“It’s cool to listen to a singer-songwriter with a relatively conventional instrument and present a song. But I want to go way beyond that,” says Vermont based musician Matt Valentine in an interview with Dave Segal in The Wire 458. Valentine's conversation with Segal coincides with the release of his latest album as Wet Tuna. Though previously the name has referred to a duo project with guitarist Pat Gubler, Warping All By Yourself is mostly a solo record, with occasional contributions from longtime collaborators Samara Lubelski, Erika “EE” Elder, Mick Flower and Doc Dunn.

In his Wire interview, Valentine describes how he infuses his psychedelic creations with funk influences, how the rhythm of jazz percussionists’ personalities have affected his work, the continuation of Wet Tuna as a solo project, and more.

“This one set me free, found it on the forest floor,” says Valentine about this particular track “Ain't No Turnin’ Back (Alternate Version)”, which he shares exclusively with The Wire. “It’s a slightly different mix than the LP version”, he continues. “This one fades out and ends with some 70’s Canterbury meets wasteland basement analog synth vibes, where the album version has the party people energy/ambience of the studio left in [...] Mick Flower & Doc Dunn sing with me. They are my people. I love their music & vibe. I play everything else. in a way it’s about a power vision to get away from suffering. What is it without a struggle? Probably nice I reckon.”

Read Dave Segal's interview with Matt Valentine in full in The Wire 458. Wire subscribers can also access the article via the digital archive. Warping All By Yourself is released by Three Lobed.