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Pat Walsh
Pat's Peeps Podcast
Ep. 305 Today's Peep Welcomes Gin Blossoms Guitarist, Singer, Songwriter and Founding Member Jesse Valenzuela, When a Rock Legend Laughs at Your Questions, It Might Be A Good Thing
Ever wondered what happens when a podcast host's questions make a rock star laugh? In this captivating episode of Pat's Peeps, I sit down with Jesse Valenzuela, founding member and guitarist of the multi-platinum selling Gin Blossoms, for what turns into a refreshingly authentic conversation about music, success, and the journey from Arizona bars to MTV stardom.
The interview begins with a moment of vulnerability as Jesse laughs at my questions, initially causing some paranoia before revealing he's actually enjoying the fresh perspective. We dive into the origins of the Gin Blossoms' distinctive sound, with Jesse sharing how he started playing guitar as a teenager, taught by neighborhood friends Dave and Ed. "All the like-minded people wind up at the same end of the pool," he reflects, describing how musicians naturally find each other.
Jesse offers fascinating insights into the band's evolution - how he transitioned from lead vocalist to guitarist, the story behind their self-deprecating album titles like "New Miserable Experience," and the transformative impact of signing with A&M Records. The most revealing moments come when discussing their "overnight success" that actually took years of touring and persistence. "All of a sudden, MTV plays your records and then it gets attention from radio and the world changes for you quickly," Jesse explains. "In a week, you're filling what used to be a half-filled bar... Then you're moving to clubs, theaters, and then, all of a sudden, you're playing the Greek theater in Los Angeles."
Throughout our conversation, Jesse's gratitude shines through as he acknowledges both the luck and hard work behind their success story. For fans of 90s alternative rock, music history enthusiasts, or anyone who appreciates the human stories behind hit songs like "Hey Jealousy" and "Found Out About You," this episode offers a rare glimpse behind the music that defined an era.
Don't miss the Gin Blossoms live at Rocklin Quarry Park Amphitheater on Sunday, August 17th - and be sure to dig deep into their catalog beyond the radio hits!
welcome friends. It is the patch peeps podcast. We're at number 305. Thank you for being here. Happy Thursday to you, july 24th. Looking out the studio window into the beautiful foothills of Northern California, it's a lovely day Again, not too hot. We are just spoiled here in California. How are you? Thank you for tuning in today.
Speaker 1:What I'm loving is that we're getting more and more rock stars on the Pat's Peeps podcast. Love interviewing the rock stars, although I'm going to tell you here, I was a little concerned today For a second. My guest was laughing over my questions and I got a little paranoid. I thought, oh God, he thinks I'm an idiot. But what happens is when I interview rock stars, it's pretty amazing. I would say this is the most glaring example. To be honest, I edit about 40 seconds of the podcast only because and now I kind of regret it because now I'm setting it up properly, darn it, but I'm not going to go back and unedit. So I thought that he was not appreciating the interview because he was laughing. And he says to me I'll just paraphrase what actually happened he says wow, you're really getting into it. You're working off an old bio today. Huh, sounds like, and I didn't know how to take that exactly. And I said well, I'm sorry if I wasn't asking the questions that you want. I had a 15-minute time limit. Okay, I had 15 minutes, they told me. The publicist told me 15 minutes.
Speaker 1:This is with Jesse Valenzuela, who is one of the founding members of the Gin Blossoms multi-platinum selling artists. The Gin Blossoms, who, with many other bands from the 90s, were just at the top of the heap man. You just go down the list Smash, mouth, sugar Ray, whatever it was top of the heap back in the 90s some great music. We just saw Toad the Wet Sprocket Sunday night at the Corey Amphitheater. The reason I'm talking about this is because the Gin Blossoms are coming. You'll hear me talk about this, say this 10 times in the podcast, but they're going to be in Rockland at the Corey Amphitheater coming up on the 17th of August.
Speaker 1:But what happens is every time I so far I would say 100% of the time I'll interview a rock star and I think that they imagine that this is some guy or some gal somewhere, some media person in that market. Yeah, we'll do an interview with this band and they figure, you know, like the local meteorologist, tell us your influence on me. Now you guys were out in uh, what was it in the 90s? Or something like that. You know questions, you know you could just tell they're like I don't mean to disparage anybody, but I see it all the time, just being honest, Like you can tell, they did no homework With me. I know the music, I do my homework, I know a lot about the music in the band and then in this case I really do.
