Valerie June

Valerie June Hockett is an American singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, born in 1982 and based in Jackson, United States. She begins performing and recording in 2001, first as part of the duo Bella Sun with her then-husband before developing a solo career rooted in americana, bluegrass, blues, country, dream pop and folk.

Background and style

June grows up between Jackson and Humboldt, Tennessee, and she describes herself as a self-taught musician. She learns to sing in church, in both Black and white congregations after her family moves to the country, and she later teaches herself guitar and banjo. Her music draws on a wide range of traditional American forms, including folk, blues, gospel, soul, country, Appalachian music and bluegrass, and she is associated with what she calls “organic moonshine roots music”.

Her sound is shaped by Memphis, where she develops her style through performances in bars and restaurants. She also sings and writes while working a range of jobs, including housekeeper, dog-walker, babysitter, vegetarian meal cook, house sitter, personal assistant and work in a herb shop.

Early recordings and live work

Before a full studio album, June makes several low-fi recordings that she sells on tour. These include The Way Of The Weeping Willow, recorded in an 1800s farmhouse, Mountain Of Rose Quartz, and Valerie June And The Tennessee Express, a collaboration with the Nashville bluegrass group The Old Crow Medicine Show. She also performs at the Memphis Music & Heritage Festival, the International Folk Alliance Conference, the Cooper-Young Festival and the King Biscuit Blues Festival in Helena, Arkansas.

In 2009 she appears as a featured artist in MTV’s online series $5 Cover, which follows Memphis musicians trying to make a living.

Debut album and collaborations

June’s debut studio album, Pushin' Against A Stone, is recorded mostly at Easy Eye studio in Nashville and released on Sunday Best. The album is produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys and Kevin Augunas, and includes Workin' Woman Blues, Somebody To Love featuring Booker T. Jones, Trials, Troubles, Tribulations, the title track Pushin' Against A Stone and Wanna Be On Your Mind. The record also reflects her interest in older recording textures and roots music traditions.

Her earlier collaboration with The Old Crow Medicine Show helps establish her on the roots and bluegrass circuit, and she later works with Grammy-nominated producer John Forte on the song Give Me Water.

Independent approach

June does not sign a label deal until her debut album campaign, after receiving offers from both major and independent labels. She later works with June Tunes Music, Inc. Her career is marked by self-funding, crowd-funding and extensive live work, including raising money through Kickstarter to finance a proper debut album. She presents herself as a working-class artist shaped by years of juggling paid work with music.