Kit Vale is back with sophomore single “Pet”
Kit Vale is the solo project of Toronto-based singer/songwriter Jen Simpson, whom you may know as the stunning voice of Canadian rockers Neon Bloom. Inspired by a diverse mix of musical tastes ranging from post-punk to hip-hop, Simpson uses Kit Vale as a project that combines elements of these influences and every genre in between. They have culminated in a melodic synthesis of sound filtered through her distinct gothic, garage-glam style.
“Pet” is Simpson’s second single under the Kit Vale moniker and was produced by the legendary Rob Sanzo. The track was co-written with bassist Robert Lechner, Simpson’s bandmate from her former group, along with Tony Sjoman and Walter Gardner, the Brooklyn-based The Never Evers. While The Never Evers thought they would never ever release the eight songs they recorded together, the powerful performance on “Pet” could no longer be contained.
“I always wanted to hear an unabashed celebration of femininity expressed in a loud, raw, and intense way,” said Simpson. “‘Pet’ is a swaggering expression of sexuality from a woman’s perspective. It flips the typical masculine rock n’ roll lyricism I grew up listening to by focusing on the woman in a way that subverts the stereotype of women as passive, chaste, or removed from their sexuality.”
The video for the Riot Grrrl-influenced “Pet” was directed by long-time friend and collaborator Ingrid J. Monday (aka Miz Monday). The video is a fun, tongue-in-cheek nod to 90s grunge aesthetic and was inspired by the famous photography scene in Brain De Palma’s 1981 neo-noir thriller ‘Blow Up,’ the 1966 film by Michelangelo Antonioni.
“She’s amazing at capturing images that reflect your vision while also incorporating her signature, fashion-conscious style,” said Simpson. “As two women who used to model, we had a lot of fun flipping the gender dynamics in this video, with myself playing the lecherous photographer, while Alex Ryfka played the part of a somewhat preyed-upon male model.”
Simpson plans to release more music as Kit Vale, with another single, music video, and album on the way in 2023. Fans of bands and musicians like Pixies, Peaches, Joy Division, and Bikini Kill will be chomping at the bit to hear more of what Kit Vale has up her sleeve.
Watch the video for “Pet” below, and learn more about Kit Vale via our mini-interview.
You still like Neon Bloom, so what does starting Kit Vale do for you that the other band doesn’t?
I’m still very much invested in Neon Bloom. In fact, we’re about to go on tour in Japan next week, which we’re all really looking forward to. Starting Kit Vale as a solo project allows me to write, record, and release songs that may not fit with Neon Bloom’s style. I also have some older recordings with my previous band, The Never Evers (Pet being one of them), that I recently remixed and mastered. I really wanted to get them out for people to hear, and Kit Vale is a way to do that, along with the newer material I’m working on.
Tell us about the process of writing For “Pet.”
Pet was a collaboration between myself and ex-Never Evers bandmate Robert Lechner, who wrote the bassline for the song. It was one of those songs that came about very organically. We sat down and wrote the basis for the song quite easily. After that, I wrote the lyrics. I always wanted to hear an unabashed celebration of femininity expressed in a way that was loud or raw, or intense, like the performances of the men I grew up idolizing, such as Elvis, Mick Jagger, or Robert Plant. This song is, essentially, a swaggering expression of sexuality from a woman’s perspective. It flips the typical masculine rock n’ roll lyricism I grew up listening to and enjoying by focusing on the woman in a way that subverts the stereotype of women as passive, chaste, or removed from their sexuality.
What’s it like working with super-producer Rob Sanzo?
Rob Sanzo is the best! I love Rob, and we’ve been working with each other in some capacity or another for about the past two decades. Rob was one of the first people I met when I moved to Toronto. I was recording vocals with an electronic artist at the time, and we would hang out in the side room of Rob’s old studio (Signal to Noise) on Spadina. Rob would usually be busy recording various bands in the main room, and we would hang out afterward, oftentimes at The Bovine (a bar in Toronto). We became close friends and have had a working relationship ever since. Rob’s such a talent, having worked with so many amazing artists (Dee Dee Ramone, Carole Pope, Danko Jones, Bedouin Soundclash, etc. ) and created such great recordings. It’s been an honour to work with him.
Tell us about the making of the video for Pet, as it pays homage to Blow Up!
The director, Ingrid J Monday (aka Miz Monday), is a long-time friend and collaborator. Working with her is always inspiring and energetic. She’s amazing at capturing images that really reflect your vision while also incorporating her signature fashion-conscious style.
As far as the initial inspiration for the video, it stemmed from the famous scene in Blow-Up (the 1966 film by Michelangelo Antonioni) where the photographer is in his studio shooting supermodel Veruschka. He’s both flirtatious and dismissive, and it’s an interesting dynamic between the two of them. As two women who used to model, Ingrid and I had a lot of fun flipping the gender dynamics in this video, with myself playing the lecherous photographer while Alex Ryfka played the part of a somewhat preyed-upon male model. It was meant to be a fun, tongue-in-cheek type of video with a nod to the 90’s grunge aesthetic that reflects the musical influences behind the song. We had an amazing team working on the video doing hair and makeup, on-set photography, and assisting. It was a great day and made me want to work on more music videos in the near future.
If you can have any animal as a pet, what would you choose?
I would choose the pet I have; my dog Sage. She is the best creature ever. Sage is a 2-year-old black lab/flat coat retriever mix, and she is brilliant. I specifically wanted a dog I could train to be a service dog for myself because of the health problems I experienced. Sage is very smart and obedient, but she also has a very free and goofy side. She’s been able to detect physiological anomalies and takes it upon herself to alert me to any issues before they even happen. For example, I get brutal “ice pick” headaches, which sometimes shock me so badly that I fall on the floor. She can tell before I’m going to have these and warns me, which is particularly helpful if I’m cooking or near the stairs. She is also there for me as a companion during episodes of severe migraines, cluster headaches, exhaustion, etc. She just stays with me throughout the day and keeps me company, which is a lot nicer than being alone. While my seizures are currently under control (luckily!), she would likely be a big help if they came back again. So, yeah, Sage 100%.