Speaker 1:And you'll hear in this interview that it wasn't or this conversation I like to call it a conversation Pat's Peeps 305, that I wasn't. I liked their music. I didn't need to see him necessarily, or anyone else on MTV, I just liked their music. So what happens is halfway through they'll go. You can hear them. It clicks in their head like, oh, this guy really knows our stuff, this guy really knows. So during the interview he's going to start laughing and it makes me very paranoid, right, because I think he doesn't like me.
Speaker 1:But as it turns out it was quite the opposite of that. You'll remember the Gin Blossoms Great music, of course. One of many great hits by the Gin Blossoms Found out about you, right? Oh, great, great music. All that summer keeps, you don't recall? I love those harmonies. So they have a bunch of hits and as I started to dig deep, I was digging deep man into the blossoms and it kind of blew them away. All right.
Speaker 1:So I'm going to play the interview for you and you'll see exactly what I'm saying, what I'm talking about. I'm very grateful. Thank you, for listening to Pat's Peeps, number 305. Please check out patspeepscom. Please support our local businesses. Please, I'd be very, very grateful. Check out our Pats Peeps Mall. And one more thanks to everyone who came out to the Pats Peeps gathering the other night.
Speaker 1:So here are the gin blossoms and then, without further ado, jesse Valenzuela. Let's do this. I am so honored here on Pats Peeps podcast, number 305. Hey, to tell you, number one, that the gin blossoms are coming to Rockland, to Rockland Quarry Park, and I love Rockland Quarry Park. I just was there this weekend for a show. I'm there quite frequently but the Gin Blossoms, who I absolutely love. I was so excited when I saw that they're going to be playing there, because this is right in my area and this is going to be Sunday, august 17th, at Quarry Park Amphitheater, which is a great place if you've not been out there to see a show, and I'm honored here on my podcast to talk to Jesse Valenzuela, who is the rhythm guitar player, singer, songwriter extraordinaire, and, if I may say, jesse, because I think this is underrated and I don't think this is brought up enough. So, if I may, tied for the best hair in rock and roll. How are you, jesse?
Speaker 2:That's very funny. Who am I tied with?
Speaker 1:Who are you tied with? That's a very good question. Well, there's a lot of other that I could bring up, but I think you'd be in the top mix. You know, frank Zapp had some good hair. You know what I mean. I could start off right there, you and Frank.
Speaker 2:Frank had great hair. Yes, he did he always did.
Speaker 1:God bless him. Iconic hair. Jerry Garcia Listen man, Jerry had great hair.
Speaker 2:Yeah, jerry had great hair.
Speaker 1:He did.
Speaker 1:And very recognizable faces too, both of those guys. Now that I think about it, man and man, I'm so excited to see you guys coming to town here to Rockland Quarry Park. By the way, you have the. I don't know if you have an opening band, but the thing about Rockland Quarry Park, like I say, I've introduced many shows out there. It's a great place. When you guys come out, the sun will be down, so you won't have that sun glaring directly in your face. Jesse, who did you see there recently? You know who I saw, and this was Sunday night. I got invited and God's honest truth, man, this was 90s stuff too. I didn't know any of their songs and I know music. I'm probably the only person in the audience that did not know one song by Toad the Wet Sprocket.
Speaker 2:Oh, they were just there. Yeah, that's surprising they have a lot of hits there. They're good friends of ours. Those guys have a great show.
Speaker 1:They have a great show. I just was unfamiliar for whatever reason, uh to their music. I don't know what it was, but I really enjoyed it. I'm not, you know, and I'm not even sure how to really classify what their music was. And for me, when you guys came out the gin blossoms, I wasn't even sure how to classify that music because I mean, it seemed like it was. You guys kind of had your own vibe. I don't know what it was and you're from Arizona, right? Yep, so in Arizona. I don't know if maybe it's just me, but there's something that is that I am drawn to by. There's almost like a Southwest sound you know the Eagles and some other bands that came from that area where I don't know. There's just a great sound. And here you are and you're playing this rhythm guitar, original singer for the band, and I just love your guitar playing. There's just a special sound. Is there such a thing as a Southwest kind of a sound?
