00:00
Pamela Valfer
Blackburnian Warbler.
00:08
Pando
Hello everyone. I'm Pando from WKNC, a student run nonprofit radio station based out of North Carolina State University. I'm here with Pamela Valfer, AKA Kitty Craft, who has graciously agreed to do a very special interview with us today. Pamela, thank you so much for finding the time to talk with me.
00:29
Pamela Valfer
It's so lovely to meet you, Pando. Thank you for the invitation.
00:34
Pando
Yeah, of course. For those of you who aren't familiar, Pamela Valfer is a Minneapolis native who began releasing music under the alias of Kitty Craft in the 90s and after a two decade long hiatus, started releasing her old tracks, quickly gaining a fan base for her dreamy and nostalgically tweeted trip hop beats. She also works as a multidisciplinary artist and professor in visual arts, but is currently preparing tour the east coast and is most importantly to me at least, performing at Cat's Cradle on October 29, which at the moment actually looks like it's sold out. So congratulations on that.
01:18
Pamela Valfer
Thank you. Yes, very excited.
01:24
Pando
But this isn't your first time touring, however. Originally you toured as the lead singer for Saucer and then open for a few shows for Chiba Mato in Japan. But that was 20 or so years ago. And just last year you made your return to stage, is that correct?
01:41
Pamela Valfer
That's. That's correct.
01:43
Pando
What's it feel returning to the stage and performing for audiences after your hiatus?
01:48
Pamela Valfer
I honestly didn't know what to expect at all, which I think was good. I had zero expectations. I think when I started thinking about playing live, I was like, oh, if I play, like, I was thinking about playing like renting a space or something with like 50 seats. And I'm like, oh God, I don't know, 50 people would want to come see me. And it's just, it's been a real whirlwind and a pleasant surprise. And so, yeah, re approaching it, you know, a few years later has been a unique experience and a really lovely experience.
02:33
Pando
That's awesome. Yeah, no, I'm really excited about it. All my friends are. And we're so happy that it sold out. Have you noticed any culture, cultural changes with audience etiquette or engagement from when you toured at the beginning of your career? So, like, for context for me at least, I grew up in a time where like crowds and concerts consist largely of iPhones and then maybe also in part because of like social distancing practices kind of ingrained in us from COVID I feel like crowds are very static and Maybe we're, like, just scared to dance for, like, the fear of being recorded or encroaching on other people's spaces. Have you noticed any of this? And is there anything that you do to try and, like, engage the audience and ground them in your music, in your performance?
03:24
Pamela Valfer
I think that I. Ironically enough, it isn't until this sort of Kitty Craft 2.0 that I really found my audience. I feel like, yeah, I really never had a sense of, like, who liked my music before. Granted, I didn't do extensive touring with Kitty Craft, so I. I really didn't put myself out there in that way, but I feel like the crowd is kind of, like, developed around me. And I will say very proudly that the people that I find that really appreciate my music is just, hands down, the most lovely humans I've ever met. You know, everyone's a little bit of an oddball and in the best and most glorious way, and I really identify with them and I feel honored to be around such cool people. In terms of, like, the atmosphere at shows, I.
04:32
Pamela Valfer
It's strange because it's like, it's a room full of people, but yet I feel like I'm speaking one one to people. So it feels very intimate, even in large settings in bigger venues. Yeah, I. I like that back and forth discourse. And I think at, like, the first show, there was like a mosh pit that started and then I got all nervous. I'm like, oh, don't hurt each other. I got real motherly. I'm like, be careful. But in terms of, like, approaching or the energy in the audience, I feel like there's just, like, waves of love coming at me. Like, it's. I remember the booking agent at the first show was like, I came off stage, like, I have never felt such a positive vibe at a show. And so I feel really charged and like, I get really.
05:38
Pamela Valfer
What's the word I'm looking for? Like, I. I just feel very lucky and I feel that I gain energy from the crowd because they're just so lovely.
05:48
Pando
That's awesome. Yeah. I feel like I've definitely gone to shows where you can feel that energy feeding off of each other and then shows where maybe it struggles a lot more. So it's always great to hear when Audi or when both audiences and performers have a positive experience, because I do think that it relies so much on the energy that, like, we as the audience bring.
06:15
Pamela Valfer
Totally. And it's. I mean, it's. It. I am a teacher, so it's not, you know, I'm a professor, and it's not unlike, you know, the energy in a classroom. Like, sometimes the energy is just super open and it's really easy, and sometimes the energy is really closed and you kind of have to, like, bring people out. But for the most part, I haven't had to work that hard because my fans are so awesome.
06:41
Pando
That's so sweet. I'm happy to hear that. And I was curious about how being a professor, how you feel like that experience translates to your stage presence and vice versa.
