoln’s Ponyhenge, an open field 15 miles northwest of Boston where the quiet landscape is mysteriously filled with old rocking horses and figurines, left to slowly decay over time.
“I met with Joan and handed her a flipbook of a vintage circus acrobat and asked, ‘Can you make a video that looks like this?’” Forgione says, alluding to the song’s distortion of what is in the past and what is in the present. “After outlining the basic storyline and identifying the time period, Joan came up with the concept of adding a magician and emphasizing the aspect of illusion. Scott Patalano’s campy, yet stylish, magician, along with Joan’s stunning footage of the landscape both at the carnival and out in the fields, brought the themes together. The person cleaning the house of glass is one of the best shots – it’s a perfect metaphor for the entire story.”
The chapter of that story is tucked neatly into Lovina Falls’ extended narrative throughout Calculating the Angle of Our Descent, where Forgione provides a creative core and overarching singular musical vision, one that dances freely across avenues of dream-pop, synth, indie, dark cabaret, new-goth, and indie-pop, all tied together by her mystical melodicism, introspective lyrics, and unmistakable alto singing voice.
Even its title takes on a more physical interpretation, as Forgione says that she was struck by the notion, when writing the album, that the feeling of both jumping and falling elicit a similar sensation. The whole experience could be a massive success or a massive failure, and in turn, the album’s title, Calculating the Angle of Our Descent, reflects a feeling about accepting what may be, while still trying to anticipate the outcome.
“I write songs as a train of thought; there isn’t a lot of preplanning as to what the concept is until the notes begin, and the story takes shape,” Forgione notes. “As such, the album was written instinctively and in real time, save from a few initial sketches. The album is a story, any story, really, meant for the listener to interpret as they will. I guess if I had to summarize the collection, it represents different stages of conscious existence, with ‘Vaulted’ illustrating disenchantment and artificial strength derived from self-preservation.”
The album – currently streaming on all major platforms and available on a short run of vinyl for those who wish to own a physical copy – was co-produced by Forgione with David Minehan and recorded at Woolly Mammoth Sound in Waltham, with Forgione performing all of the album’s instrumentation, with some assistance from those in her creative orbit.
Here on “Vaulted,” she’s joined by Brenden Cobb on madness guitar, with Minehan adding additional guitar work and Chuck Ferreira providing additional drums. And the result is a mystical spell of a song that lures the listener in, a melodic daydream cast like a weathered circus showman drawing a crowd to come see what restlessly lurks inside.
“I wanted to create the sounds of the circus; the hydraulics that raise the tent, the swing of the trapeze, the dressage of the horses…the visuals really drove the construction of the song,” Forgione says. “It started with a piano and simple vocal melody. From there, keys, drums, bass, and synths were added in order of its part, with each transition almost dictating which instruments came next. Once the song was recorded, I realized I needed a little bit more power in some areas, so I asked Chuck to play additional drums and Brenden to play some madness guitar. Working with the guitar parts was particularly satisfying; I recorded him playing a number of takes, and then layered and panned the tracks to create the sonic backdrop of the bridge. David Minehan, the production yin to my yang, added the essential rock chords in the chorus.”
As Forgione canvasses the carnival, plays sidekick to Patalano’s magician, and reflects a colorful uncertainty around her, the themes that contribute to Calculating the Angle of Our Descent’s creative musical styling begin to take shape visually. And even with our eyes closed, we can feel the world of Lovina Falls surround us, and welcome us to this mystical elsewhere.
“As a first-time solo artist, writing this album was a uniquely psychological experience,” Forgione concludes. “No one else contributed to how the songs were written, or what instruments were used, or what the songs were about. That made it difficult to be objective, but also inspired me to dig deep. With every note, every sound, every word, I risked personal exposure. It forced me to take chances, and to be OK with it. It wasn’t until the album was finished that I was in a position to try and interpret what was behind each track. To this day, I am still trying to figure it out.”
This is the way, step inside.
Lovina Falls artist bio:
Welcome to Lovina Falls, the latest musical project from veteran indie singer/songwriter Valerie Forgione. Valerie first made her name as the lead singer of Mistle Thrush, a band whose combination of indie rock drive, dreamy textures, and sparkling pop song craft made them a beloved fixture in their native Boston and beyond throughout the late 1990s and into the 2000s. Through their existence, Mistle Thrush shared stages with such luminaries as The Strokes, Spiritualized, Sonic Youth, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Lush, and Slowdive; won numerous Boston-area music accolades; were featured in Billboard Magazine, charted on the CMJ charts; and saw their music on TV show soundtracks. Steve Morse of The Boston Globe wrote that Valerie has “some of the most versatile pipes since the dream-pop heyday of Kate Bush.”