Speaker 2:I don't think so. I mean, I don't know what. If there is, I think that there's a Jimbo, some sound that was really defined early, but nobody really plays like us back home and they don't play like us in Austin, texas. No, but you know, there's something that happens in the Southwest, like when I was a kid, everybody liked Zeppelin. I don't know if that was, I guess they liked Zeppelin everywhere. But I don't know, I don't know if that was, I guess they liked zeppelin everywhere.
Speaker 1:Yeah, um, I don't know, like I, I, I don't think so like I don't think anyone sounded like you at all, but there was other bands that had a feel. Maybe it's just me, you know how music is so subjective, maybe it's just in my head. I think of, like the eagles from that were southwest and uh, and there's some other bands that I think of that are just very free West sound.
Speaker 2:No, I don't know. I mean, I sure love the Eagles a lot, but I was probably the only one who played like the Eagles and the Jim Blossoms the other guys. That wasn't really necessarily their bag, they liked more rock. I love the Eagles. I always have since I was a kid. It's really fabulous music.
Speaker 1:One other thing I did realize, if I just might dip into this just for a split second. I noticed, I think and I hope I'm not wrong you're a baseball fan and you're a Dodgers fan. Is that right, jesse?
Speaker 2:I am a Dodgers fan, but I don't watch the series. I don't watch the season until well after the All-Star game because it's just too long for me. So I'll probably start taking an interest here in the next month or so.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay, I'm a diehard I love, even though I'm from Northern California, I get a little bad time about being a Dodger fan. But yeah, you began. We're talking with Jesse Valenzuela from the Gin Blossoms. Again, they're coming to town at Rockland Quarry Park Amphitheater Sunday, august 17th. And, just like me, you grew up loving music and, as I understand it, you started playing guitar somewhere like around 15 years old. Is that true? And how did you really get your love for music?
Speaker 2:Well, it started earlier than that, to be honest with you. I was playing in bars when I was 15. There was just a lot of guys playing guitar in my neighborhood. Dave and Ed were the guys who taught me how to play, and they were a couple years older than me.
Speaker 1:Dave and Ed.
Speaker 2:That's how it started. Just a couple guys from the neighborhood.
Speaker 1:Is that right, dave and Ed? How did that happen? They just saw that you had an interest in guitar and kind of just took you under their wing, or how'd that work?
Speaker 2:Well, I'm sure you remember when you were a kid, all the like-minded people wind up at the same end of the pool. You know, you just meet people on the bus or in school. You find out that they like this and they become great friends. So Dave and Ed were the guys in my neighborhood who were playing guitars. So you know, you just gravitate towards each other.
Speaker 1:Wow, did you? And you know I'm curious because you were the original lead vocalist right when you guys came out in 87. And then you switched with Robin. Robin Wilson takes over. You guys kind of switched roles there. I'm just curious how that happened initially.
Speaker 2:Well, we were both singing. You know we used to play this was way before records and we were playing you know playing four or five hours a night. So we both sang because it was such a long process, and then it just kind of started working. He wasn't playing guitar as much and then I started playing guitar more, and then it just works out that way. So these things are fluid and they just keep working out. I haven't had these kinds of questions in a long time. It's kind of it's kind of fun, what else you got? This is pretty good. I haven't been asked about the old days like this in a long time. I think it's fun. What else you got?
Speaker 1:Oh well, I was going to talk about Dusted and some of the titles that you guys have. You know, having your I mean new, miserable experience. I'm looking at some of the titles and it always seemed like self-deprecating titles.
Speaker 2:I'm sorry if these aren't questions that you were expecting. No, no, I think it feels fresh. I'm thanking you, okay.
Speaker 1:Thank you.
Speaker 2:No, no, I'm digging it. It's like, oh my God, we're going to talk about Dusted. Yeah, let's talk about it. You know what they were all self-deprecating titles and you know it, kind of between you and me, it can be after a while you really don't want to keep doing, you know, working the same angle. But we, we kind of did that for a long, a long time, right, and I think it's because we, we were working in bars all the time and you know that sort of bar mentality. It's sort of defeatist and, uh, maybe a little, you know, 20s, cynical right.
Speaker 1:Well, I'm a big fan of self-deprecating and I just couldn't help but, to you know, notice, some of the, you know, some of those titles had that in common, which I think is great, because if you can do that for yourself, then you, you know you can do that in other areas as well.