06:56
Pamela Valfer
I think that just in teaching as. As long as I have, I feel like I can really talk to anybody about anything, so nothing really shakes me. I feel. I kind of feel comfortable in front of a crowd of people because that's what I do for a living. And, I mean, obviously there's always a little bit of nerves. Same with teaching. When I walk into a new class, I mean, I'm just like. But yeah. So I think it's just made me more comfortable in my own skin and just, you know, being able. I realized teaching is about kind of exchanging energy and, you know, you're your best teacher when the students sort of give back to you, and I learn from them, and I feel like, you know, it's. It's leaning towards the most positive qualities of my teaching.
07:52
Pando
That's beautiful. So do you feel like those experiences, those lessons you've learned, like, the way that you're able to feed off of each other or other people's energy and be more confident in front of crowds has translated to other parts of your life?
08:13
Pamela Valfer
I think. Think I. I would say yes. And. And I think it's. It's almost like kind of a. A perfect storm where all those little bubbles of my life, like a Venn diagram, you know, how they have diagrams or circles, like, overlap, and I feel like I'm kind of at a stage where I'm. I'm getting this nice synchronicity synergy between those parts. So, like, I don't. I feel like who I am as a teacher, who I am as a visual artist, who I am as, like, a friend, who I am as a person on stage, who I am to a fan, it's. It's just I'm. I feel like I'm can be genuinely me. So I think there's a. A synchronicity or a synergy more than it affecting other things.
09:04
Pamela Valfer
It's just that I am kind of walking through each of these things more earnestly and honestly.
09:12
Pando
That's beautiful. I'm glad to hear that's become such a profound experience.
09:19
Pamela Valfer
Yeah, no, totally.
09:21
Pando
What do you most look forward to with performing live and what sort of experience can fans expect from your show? Other than that, obviously it seems like a huge community experience and we're all going to dance in the crowd.
09:35
Pamela Valfer
I love it.
09:36
Pando
Mosh even, but in a safe way.
09:38
Pamela Valfer
In a safe. In a safe and respectful way, of course. Yes. I. I think for me the most wonderful thing is that energy exchange and, you know, meeting fans and like, you know, I don't know, it's. It's really positive. Positive interactions. I. Which sounds. I don't know, it sounds a little. A little bit Pollyanna. But. Yeah, no, that's my favorite thing about touring is just meeting the fans and playing and just sharing myself with them and then getting to receive in kind. That's probably the best thing about playing live.
10:30
Pando
That's awesome. I know that you've said in previous interviews that you, well, grew up as like a fan girl and then now you're kind of in a position where you have a fan base and maybe not to put words into your mouth, but are kind of adapting to this new. Not a hierarchy per se, but like some sort of imbalance with like, you being the performer and other people being the watcher. Does this. Do you feel like you're able to overcome that, like, disconnect and still.
11:15
Pamela Valfer
Great question. For me, it's really interesting because, like, in my visual work, I feel like I'm questioning structures or I'm trying to deconstruct any sort of hierarchies or power structure. Excuse me, power structures. So for me, the most difficult thing is this sort of like, hierarchy, as you mentioned. And like, I'm trying to square that circle, you know, because for me, I. I am uncomfortable with that. So I try to level the playing field as much as I. I possibly can.
12:03
Pando
Yeah, for sure. Do you still get nervous for your performances? Even though it does seem like you overall bring a more like communal or not communal, but collaborative experience to the shows and the way that you describe them, the clips that I've seen online, they do seem like they're very just like kind of laid back, fun events, fun for everyone involved. Do you still get nervous? And if so, like, what? Or do you have any practices that you do to overcome those jitters? Do you have any music you listen to hype yourself up to go on stage?
12:47
Pamela Valfer
I do get nervous. I do get incredibly nervous. And then I think, you know, once that first song is done, I kind of like Settle in a little bit. I think for me, the best thing that I. That I do is, like, the band will just, like, practice backstage a little bit before. And so just kind of getting warmed up definitely brings my confidence up a little bit. So I'm not just like, just starting from scratch.
13:13
Pando
Yeah.
13:16
Pamela Valfer
I. I don't know if I listen anything. I just. Just calmness. I like, I think just being in a space of like, not a lot of activity and just kind of like, you know, settling in myself and doing a little practicing, just so I feel like, you know, ready to go. But yes. No, I get very nervous.
13:34
Pando
All right. And then going back to preparing your music to go on stage, how. What was the process like going back and adapting your songs and I'll run through your discography in a little bit and when it all came out just for our listeners, but a large part of it you made in your 20s and early 30s. Is that correct?
13:57
Pamela Valfer
Yes, that. That is correct.
13:59
Pando
So what was the process like going back and revisiting that and then adapting it to go. To, like, be able to perform in front of crowds?
14:08
Pamela Valfer
Super interesting. It's. It's like meeting an old friend, you know, and for, you know, I think I had more of an appreciation than perhaps maybe I did before I started. Restarted this venture. And I didn't realize I was so prolific that I had so many songs. So I was a little workhorse. And so returning to it, I think I have some different. I come at it from a different place in life, obviously. And so, you know, for instance, I. I really love, like, singer, songwriter music. Like I, you know, like Nick Drake or.
