Jon Valenzuela is a rock musician from Sydney, Australia releasing his debut album, Alive Again, to mark the beginning of a wild ride. Jon has spent years playing guitar in different bands around Sydney, however he has distanced himself from that role to focus on his own sound and
style. He’s taken bits and pieces of his favorite artists and previous bands he’s worked with to create a lively and upbeat 7-track album that is sure to take the listener on a journey.
With his debut album, Alive Again, out now, we took some time to hear from Jon Valenzuela. Read below to learn more about Jon Valenzuela, the story behind Alive Again, and what’s to come.
Hi Jon Valenzuela! Let’s start with how did you get your artist name?
That’s just my name, there’s no alias, no character, it’s just me!
What city are you from, and where are you based now?
I am from Sydney, Australia, born and raised, and still reside there.
At what point in your life did you decide to pursue a career in music? How did you get started?
I started playing guitar at around 12 years old and instantly fell in love with all kinds of rock music, I don’t come from a musical family, so the decision to learn guitar was simply on a whim! I’d spend the next decade in a few different bands as the guitarist and never really thought much about singing or anything similar to what I’m doing now.
Around 2023, l was in a band that was in desperate need of a vocalist and the rest of the guys in the band kept insisting that I be the singer based off the little they had heard of my voice. And slowly but surely, I really fell in love with it and started writing things just on my own, not
concerning a band or anything. It took a few years, but Alive Again is kind of the manifestation of that.
How would you describe your sound to readers who may not be familiar with you?
A mix of post-rock, Japanese rock, classic metal and groovy funk at times! It’s a very expressive and “alive” sound, I love all kinds of music so they somehow manage to seep into a lot of what I’m playing.
Do you have any hobbies outside of music? What do you do to stay creative?
My hobbies are so simple, haha. I’m a classic movie buff, I’m a big UFC and WWE fanatic, I have a small yo-yo collection, but mostly spend my time at home trying to work on more music. The only thing that helps me stay creative is simply listening to more and more music, writer’s block can be scary as h*ll, but usually the way that I beat it is by just finding more music and absorbing more sounds!
Who are some of your main musical influences?
This Washington based emo-rock band “Origami Angel” is my absolute favourite! Other than that, I love metal bands like Metallica, Pantera, Deftones. Guitarists like Steve Vai, Masayoshi Takanaka, Shoji Meguro, Eddie Van Halen, Michiya Haruhata. And random ones like Jamiroquai, Willow Smith, Streetlight Manifesto.
What’s one of the proudest moments of your music career so far?
Writing, recording and releasing a full length album mostly by myself is at the top of the list most likely. However, there is one small story, pretty small in a nutshell, but it inspired me greatly at the time. I played a gig in Melbourne in 2024 when I was in this cool pop rock band, we played a fun upbeat set, came offstage and met a dude who complimented us on a great performance. I thanked him and asked which band he came to see that night and he basically said he had no
idea there was a gig on, he was walking around outside, heard us playing and came inside to watch us.
These days you can become pretty numb because everything is social media, numbers, analytics, turning those numbers into ticket buys; it was just cool to hear a simple story of “you sounded great, I had to come in and check out what was going on.” I feel like that rarely
happens, and thus, that one has stuck with more a while.
What would you say are the greatest lessons that you’ve learned so far?
I learned a few years ago that you have to look after yourself first before you really take on anything or anyone else. That’s kind of the theme of this album, finally being comfortable with yourself, which in turn perfectly platforms you for anything else that you want to do – total freedom!
Now onto your release, Alive Again. What inspired this album?
In 2024, I found myself in a position where I was in no bands, I moved out closer to the city, and finally had some personal equity if that makes sense. I just felt so inspired, so naturally I just started writing…a lot. After a few months, I just had this big list of upbeat rock music that all tell this story of finding yourself again. I subconsciously toyed with the idea of releasing this as a solo artist even though I had never planned or even thought of that possibility, call me an attention whore but as soon as that idea was planted I absolutely fell in love with it, haha.
What is the overall theme of Alive Again?
Exactly what the name suggests, to me this album tells a whole story of struggling, dealing with it, finding your spark again, holding onto that, and just being so excited about it. Every track has a function in that overall story, from the hardships, to the triumphs and the celebrations. Songs/Albums that talk about heartbreak or tragedy aren’t hard to come by, but music about coming out on the other side are just as impactful and should be talked about more I feel like!
What was the inspiration behind the cover artwork for Alive Again?
I wanted something fun and colourful, to match the music. At the time I was obsessed with doing this jump kick thing, where you jump up and kick your feet together just as a fun way to get yourself pumped up and ready for whatever it is you’re doing or about to do. So, it was a simple merging of those two ideas. I’ve since retired the jump kick because my knees are toast now, haha.
What was the creative process like when making Alive Again?
Pretty much every song started with a guitar riff, then record it, creatively try to exploit that idea, vocals are usually last then sit on the song for a few days until I feel like it’s “done.” That is pretty much my approach to songwriting still now.
How long did it take to complete Alive Again?
All up it took maybe about a year, from the time that the first song was finished until the last song was mastered.
Is there a specific song on Alive Again that speaks to you the most? If so, why?
I love all of them of course for different reasons, but “Hubris” is probably the best song on there for me. It’s just got a lot of personality, the lyrics are fun, the guitar work ain’t half bad and the main riff hits real hard. That being said I have a real soft spot in my heart for “Shot of Adrenaline” as that was the song that kind of kickstarted everything, if I never wrote that song I don’t know if this album would really exist.
What message or messages do you hope fans take away from Alive Again and your music in general?
I just want people to have fun with this album, I truly believe that there is a song on here for everyone. I want people to feel inspired, pumped, anything positive really, and of course excited for more music.
What’s next for you? Are you working on any upcoming projects, or do you have any upcoming shows that we should be on the lookout for?
I’m always working on new music, so in terms of a catalogue, I’m already a few steps ahead! No shows yet; however, they are most definitely on the way and dare I say the thing I’m most excited for as a musician who just misses being onstage so much.
Where can we follow you on social media?
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonvalenzuelamusic
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jonvalenzuela
And on all streaming platforms!
Before you go, let’s ask you an off-topic question. What is your favorite food?
Chicken wings and it is not even close. If chicken wings are on the menu, it’s a guaranteed order. I could genuinely eat nothing but wings for the rest of my life, and I’d be thrilled about it!
Thank you for the great interview; wish you much continued success!