Speaker 1:But, but, but, so, then so, and I'm curious to see, I will, will, I'll dig really deep into the, into some of these things. But like, if you listen to Dusted and and, by the way, I love one of your songs, I love so many of your songs I wish I could Allison wrote till I hear it from you on and on and on. But like, if you listen to hey Jealousy, which came out initially on Dusted and then it comes out on the um, new, miserable experience, very interesting listen, I mean, one is much faster paced early on the other one comes out a slower pace, becomes a hit, becomes your multi-platinum, and from there everything took off well, those early recordings were made by ourselves, uh, in a little studio in t Arizona, without any real direction from maybe someone who had a little more experience.
Speaker 2:And by the time you get to a place where you can afford a producer and they come in and they generally they tell you you probably need to slow that down. And I think he would have slowed it down a little more if he could have, but the band would have fallen apart if we played any slower. We played everything pretty fast and furious at the time, and we kind of still do, I'll be honest with you, and it was just being young and certain sort of kind of reckless and that tempo demands attention in a bar and I think that's why we play it that way.
Speaker 1:Well, it's great either way, and sometimes I'll listen to the Dusted record because I like the stuff that you guys are doing on that and of course that's funny, I appreciate that.
Speaker 1:Thank you very much, absolutely Like I say. I'm the kind of guy when I go to a concert, I want to hear some of that old stuff. I want to hear things that are different. I don't want to just hear the hits, and, by the way, that's what a lot of people do want to come and see you and hopefully they'll get to hear all these wonderful hits. We could just go down the list, because I know our time is almost up. We're talking with Jesse Valenzuela from the Gin Blossoms. Hey, je Blossoms. Hey, jealousy. Found out about you. Allison Road. Are you guys still loving it? I know you're out on the road right now. Are you enjoying yourself? Yeah, you know it's a nice summer tour.
Speaker 2:We're out with Blues Traveler and Spin Doctors for some of it, some shows we're doing by ourselves, and we're in the East Coast. Right now I'm in the Midwest enjoying a nice day off, but you know, I live in los angeles a lot of the year and uh, so it's going to be beautifully back in california, which I just love well, we welcome you here, jesse and um, enjoy your day off.
Speaker 1:I'm thankful that you took a few minutes to talk with me today.
Speaker 2:No, no, and if you have some more you'd like to ask. I have, I'm being told I have some. I have a little more time. I'm happy to talk with you I'm kind of enjoying your. I gotta be honest with you, I'm enjoying your line of questions. I think you're you're very funny thank you.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh, I was very concerned there for a minute. I have to say I was very concerned. I'm like, oh god, I I didn't mean to, all right. Well, thank you for saying that. I really great. I'm very grateful for that. So let's talk about then, if I have a couple of more minutes, sure, a&m Records, which really really made a big difference in your career. And I know Herb Alpert, I've got to know him over the last few years. What a great man. He is, of course, responsible for A&M Records. I'm curious if you could tell my listeners kind of, how that changed everything for the Gin Blossoms.
Speaker 2:Well, if you're lucky enough to get signed up with A&M Records, a label of that caliber, it changes your whole world. They gave us opportunities to make records and they gave us budgets to really live and record comfortably, and they had all the wisdom to let us make our own mistakes and uh and then offer a way to fix things. If you know, we were smart enough to ask them. Um, I can't say anything. I can only say great things about my experience at A&M records. They were wonderful people.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And and and meeting, and meeting and, of course, meeting her and Jerry Moss, the M and A&M, Albert and Moss, they're, they're, you know, Jerry's pastor, they're wonderful, wonderful people and they really cared about, really cared about music and they cared about their, they cared about the people on their label.
Speaker 1:Yeah, herb seems like a very genuine guy who really, really cares, and I really respect him so much. You know, mtv was another one, because here you released this great record, the New Miserable Experience, and correct me if I'm wrong in any of this, as we're talking with Jesse Valenzuela, guitarist for the Gin Blossoms coming to the Rockland Quarry Park. It took a little while you put it out Maybe. I don't know how long it was before people caught on, but MTV kind of got behind you guys. Suddenly. Once they did that, all of these hits come pouring out and they're multi-platinum hits. Talk about how that sort of came about and how that changed your career as well.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I don't know how it comes about. You know, I wasn't privy to the set source. It's just that we had been, as you said, for a long time, probably a year or so. We were just touring the country trying to make ends meet Through the generosity of A&M Records. You know we could stay on the road and play dates and touring with Sprocket and other bands, but you know the powers that be. They were so good at A&M that they got us to MTV, and MTV was kind enough to say, well, let's play this video.