15:01
Pando
Yup.
15:02
Pamela Valfer
Who's the person I'm thinking about? I'm blanking on his name. Jose Gonzalez.
15:07
Pando
Sure.
15:08
Pamela Valfer
And so I was really thinking I wanted to play an acoustic guitar, and I really didn't know how it was going to shake out. If it was going to be like, okay, there'll be backing tracks and then they'll be. Or if it was just going to do acoustic guitar and me and just kind of really strip it back. And so I. I feel like I found a happy medium where there is acoustic guitars and. And some backing tracks. So I was able to kind of go through and like, clean up, clean out the tracks for live because you got to leave a little bit of room for the guitars and other things. And so that was an interesting process. Also, I had to, like, retune all the songs because every song was in a different tuning, so.
15:52
Pamela Valfer
So for those that see me live, sometimes you'll See me, like, put the capo on and tune. And so that's a little challenging, but I think I've. I've got it down to a fairly decent science.
16:06
Pando
Do you feel like your music comes out differently live? Because obviously it's a bit more trip hop style. And then you said that you pull out like an acoustic guitar. How do you feel like that translates? Do you think it brings a different vibe, a different energy, or do you think that.
16:28
Pamela Valfer
I think. I mean, honestly, I don't know. I feel like I would love to be like, have a split me in two and I can go watch.
16:38
Pando
Yeah.
16:39
Pamela Valfer
Because I'm. I'm sort of like, only I can only hear what's on stage and in the monitors. I think that it definitely creates a richer sound without competing. And I think the way that I play guitar and I have a. A second guitar player, Nils. Nils Bryant, and the way that we play our guitars, come up with parts. It. I mean, it's definitely like, you know, in the similar vein as the originals. There's a lot of like, you know, chords that are like super soft rock. So I'm. I'm not. It's. I wouldn't say it's guitar forward. I think it just kind of fills it out in service to what's already there.
17:30
Pando
Okay, well, I definitely look forward to seeing that live. I'm gonna run through your just the Kitty Craft discography real quick. So you came out with your EPS. It's stupid. And I got rules in 1994 and 1997, respect, flea, and then your first album, Beats and Breaks from the flower patch in 1998, followed by cat skills in 2000. And then I had trouble verifying this, but hello Kitty Craft, the EP, was released exclusively as a CD in 2004. Is that correct?
18:06
Pamela Valfer
That's correct, yeah. Good job.
18:08
Pando
I believe that there. Thank you. I believe that there's one song from that and I'm blanking on the name, but it hasn't been re. Released yet. Plan on. Let me see. Let me. Let me consult my notes. Do you plan on releasing that you have the world at your fingertips?
18:28
Pamela Valfer
Oh, yeah. I'm not sure yet. I know there's going to be a third EP of like. Because I've been doing those Volume one, volume two, Volume three. Kind of like they're. Some of them are out, you know, but bonus tracks in Japan all, you know. So I try to make a collection, be they're previously unreleased or like bonus tracks that never really had a push digitally.
19:00
Pando
Sure.
19:00
Pamela Valfer
So I think There'll be one more. So my answer is a very strong maybe.
19:06
Pando
Okay, I'll hold on to that. Yeah, I only got halfway through discography there, so I'll keep going. In 2020, released lost tapes, followed by Mew 1996 to 2004 in 2022 and then most recently Bits and Bobs from the flower patch. Volumes 1 and 2 in February and July of this year are all. Here's my question. Are all of your releases in the last five years lost tracks or releases from 20 or so years ago? Are making new music.
19:39
Pamela Valfer
Thus far I've been working with the back catalog, but I am writing new songs.
19:46
Pando
Yeah, yeah, got.
19:49
Pamela Valfer
Got the Flower Patch back together.
19:52
Pando
I love that. I would assume after a nearly 20 year break from your public music or your relationship with making and performing music has changed a little bit over time. I heard you say, and then in a K XLU interview from last year that you used beats and breaks from the Flower Patch as a way to decompress from a full time job. You said you were working like 9 to 5 so come home exhausted and just needed like a way to get those emotions out. And beats and breaks came out of that, which is beautiful. Do you still find that same comfort in making art, whether it's musical or visual or what have you? Or do you feel like your relationship has changed or your intention with it has changed in any way?
20:40
Pamela Valfer
I think that thus far, like the visual art and the music at the moment seem to have their own lane, although I can see parts starting to overlap a little bit. But I feel like my visual art is more like hits you in the mind and. And the music. Might you feel it in your body more? Yeah, so I think that's a very different, you know, experience with them and I'm just kind of letting it live organically and if the two intersect, fantastic. And I am seeing little threads of. Of interest from one into the other. But I'm also okay with them having their own lane, you know.
