High Fade — Harry Valentino (guitar, vocals), Oliver Sentence (bass), and Heath Campbell (drums) — started on the streets of Edinburgh in 2018 and have since clocked over 1,500 shows across three continents, turned down multiple major label deals, launched their own imprint RPN Records, and watched their music find fans that include Jack Black, Cypress Hill, Glenn Hughes of Deep Purple, and Brad Wilk of Rage Against the Machine. Their sophomore album Twice As Nice, recorded between East Iris Studios in Nashville and RAK Studios in London, is out now.
They’re currently 55 dates into a North American tour. Exposed Vocals sat down with frontman Harry Valentino to talk about busking, independence, Glastonbury chaos, and what he wants people walking out of Brooklyn Bowl to feel.
“We weren’t rock enough to be in with the rockers, jazz enough to be with the jazzers, funk enough to be with the funkers. So we were the lone wolf in the scene. The only way to get out was to carve our own lane with busking.”
— Harry Valentino
EV
High Fade started on the streets of Edinburgh. What was busking like in those early days and when did you realize this could become something bigger?
HV
I can’t lie this grew to something even bigger than I ever imagined it could be.. for me it was about breaking down this barrier I felt in the scene in Edinburgh , we weren’t rock enough to be in with the rockers , jazz enough to be with the jazzers , funk enough to be with the funkers so we were the lone wolf in the scene really.. the only way to get out and avoid the cliques was to carve our own lane with busking.. i then started relentlessly sharing our videos online and people started to care , suddenly we went from an unknown band to everybody talking about the band or speculating on what we should do next..
The outsider position isn’t incidental to High Fade’s story — it’s structural. A band that didn’t fit any Edinburgh scene ended up creating one of its own, online and on the road, city by city.
EV
You’ve played over 1,500 shows. What does that kind of relentless touring do to a band — and what has it done for your sound?
HV
I think for us it really has helped us learn more about each other , the music business and most importantly helped shape our sound from meeting so many musicians , bands and people full of wisdom and stories on our travels!
EV
Major labels came calling and you said no. Walk us through that decision and what it meant for the direction of High Fade.
HV
We can’t turn our back on what we’ve built and we would be hypocrites if we just lay down the sword and shield for an easy deal. Creative control and fighting the fight for independent bands is more important than ever and the tools are there to do so. Big labels are struggling to compete on an organic level with some kid with an iPhone and a video editing app. Because you spend your millions on promoting overwashed rubbish , we’ll keep promoting the real deal stuff. This isn’t a 9-5 for us and there’s no shareholders to please. It’s us on our own , building our team as we go and working with humans we love , know and trust. That’s worth more than any deal set up to sell you out on a moment’s notice.
That framing — “we would be hypocrites if we lay down the sword and shield” — is the kind of conviction that gets tested on a 55-date tour. It clearly has been, repeatedly, and it hasn’t shifted.
“Running the label for me consists of three main factors: testing new music on audiences, gathering data on where and how people are listening, and, most importantly, figuring out how to reach them.”
— Harry Valentino on RPN Records
EV
RPN Records — “Rippin’ Records” — what does running your own label actually look like day to day for a touring band?
HV
Running the label for me consists of 3 main factors: testing new music on audiences, gathering data on where and how people are listening, and, most importantly, figuring out how to reach them. By no means are we a huge label but we are slowly but surely becoming self sufficient and that is where the real magic happens is having your own label able to support the bands next record fully on its own.
EV
Twice As Nice was recorded between Nashville and RAK Studios in London. How did those two very different environments shape the record?
HV
The drum sound we got in Nashville was truly amazing and we were so lucky Pat & Kelly let us use the space for the two days we were there. RAK is like a second home to us — we are super comfortable trying new things there and also pushing ourselves to the limit every day in the studio!
Two days in Nashville for drums. The rest at RAK. The geography of Twice As Nice is as compressed as the touring schedule — find the best room available, use it fast, and move.
EV
The album pushes into heavier textures and new sonic territory. Was there a conscious decision to expand the sound or did it just happen naturally in the studio?
HV
I think for us we wanted to capture the authenticity of what we are doing live and the energy of that.
“Well first we had a plan and that plan went to shit as it does in the music industry, so we got stranded in the west of France. Flights cancelled as we were at the gate. Then 2 trains to Paris, Paris to London, London to Bristol, then a drive to Glastonbury — we made it with about 80 minutes to spare on 0 sleep.”
— Harry Valentino on Glastonbury 2024
EV
You pulled off a triple performance in a single day at Glastonbury 2024. How does that even happen and what was that day like?
HV
Well first we had a plan and that plan went to shit as it does in the music industry , so we got stranded in the west of France. Flights cancelled as we were at the gate.. then 2 trains to Paris , Paris to London , London to Bristol then a drive to Glastonbury we made it with about 80 minutes to spare and on 0 sleep.. we then played 2-3pm at Bimble Inn , I played a guest spot with the Cat Empire.. then we played like 1am or 2am until 3am at Shangri La.. then.. drove back to Edinburgh , 20 minutes sleep in the car and a coffee and an 8 hour drive. That’s the music business for ya!
West France → two trains → Paris → London → Bristol → Glastonbury → three sets → Edinburgh. On zero sleep. The song “The Joke’s On You” was written sitting in Harry’s mum’s kitchen. The Glastonbury day was lived at full sprint. Both feel like the same band.
EV
“The Jokes on You” combines rap vocals with hooks in a way you describe as your most adventurous yet. Where did that creative push come from?
HV
I think that was the first record we made for the new album actually and it just kind of came about — I was sitting in my mum’s kitchen with an acoustic and before I knew it I’d written like 4 pages of lines for this song , I was personally going through some stuff and a feeling of being betrayed , but it’s all good now.
EV
A 55-date North American run is no small thing. What keeps the energy and motivation high that far into a tour?
HV
Yeah, 55 dates is pretty insane, but we love touring, we love the fans that come to see us play and most importantly we appreciate anyone coming out to shows at the moment! A lot of coffee, hydration and barbecue/home cooked meals in the RV!
Coffee, hydration, barbecue, and gratitude for anyone still willing to leave the house. The unglamorous logistics of staying alive on a tour this long — and the genuine appreciation underneath them.
EV
What do you want people who see High Fade live for the first time to walk away feeling?
HV
New York and Brooklyn is such a special place for us.. I want people to feel that sense of insane optimism we try and show. There is hope. There is bands out there still doing it the real way and there’s a reason to support independent music.
The answer to the last question could be the mission statement on the wall at RPN Records. Insane optimism. There’s a reason to support independent music. Harry Valentino says it like he means it, which is probably why 1,500 shows in, he still does.