Speaker 2:And then it sort of takes off. And I can tell you the transformation, though, because all of a sudden, mtv plays your records and then it gets attention from radio and the world changes for you quickly. In a week, you're filling what used to be a half-filled bar. It's completely full now. Then you're moving to clubs, theaters, and then, all of a sudden, you're playing the Greek theater in Los Angeles. All of a sudden, you're playing the Greek theater in Los Angeles. You know what is the old cliche? That it was an overnight success that took, you know, a year and a half to happen.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and then when it happens, then you guys, the trajectory, just it was skyrocketing, because I remember seeing you I think maybe on it was because I would always watch the Late Show with David Letterman and suddenly, like you're on all the late night shows, you were on the Tonight Show a couple of times. I'm trying to think of what it was. It wasn't. I think it was, I don't know why. It seems like it was Jon Stewart show or something early on. But I was seeing the gin blossoms everywhere. And I can tell you this I wasn't even an MTV fan. Because I didn't want to watch MTV, jesse, because I wanted what the song was to be in my head. I didn't want it to be projected to me from MTV. So I would hear, like Alice in the Road, and hear your songs, and to me there was just something different that stood out at the time. I was very attracted to it musically and still am, and I I really can't wait to see you.
Speaker 1:but talk about that when you say you are so much, absolutely talk about that, if you might, just for a couple of minutes on.
Speaker 2:When you were on all of these shows well, I mean, it's a long time ago I, it was just very busy and very heady times. But yeah, I don't know. You know, obviously we were young and we weren't that young, I'll be honest. We were probably in our early 30s by then. Very busy, you know, and excited and happy, but exhausted at the same time. You have to realize it's already. There was years of touring before the record and then the record happened. You make the record and then there's touring, touring. So we're probably three, four years on the road. I never saw my hometown.
Speaker 2:It was a beautiful moment and I do remember saying to my manager at the time I said I really think I need to get home, I'm tired, I think we've done all we can, and him, you know, saying to me no, this is life-changing now you have to stay on this, you have to. This is not the time to go home, although you may be tired I'm sure you are but this is really make or break at this moment. You know we listened, so that's what happened. But you know it distills down to this for me, which is I'm really thankful and grateful that we had a lot of people who really cared about us at A&M Records and our publisher. And we got lucky.
Speaker 1:We got really lucky and we stayed in there and kept working don't forget about all the other gin blossom stuff that you can still discover. There's so much stuff out there. Um, I mean, you could just go through their, their album collection and you will be so happy that you did that. Dig deep, uh, into the gin blossoms. Dig, my friends, it's one of those things. You listen to it, you go. I can't tell you how many times I'll go. How on earth is this not on the radio now? This needs to. That should have been on the radio, because if that's not a hit, then I don't know what I'm talking about. And I can tell you that, over and over, with so much of your music You're very generous with your time today, jesse so much of your music.
Speaker 2:You're very generous with your time today, jesse, and I appreciate the extra few minutes and thank you, I appreciate you and I and I I'm a dig your positivity.
Speaker 1:Thank you. Thank you, I'll be there to see you in concert on Sunday. Yes, sir, I will, for sure I'll be there, and that'll be Sunday, august 17th, and this is the Corey Park Amphitheater in beautiful Rockland. Doors open at 6, show begins at 7 pm, and you don't want to miss it. So, jesse Valenzuela, thank you so much for your time today and enjoy your day off, okay.
Speaker 2:Hey, I thank you. I really appreciate you and have a great day and please come by. I'd love to meet you and say hello. I will do that.
Speaker 1:I'll let them know. I look forward to it as well.
Speaker 2:All right, sir, all right brother Be well, thank you, God bless.
Speaker 1:Thank you to my guest today here on Pat's Peeps, number 305. Thank you, jesse Valenzuela. I appreciate it, brother. I thought that went very well. I look forward to meeting the guys, meeting the band. Hulk Hogan passed away today. Just finding out Hulk Hogan, talk about that on my show tonight, the Pat Walsh Show. We also have another. We got rock and roll coming up on my show tonight. We're always rocking and rolling on the Pat's Peeps podcast. See you on the radio. I know I want to love her but I can't decide on Allison.