21:34
Pando
Okay. I actually that touched on my next question. So your visual art tends to explore some pretty heavy and often political themes. For example, you somewhat recently completed a residency in Berlin where you worked on a project titled A Monument to a Monument, which was dedicated to drawing attention to a piece Dunbu, done by Olu Aguebe that was dismantled after a push from far right German groups. In an interview with Ear Coffee, you described how your Jewish German heritage influenced your passion for this project. How do you feel like the message you relay through your music compares to your Other disciplines of art. And do you ever feel like you're balancing different Personas or parts of yourself? So you said that you. This. You felt. You feel like these have been kind of bleeding through and maybe influencing each other recently.
22:34
Pando
I was hoping maybe you could expand on that.
22:37
Pamela Valfer
I mean, that is the. That is the main question in my life. Right. Like, that is something that. The. The answer hasn't quite materialized. So, you know, for instance, at the moment we're mailing stuff out for people that buy things, like physical things. And you know, I'm seeing there's this physical exchange. So in that, like I have these little cards which are probably not even useful anymore, just about ice and what. What the exact part of law you can sort of understand or something to inform. It seems like we're kind of knee deep and I don't even know if it's useful anymore. But a small effort on my part to just create community, Create, you know, disseminate information as best I can. Because I really do feel like the Kitty Craft group is like. I feel very protective of my fans.
23:58
Pamela Valfer
I feel like I want to circle the wagons and like, you know, do what I can. And in that way, you know, I'm trying to see how they can touch without being super overt or really like, you know, heavy handed with it. Heavy handed with it. So I don't. That's again, squaring the circle. And I. That's the biggest question mark in my head is like, you know, before I started getting back into Kitty Craft, I was, you're right, I was doing this kind of like conceptual work, multidisciplinary work. And I'm just trying to be comfortable with it all. And like I said, I'm open to opportunities to create that community because I feel like right now the best thing I can do is just put my arms around people and like, let them know they're not alone as. As best I can.
25:20
Pamela Valfer
Which feels like a political act. Today, creating community feels like a political act. I think it's really important to have people you can rely on. And so I don't know if I answered the question. I sort of want to.
25:40
Pando
No, you definitely did. I think that you're definitely correct. At the end of the day, regardless of what you're addressing through your visual art and your musical art, you're building a community. You're putting your arms around people and telling them that they're not alone, that maybe you can relate or at least there's people out there that can relate, that they're heard that they're understood and you're sharing information. So I think that all of these tend to just maybe be different avenues of doing the same thing.
26:16
Pamela Valfer
Yeah. And. And I. I was a little apprehensive because I don't want to be like virtue signaling or anything like that. You know, I just. I really genuinely just want to disseminate. This is the first time I've really talked about it. I. I don't really mention that I've done that, but. Yeah, so I'm trying to think of ways to create that community, to empower that community and.
26:51
Pando
Yeah, well, thank you for answering that. Those are heavy topics. I know, but it's always so comforting to know that there are different communities out there. And there's like the artists that I play when I like, need to listen to music while I do my homework or something or just like in the cares about their fans and cares about building a community and has intention that even if it's not straightforward or like through their lyrics, it's positive they're doing something. And I really appreciate that. I think that the sense of community in your music is so incredibly strong. And I've made so many friends just connecting over your music. I don't mean to. Yeah. But that makes me happy. It is. It's so fun. And I'm so looking forward to the concert because I have, like, all my baddies are going.
27:57
Pando
It's going to be a lot of fun.
27:58
Pamela Valfer
But oh goodness, I love it. Oh, yes. I love, love it. So I'm leaving the door open and just kind of letting it evolve organically. And, you know, I'm not super focusing on my visual art because right now I feel like Kitty Craft is kind of taking my attention mostly, which is fine. And I've said many a time, like, it's. It's hard. Like when I'm focused, you know, and for some reason I can't do both at the same time. I can't split my time. So I kind of will, you know, put something on the back burner a while and. Yeah.
28:42
Pando
No, thank you. I want to talk a little bit about beats and breaks, specifically. Well, I guess not specifically. I want to talk a little bit about that album and how it's influenced me, I think, and your music in general, it really appeals to me. And I think a lot of people my age, I think that your fan base, at least from my perspective, seems to be like 20 something year olds. Maybe that's in part because a lot of it was made when you were that age or in your early 30s. I think that it really is evident in your sound because it comes off as very happy and upbeat, but also kind of carries very melancholy lyrics.
29:40
Pando
And for me, at least, that's kind of hits home because it embodies, like, the magic and the mysticism as well as the, like, dread and exhaustion that comes from, like, being in a very uncertain part of my life. Yeah. So I'm curious, as you've aged and established a career, a home, and maybe more, gotten more comfortable with how you go through and approach life, do you still feel connected to your original intention and message when you're performing and revisiting your old songs?
