George Alley

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Recently I was able to connect with George Alley to discuss their latest single and video for “Blue Valentine.” In this brief interview, I asked George about how the artistic direction of the video came about, as well some insight on George Alley’s debut self-titled LP. If you’re enjoying the new single, please consider supporting this artist here.

“Blue Valentine” has such a unique and introspective theme. Can you walk us through the creative process behind the song and the meaning you explored in the lyrics?

Like many single people—or those in complicated relationships—I’ve always had a conflicted relationship with Valentine’s Day. There’s this societal pressure not just to be in a relationship but to be in one that makes sense to others, which can feel suffocating. When I was writing “Blue Valentine”, I was dating someone at the time, but I already sensed that things weren’t quite right. Maybe, in a way, I just wanted to be in a relationship for the sake of being in one—hence the line, “I’m just falling for my reflection in your eyes.”

For years, I helped organize an anti-Valentine’s Day event called Cupid is Dead as part of the COLLAGE Festival, along with a few others, including Philip Moore, who—coincidentally—ended up being the executive producer of the “Blue Valentine” video.

Unlike most of the songs on my album, which tend to start with piano or a vocal melody, “Blue Valentine” actually began as a bass riff. That was a bit of a throwback for me because in high school, I played bass in a band with Frank Musarra of Hearts of Darknesses. It felt full circle that Frank ended up contributing sequencing and production to this track.

The music video for “Blue Valentine” is inspired by Andy Warhol’s screen tests. How did you translate that artistic inspiration into a modern music video?

This is actually the second video I’ve done that draws from Warhol’s aesthetic—the first was XRAY. I teach a course about DIY and punk, and Warhol frequently comes up in my lectures because his work was often about showcasing people who weren’t typically seen or capturing moments of vulnerability and introspection. That aligns with a lot of what I try to explore in my music.

For “Blue Valentine,” I worked with director Aly Spengler, who focused on the stripped-down, hypnotic quality of Warhol’s screen tests. Warhol’s films have this way of revealing something intimate, even uncomfortable, in the subject’s face. We wanted to create that same sense of raw emotional exposure—where the performances feel personal, almost like you’re peering into something you maybe shouldn’t be seeing.

The video feels deeply personal to me because the screen tests feature friends of mine who are artists, and we shot it in my apartment. At one point, while filming in the basement, we accidentally set off the fire alarm and ended up with a visit from about 20 firefighters. It’s a pity they didn’t make it into the final cut of the video!

You’ve been creating music for a long time. How do you feel this album represents your evolution as an artist compared to previous projects or collaborations?

Honestly, through the process of making this album, I feel like I’m tapping into something beyond myself. Each song feels like its own world, with its own language and atmosphere. Translating them into videos has been fascinating because I’m still learning new things about the songs even after they’ve been written and recorded.

This album feels like my most cohesive work yet because it bridges so many different aspects of my life—musically, emotionally, and in terms of collaborations. Each track connects to my history in some way but also pushes me into new creative territory.

Lyrically, the album reflects a lot of my personal experiences—the contradictions of confidence and insecurity, connection and isolation. It’s introspective but also theatrical and, at times, self-deprecating and menacing. I think it captures a fuller picture of who I am than anything I’ve done before.

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