Felipe Valencia
Design – Band/Venue Poster Nominee
Felipe Valencia – Old Wives’ Tale – LIVE in Paris
Miami-based electro/rock band Old Wives’ Tale is based in Miami, FL. Band members include Jaime Valencia on vocals, guitars and programming, Felipe Valencia on vocals, bass and programming and Pablo Toro on drums and percussion. Felipe was were nominated for the poster he created for the band’s November, 2009 concert tour in Paris, France.
How and when did you decide to take on the task of creating your own promo poster? Had you worked on this sort of thing before?
I’m part of the band and, having to do many things ourselves, I’ve learned from our designer friends that have helped us in the past. I used to do our own posters until we started playing in bigger and better places that handle their own artwork, which is usually done by somebody that knows what he or she is doing.
Did you develop the imagery used on this poster for this specific gig, or was this image chosen for that purpose after you’d produced it (as a work of art)?
We wanted to do a different poster for each of our shows on that tour, so that each one was unique. The posters for our Paris series of shows, which the one nominated is a part of, are my favorites.
What was the inspiration for that particular chosen image? Did your band’s music, the venue’s reputation or your performing/visual styles provide you with some inspiration as to what to develop as the basis for the design?
We had the black-covering-eyes campaign going at the time and we wanted to do something that would visually catch your attention since this was our first time playing in Paris and that it would represent the sound of the band.
Was anyone else involved in the process of deciding what you should produce, and did they provide you with any direction? Did you have enough money and/or time to do what you wanted to do, and were you happy with the results?
Since it was done by us, we knew exactly what we wanted. We were only limited by our designing skills.
How long did it take you to develop the finished design (from concept to final product)? Were there any special processes (special paints, inks or other materials), or other aids (e.g., mirrors, make-up, computer graphics, etc.) used? Can you let me know about the # of images that were considered or submitted before the final decision was made?
Getting the right images to work was the hardest part. It probably took me a whole day to find the images. The design part worked itself out, and since we really don’t know how many design mistakes we are making, we judge everything by the visual aspect. If it works, it works. We never saw it on print unfortunately.
Was this image (or other images you created as part of this commission) also used in related promotional efforts, such as for album packaging, music videos, stage props, merch, etc.? Do you consider these alternate uses for your work as you approach your work?
This image was used only for this event.
Tell us why you submitted this particular work for consideration for an IMA Award.
It’s our favorite poster, if not one of the favorites, even compared to the ones that venues have had designed by their in-house pros. Knowing that we did it makes it even sweeter.
For your bio – in addition to the basic info about yourself and your career, can you give me some details of some of the other work you’ve done, particularly if there are other music industry-related images that folks will be aware of?
Like most independent artists, I’ve had to wear numerous hats to promote our band Old Wives’ Tale. Fortunately, we’ve had very talented people help us but, never the less, I’ve always been involved throughout the whole process and have learned different trades that gave me the freedom and skills to produce an image and not depend on somebody that would be kind enough to help us. I would like to clarify one thing, though – we never thought we would get a nomination for “Best Poster”!
Lastly – what are your views regarding the future of graphic/visual design in the music industry as it moves on to the many new distribution platforms? Are you seeing new opportunities for your talents?
I think that the visual aspects of music are very important and even more so now that the music itself is not the main source of income for musicians. I hope that we can one day afford to hire one of the many talented designers out there.
Learn more about Old Wives’ Tale by visiting their web site at www.listentotheold.com
Interviewed in March, 2011 by Mike Goldstein of RockPoP Gallery, Portland, OR www.rockpopgallery.com