30:16
Pamela Valfer
I would say yes. I would say absolutely. And I think more than ever since I've started writing new music, I can really see the connection between where I was at. I feel like no matter where you are, everybody has things they're working on and working with. Right. Like, the environment may have changed, but that doesn't mean that the game is over. So I guess I could best answer this with thinking about the new stuff I'm doing compared to the old stuff. And I think, you know, I guess the way you describe the music is the way that, you know, I think of myself perhaps. You know, there's. There's a really cheery part of me, and then there's a really dark part of me, and.
31:20
Pamela Valfer
And I think the darker part of me gets a chance to roll out and, like, kvetch and whine a little bit when I. When I write lyrics, particularly. Yeah, it's. I don't know if I answered the question.
31:45
Pando
No, I believe that you did. I want to talk a little bit about what you were saying. This is more so like a. Something that's been poking at me. From one of your previous interviews, you described this philosophy that's kind of stuck with me about just having confidence in yourself and that you'll figure it out as you go, Whether that's a career or a skill or writing a song. You've emphasized the importance of trusting yourself and that you can figure it out, that there's might be no set path, but, like, that you just need to trust that you will figure it out, that you'll work it out.
32:29
Pando
I was wondering if you could speak a bit on how you think this applies to the resurgence in your music career, and then also, if you're willing, maybe give us a few details about how the direction in which you're taking your new songwriting in has changed from.
32:51
Pamela Valfer
Previously so the first part, I feel incredibly passionate about that point and it's something that I really repeat and try to drive home in my teaching because I feel like people, particularly now just with everything going on and there's a lot of self doubt. And I think that the greatest thing you can figure out about yourself and I see it in people, I see it in students, I see it in the people I meet, is that everybody's incredibly competent. Like, and I think we forget, we get in our heads a little bit that, you know, we get so afraid of failure that we become resistant to chance and risk. And I think that can put you in a corner. And I think as you get older, from like pam at like 20 to Pam now, is that I trust I can figure it out.
34:08
Pamela Valfer
It's not that I know everything, I just trust I'm like, okay, there's YouTube videos I can ask a person, you know, like, so trying to convey that belief in oneself and it perhaps sounds cheesy, is like the difference between standing in your own self built corner and just really putting yourself out there. And failure is part of it. That's okay because then you figure something out. And I know that's people are like, oh, right, just figure something out. And it's really, I understand the how failure is repellent, you know, but you know, it's like if you're carving a wood sculpture, you know, you don't go in and you're like, the first mark is the last. The first cut is the last cut, right? You're like slowly peeling it away, you're finding it in there. That's a process with anything I do. It's a process.
35:15
Pamela Valfer
And heck yeah, I fail at a lot of stuff, but it just helps me go, okay, well I need to pivot. So being able to pivot and trusting yourself. And another thing is like, I think we self limit a lot. Like for instance, friend of mine is looking for a new job and I sent them a link to something and they're like, I don't think I'm a good fit for that. And I'm like, you know what, that's not up to you. That's not up to you to say. That's, you know, you don't know what they're looking for, so you just apply and because I, I thought this person was very right for the job. But I think we can do these self limiting things. Like we get anxiety. Like, well, I don't have that and that, and I've sat on hiring committees before.
36:10
Pamela Valfer
So like I, I, I really know and I've been interviewed so I understand that sometimes what's on paper, they're really emphasizing this other thing or it's really not up to you to say you're not qualified.
36:24
Pando
So you say, go for it. Just try and go for it.
36:26
Pamela Valfer
Yeah. And you just don't know. And so when people are like, I'm not going to do it, I'm like, well, that's not up for you to decide.
36:34
Pando
Yeah, that's beautiful. That speaks to me as a senior in college.
36:41
Pamela Valfer
Yes.
36:44
Pando
It's so nice to hear that perspective. Do you feel like when you went through, I don't know if that's a great way to word it. Do you feel like going through life that it sort of followed a linear path or are you just kind of somewhere you totally didn't expect to be? I mean, I guess maybe it's more of a circle, what we're looking at now with like going back to the kitty Craft. But.
37:21
Pamela Valfer
I have never sort of followed a linear narrative, nor do I think most people. I think there's this expectation that life is a linear narrative.
37:32
Pando
Yeah.
37:32
Pamela Valfer
In reality it's a loop de loop of craziness. Another thing that I think is a wonderful thing about people in the United States is that we are very comfortable with thinking outside the box. And other cultures don't necessarily have that mental freedom because there's just such a long history and there's expectations put on you. And I think that's a real gift. So have I tried the well worn ways of doing stuff? Absolutely. Did they work? No. And so I kind of made opportunities for myself again, I just figured stuff out and those have tended to be the most successful. When I sort of, you know, like I said before, I kind of hooked up with this booking agent, I was like, okay, I'll just rent a space. Like I, I didn't know anybody in the music scene.
38:38
Pamela Valfer
I've been especially in la and I was just trying to figure it out and then, you know, someone Minty boy came in and have been very lovely and supportive and had a vision and things that perhaps I didn't have. But yeah, it's just you just figure it out and I know that sounds so simple.
