Doomed Confessionary: Jamie Hamilton (Pleasant Valley)
Pleasant Valley continue their journey through the dark undergrowth of rural Alabama. There is peace and serenity as well as creeping apprehension and anxiety in the isolation of backwoods Autauga County. Tight knit communities of pious believers and pockets of those seeking isolation and anonymity. All of these elements weave their way through the music of Pleasant Valley along with inspiration of doom, sludge, and the proto-punk and metal of the late 60s and 70s passed on from father to son to son.
The duo consists of Jamie Hamilton (guitars, bass) and Kyle Hamilton (drums, synthesizers).
Pleasant Valley’s debut full-length album »Fuzz War«, out March 22nd, 2024, brings forth some new tunes and reworking of early tracks along with a seventeen minute slice of a relaxation track for those who find clawing their way out of a coffin after being buried alive relaxing. Play loud!!!!!
Can you say a few words about your band?
We are a 2 piece stoner/doom band from Alabama USA. We used to be a trio but we are in such an isolated area we had a hard time keeping a bass player so we just adapted to working as a duo. We are father and son and live in the same house so it’s not hard for us to work together.
What was the biggest challenge for the band last year?
Juggling work and music. I am a school teacher and Kyle works in retail. I always have weekends and summers but Kyle has to watch how much time he takes off. It would be nice to be able to do music full time but that’s not feasible right now. It seems that in the past we had more doom shows in the area with some bigger bands playing in smaller venues. Bands have gotten bigger and shows further apart. In our early days we did shows with Royal Thunder and Howling Giant but the bigger they get the harder it is to lure them to our small regional shows.
What can you be most proud of so far?
Our latest recording »Fuzz War«. We usually buzz in and out of the studio so quickly we are always looking back saying we could have done this or that differently. This time our friend Cope encouraged us to spend a little more time and make use of more of the sonic toys we have collected through the years. We still don’t fuss over little things and keep it raw but didn’t skimp as much as we usually do. We are also fond of the version of Kiss’s »Love Theme« we did on »Fuzz War«. We took the basic form and turned it into a much heavier song. We also spend more time working on our live sound. Kyle and I are both gearheads so we are constantly experimenting with drums, amps, and effects and such. We have collected a mountain of gear but have to be economical in our travels. We hope to incorporate more of Kyle’s modular synths live in the future. I have paired everything down to using 2 100 watt Marshall heads into a stereo cabinet. I split the signal with an EHX POG so one side has the dropped octave and one side is just guitar.
What was your biggest regret?
We try not to dwell on regrets.
What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
As always the last show we did. Last week we were in a super cool long standing venue for southern punk and metal in Huntsville, AL. We were to be first on the bill and there was a torrential rain storm going on. We got there and met our friends Deaph who were on the bill and found out we were shifted to 2nd and 3rd. This gave us more of an audience and they were of bunch of rocking SOB’s so a great time was had by all! All this coincided with the day of the release of »Fuzz War«.
What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
Finding little pockets of hardcore fans of doom/punk/metal here in the Deep South. The USA is so big we try to stay focused only on areas we will return to often so we tend to stay in Alabama and Mississippi. You will be surprised to find so many followers of heavy music here in the land of hip hop and country western
What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
Sabbath, Melvins, Kiss, and tons of local and regional bands like Uncaste, Die With Nature, Deaph, Mara Nagra, Kicking, Terrible Lovers, Modern Bodies and the list goes on. All worth checking out.
Can you say something more about the music scene in Alabama?
The closest city to us is Montgomery, AL and it has a history of having ups and downs with the local/regional sound. There is never any lack of bands or fans, just venues. Most shows are one offs promoted by band members. Not any real venues that have regular live shows. Birmingham is near and has more venues. We travel to Mississippi fairly regular to play and there are more venues for heavy music.
Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
Shows are scheduled in Tuscaloosa, Huntsville, and Birmingham in Alabama, and Jackson and Meridian in Mississippi, hopefully more. Maybe venture into Florida and Tennessee.
What are your plans for the future as a band?
To keep on doing what we do. Playing and recording as much as we can.
How can people best support your band?
Buy our recordings at Bandcamp, come to shows, buy merch, share with friends.
Do you have any message for your listeners?
Thank you, thank you for listening and keep an eye out for things to come!
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well