In the present day, Valerie has released her first solo album, Calculating the Angle of Our Descent. All songs are written, arranged, and produced by Valerie, as she accompanies her distinctive voice with piano, analog synths, guitar, bass, organ, and drums. From the harpsichord-driven “On Your Side” to the harmony-laden baroque-pop of “Back of My Heart” to the percolating synths and ‘90s-style alt rock of “Vaulted”, Lovina Falls is truly the work of a singular musical vision. Valerie’s intimate and instantly familiar alto will make Lovina Falls welcome to fans of her previous work, while her new sonic and songwriting explorations will endear her to fans of such contemporary indie voices as Fiona Apple, Bat for Lashes, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Sharon Van Etten, and Angel Olsen.
Welcome to Lovina Falls.
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‘Vaulted’ Production Credits:
Written and performed by Valerie Forgione as Lovina Falls
Recorded at Woolly Mammoth
Produced by Lovina Falls and David Minehan
Brenden Cobb: Madness guitar
David Minehan: Additional guitar
Chuck Ferreira: Additional drums
Video directed and produced by Joan Hathaway
Featuring Scott Patalano
Special thanks to the traveling circus, Quannapowitt Players, and Ponyhenge
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Recent media praise for Lovina Falls:
“From the haunting sound of the harpsichord on ‘On Your Side,’ to the exquisite fusion of baroque pop harmonies on ‘Back of My Heart,’ Lovina Falls is truly the reflection of a unique musical vision.” _Oleada Indie
“The breathtaking video was directed and produced by Joan Hathaway, and is the perfect visual companion for Valerie Forgione and her new musical vision.” _The Whole Kameese
“‘Too Bright To Burn’ is a trippy, instantly sticky and bass-driven vibe with Forgione’s crystalline voice flowing all over it. It’s part of her notable debut longplayer Calculating The Angle Of Our Descent.” _Turn Up The Volume
“The track itself, appearing on Calculating the Angle of Our Descent, which dropped in May, has so many elements within that will easily appeal to fans of Forgione’s former band but also bears a plethora of new aural layers that reveal themselves upon each fresh listen. And when you think you have a handle on what’s to come, one of Boston’s original Goth Goddesses/Witchy Women swerves some more to take you on a sort of Baroque Goth meets Electronica journey replete with ethereal vocals to make sure the track never dwells in any one genre for too long. Through Joan Hathaway’s lenses, fans also get a fitting video accompaniment that’s part performance, part visual voyage, and constantly captivating.” _Rock & Roll Fables
“Mistle Thrush are one of those bands I keep forgetting about, and then rediscover every few years. If you’ve wondered what members have been up to lately, we now know that singer Valerie Forgione has a new musical project. Lovina Falls sees Forgione going in a new sonic direction. The latest single from her new album, ‘On Your Side,’ is more baroque pop than alt-rock. There are still the basic elements of 90's indie rock sprinkled throughout “On Your Side,” and even some of the more pop focused side of trip hop. It’s an interesting new direction for one of our favorite Boston 90's artists, and we’re looking forward to seeing what other directions Lovina Falls goes in.” _If It’s Too Loud
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Recent media praise for Lovina Falls:
The music of Lovina Falls can be heard on Banks Radio Australia, Bay State Rock, Belter Radio UK, Boston Emissions, BumbleBee Radio, CHMR, Christian’s Cosmic Corner on Mark Skin Radio, CJUM, Click Roll Boom, CMFU, If It’s Too Loud, ingrown Radio, KLMU, KRCB, KUPR, KWVA, KXLU, KXCI, Marc’s Alt Rock Playground on Mark Skin Radio, Moosic Entertainment, Oleada Indie, Original Music Showcase on Mark Skin Radio, PipiloPop, Pod Duck, Rock & Roll Fables, Sweet Sunday Sounds on Valley FM, Teco Apple, The Retweeter on Zeno.FM, The Sound Lab UK, Turn Up The Volume, UncertainFM, WAHS, WDWN, WIIT, WHFR, WSPN, WZBC, Your First Listen on KNNZ and Eardrum Buzz, and other fine stations, shows, and platforms…
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