39:06
Pando
Maybe it can be.
39:08
Pamela Valfer
I hope so. I hope so. And I, I really want to. And even on a very macro, like macro micro level. On a micro level. It's like in school, take that class that you're interested in. But unsure of, you know, reach out to that club that you really like but you're not sure. You feel a little bit intimidated by. It's like, you know, trust yourself or that project that you've been like. Because I know all of you and I'm looking at the crowd behind the microphone that might be listening to this is you do have a project you're thinking about and you. And you have kind of talked yourself out of it. What if you just did it? You know what it looks like if you don't do it.
40:03
Pando
Yeah, that's true.
40:05
Pamela Valfer
You know exactly what that looks like. So what happens if you just tried it?
40:13
Pando
So going back to music making then, do you feel like you're exploring any new avenues? Do you feel like your life has. I know I just called it a circle a few minutes ago, but I'm going to eat my words and say, obviously you've changed. Since when you started releasing Kitty Craft music. Do you feel like you're trying out anything new in the most vague sense? I guess I'm asking that. But explore any new directions, have any new influences, intentions that you're like looking forward to and would like to share?
40:58
Pamela Valfer
I think that I. I've got sea legs. Right. Like I've had to really start from scratch because when I kind of shelve doing music, the world has completely changed, including all technical. Yeah, Right. So I've had to like re educate myself and relearn what the new platforms are and like, you know, but there's YouTube and friends. In terms of like where I'm going with it, I would say I'm in the process of kind of rebuilding the infrastructure of it. And so I'm not having any in expectations necessarily. I'm kind of like letting it just kind of unfold. And so if anything, I think that I'm. I'm kind of like more comfortable with my guitar music versus like loops because it.
42:00
Pando
Okay.
42:01
Pamela Valfer
And because when I first started Kitty Craft, it was like me on a guitar on a four track and then it just sort of evolved right into what Beats and Breaks was. And so I'm kind of like seeing the value of both approaches. Well before, like when I did Beats and break, I'm like, oh my God, my guitar music's dead to me. You know, like it just. I was so focused and I'm like, this is where my head's at. Where now that I've gone back and I've looked, I really see a lot of interesting things there. So I'm. I'm just kind of like, you know, letting my sea legs kind of like get under me and, and get some, some structure and not trying to have a preconceived notion but really working intuitively.
42:53
Pando
Do you feel like you're. Oh, sorry, go ahead. Do you feel like your inspirations have changed?
43:04
Pamela Valfer
I mean, yes and no. Because I think that when people ask me, I get a lot of DMS of, you know, people saying, hey, I want to make music and you know, where do I start? And I always think my mindset is make music that you want to listen to that you would enjoy listening to. And I feel like if you hold that as your yardstick, I think you're good to go. So in that sense, I, I still, you know, I know myself like, I really like hypnotic, you know, repetitive things. I find. I think the brain really responds well to that kind of repetition and the flow of things. So in that I think I'm exactly the same in terms of external influences. I feel like I'm in a little bit of a bubble because.
44:00
Pamela Valfer
And I, I'm not terribly informed, to be honest. Like, my mind is so like fractured from the last five years and what's happening that, you know, I just listen to jazz.
44:16
Pando
Yeah.
44:17
Pamela Valfer
And I love jazz and I love the flow of jazz. Am I a jazz musician? Heck no. I, I'm not that good. But it's kind of. I'm just making music I want to listen to and it might sound dated and it might sound current and I have no idea. But I'm not trying to assess that.
44:42
Pando
Yeah, I mean, I think as long as you're making music that feels authentic to you, clearly that's worked with your fans in the past.
44:52
Pamela Valfer
Thank you.
44:53
Pando
But you beat me to my question.
44:55
Pamela Valfer
Oh.
44:56
Pando
Although I might want to repeat it because I'm really curious. So you did say that you've just been listening to jazz pretty much exclusively recently. Can do you. Is jazz music influencing your music at all?
45:16
Pamela Valfer
No, no. I mean if I do tend to like the more mellow, like hypnotic jazz, like there's. I just got a vinyl that I listen to digitally, but I just wanted it on vinyl like Pharaoh Sanders. I think it's. What is it called? Thursday Afternoon. I like really kind of like. And that goes for all music. I really like low key tempo music. I was also listening to this band called Gas, which was really interesting and I have a collection of theirs. They. I'm not sure if it's a band or one person, but they take Loops, and they slow them down. So it kind of creates this, like, very, like. Like a hypnotic.
46:16
Pando
Hum.
46:17
Pamela Valfer
A hypnotic. It was very low key, low tempo, but it is super interesting. So I think the kind of physical interaction I have with music is the same. It might. You know, the genre might change, but what I like is very similar.
46:39
Pando
Okay, well, thank you. Mm. I really look forward to hearing the future directions in which your music is gonna go.
46:49
Pamela Valfer
Thank you. Thank you, Pando. I'm. I'm interested as well. We're all waiting with bated breath.
46:55
Pando
Oh, for sure. I am curious. I want to go back to something you said earlier about how about the overlap of your visual art with your music? And I touched on this already. But to be more specific, at your shows or just, like, in your releases, do you incorporate any of your visual art? Like, what's it called? Like, the projections, the wall behind you. I'm sorry, I'm totally blanking on what you would call that at the concerts. Is that your art?
47:34
Pamela Valfer
No, it's not mine.
47:35
Pando
It didn't look like it.
47:37
Pamela Valfer
No, it's not mine. It's. It's a collection of, like, vintage, early experimental animation from, like, the 40s, 50s, and 60s.
47:48
Pando
Okay.
47:49
Pamela Valfer
And so it's like. Yeah, it's. It's there.
47:54
Pando
Really?
47:54
Pamela Valfer
Early animation is so beautiful and so interesting, and I. I like the flow of it. I like the abstractness of it. Yeah. So that. That's kind of what that is in terms of my own work. The COVID for Lost Tapes is actually a drawing I did.
48:16
Pando
Okay.
48:17
Pamela Valfer
I'm not sure people know that's a drawing. There's also. When you open it up, there's, like, shoes and stuff. So I did a series of, like, poltergeist drawings, and that's a scene of a poltergeist throwing shoes around.
48:31
Pando
Okay. Are you. When you say. When you open it up, is.
48:35
Pamela Valfer
Are you talking about open up the cd?
48:37
Pando
Okay.
48:38
Pamela Valfer
Open up the record or. No. Does the record have it? It just. It. So Lost Tapes and Cat Skills was just released on. On vinyl, so it's a double album.
48:48
Pando
Okay.
48:48
Pamela Valfer
And, yeah, I can't remember what the inside is. I'm not sure if those shoes are on there. Anyway, so for those that are interested, go out and, you know, ask your local record store for Cat Skills and Loss tapes. You get a good deal. Twofer. A twofer. But, yeah, and I'm also playing with, like, clip art. Like, I love clip art. Some of the early stuff I've done, you know, back in the day, I did a lot of clip art, so that's been really fun to, like, get back into. It's just. Just a hoot. I love it. Yeah. So I'm enjoying returning to some things. I think I'm enjoying. I enjoyed making the COVID for Lost Tapes. So we'll see. We'll see how my visual art, I mean, I'm. I'm definitely a visual thinker, so.
49:47
Pamela Valfer
So everything that I think about, you know, is through the lens of this wackadoo brain. Yeah. I'm just kind of sitting back and let it. Letting it connect or not connect organically. I'm not trying to have agenda.
50:08
Pando
That's wonderful. Authentic.
50:11
Pamela Valfer
Oh, thank you.
50:12
Pando
Take. See where it takes you. I look forward to it. Okay. I have just one more question.
50:19
Pamela Valfer
Okay.
50:21
Pando
What's your favorite flower? Just something I like to ask people. I think it says a lot about someone.
50:28
Pamela Valfer
I am a huge gardener. I.
50:32
Pando
You are the flower patch, if you will.
50:35
Pamela Valfer
I know, right? Prophetic. Like, I. I'm a double Virgo, so having my feet and hands in earth is like.
50:45
Pando
Happy belated birthday, by the way. Thank you.
50:48
Pamela Valfer
I appreciate that. Yeah, it was. So what's my favorite flower? Gosh.
51:00
Pando
I really thought you would have one, like, off the top of your head will be like, morning glory. That was my bet. My bet was morning glory.
51:09
Pamela Valfer
I.
51:10
Pando
It is a September. Oh, well, you're in August Virgo, aren't you?
51:13
Pamela Valfer
I'm. I'm in August. August 31st. I'm a double Virgo with a Capricorn moon. So for those who don't know if you know, I would say, in a way, I. At the moment, I would say Jasmine.
51:37
Pando
Yeah.
51:38
Pamela Valfer
Yeah, Jasmine. The smell, the sensory experience is just dynamite. I like flowers that smell good.
51:50
Pando
Star Jasmine's my favorite.
51:52
Pamela Valfer
Star jasmine. I've got, like. I've got a few going. Morning glories. I just. On walks, I like to, like, you know, if there's, like, plants growing in areas, I'll, like, snap a little part off, and then I'll try to root it. And I've got some morning glories rooting. I'm trying to get some morning glories going.
52:11
Pando
Beautiful.
52:12
Pamela Valfer
Yeah. So, yeah, maybe just. And it's. It's sort of not overly showy. It's. It's a little bit awkward. The jasmine, like, you know, does it want to be a. A trellis plant? Does it want to be a bush? Does it want to be a tree? It's a bit unassuming, but the smell is just so intoxicating.
52:34
Pando
For sure. I don't know if you've ever been to Charleston in South Carolina. Oh, I have, but. Oh my God. I live there for a little bit and just like in the spring, the whole city smells like jasmine. It's intoxicating. It's my favorite thing ever.
52:54
Pamela Valfer
I think my first experience was that for when I was really young, my parents moved to Maryland, Silver Spring, Maryland. I lived in Silver Spring, Maryland for like, I don't know, I. Two, three years. It wasn't very long. But I do remember that the cherry blossoms in the spring, like in Washington, Maryland, like, I just remember as a very young person, like this amazing smell. And maybe that's got me, you know, got me going and. And the addiction started. But I do remember, so I know what you're talking about.
53:29
Pando
It's the urge to visit the flower patch.
53:33
Pamela Valfer
You know, I do think sometimes and I. And I see later on I see synchronicities. Like for instance, the first song, I think Par five on beats and breaks on in the Flower Patch. Yeah. The first line of the lyric on Par five is like, lost Train to la. How did I know I'd end up in la? Yeah, you know, it was. And so like I look at those things, I'm like, oo, that's. Well, I didn't think of that. Like, I had no inkling that I would ever move to la. And here I am and I'm loving it here.
54:12
Pando
So before when I said you're native to Minneapolis, was that true?
54:17
Pamela Valfer
Well, I've kind of done this slow crawl westward.
54:21
Pando
Yeah. Do you feel like that's influenced your maybe even outlook on life to be more broad, but music?
54:32
Pamela Valfer
Yes, yes, a hundred percent. I feel like, you know, I spent most of my life in. In Minnesota, so grew up there. I think I moved there when I was seven.
54:43
Pando
Okay, okay.
54:44
Pamela Valfer
Got a job out there. But yeah, I. I think like I was born in New Jersey. My parents.
54:54
Pando
Oh, my facts were so wrong. Okay, well, no, that's okay. I know at least on your Spotify page it says that Lost tapes came out when you moved to la, which is now your forever home.
55:06
Pamela Valfer
Yes, yes. If I ever move, it's because we all have to move.
55:11
Pando
So what really draws you to the area then? Gosh.
55:18
Pamela Valfer
Well, I'm done with winter. I think I've put my time in, so I think that people are really lovely here. And people like, there's really great things and then there's really challenging things. I think the weather is wonderful. I think people are very accepting. I think A lot of people move to California at large because they're looking to be more themselves a little bit because it's like more accepted here.
55:49
Pando
Okay.
55:51
Pamela Valfer
And I appreciate that. Where I think in, you know, living in Minneapolis, there's a little bit more self awareness you have to have. We're here. It's like people are just unapologetically themselves and I really, really love that.
56:07
Pando
I'm glad to hear that. Do you feel like you've still been able to find a community there?
56:15
Pamela Valfer
You know, that's more difficult and I think that if there's ever a criticism of LA is that it's really hard to build your tribe and that's been a slower burn. But I think it's interesting how at least this is in my head. What I've thought is like, you know, everything is actually really pretty far away from each other. You know, it's not like a walking city per se, like New York. And so you are in your car a lot, right. And you. To get from place to place. So there's this kind of like cloistered, you know, you're in your car, you go to a place. So there it's just. And I feel like the Social Network is kind of similar in that way. It's not that I haven't met wonderful people and I've met wonderful creative people.
57:06
Pamela Valfer
There's really a great community of creatives here. Great visual artists, great musicians.
57:12
Pando
I've heard.
57:14
Pamela Valfer
Yeah, yeah, totally super impressed and inspired by the creatives I meet. But it's just like everybody's like busy and it's just like, you know, if someone lives on the west side, you know, I'm never gonna see you again, you might as well live in another country. So it's hard, it's just hard. So you have to be a bit self reliant and I think it can be really hard for those like you have to kind of face some demons in that. Which you have to be prepared to do that. Spend a lot of alone time.
57:50
Pando
Okay, that's understandable. How long have you been there for there now?
57:56
Pamela Valfer
I've moved there. I, I'm here now 11 years. I moved here in 2014.
58:03
Pando
Yeah, that's a big change.
58:06
Pamela Valfer
It was. And it, I think for the first year you're just kind of like spinning like it's just so new and different and exciting and confusing and took me like a full year to get my feet under me, I think. So for people who are thinking about moving here just give your just know that it's, you're going to be freaked.
58:30
Pando
Out for a year and then well, I'm down. I'm glad that it's calmed down.
58:36
Pamela Valfer
Yes, it's calmed down.
58:40
Pando
All right. Well, is there anything that you'd like to add? Are there any topics I didn't touch on that you're trying to get the point across?
58:48
Pamela Valfer
Just a big shout out and just a, a big hello and a warm hug to folks that are already coming to the show. And for those you know, I hope to meet you through the inner webs and I'm just really appreciative and of all the attention and interest in my, my creativity and what I'm doing. So thank you for giving me that part of your brain, that space in your brain.
59:25
Pando
Thank you so much for talking with me today. This has been Pando for WKNC talking with Pamela Valfer of Kitty Craft. Goodbye everyone.