Young Enumclaw Musicians Bare Souls, Hope to Inspire

It was during an occasion meant to commemorate and celebrate a life lost too soon when we at Patch first stumbled onto Matteo Valadez.

In front of a gathering of Justin Relethford's family and friends, Valadez boldly strum his guitar and unabashedly belted out heartfelt words he'd helped write to remember his friend.

"...you say the sooner the better, but honestly I am missing the weather back home..."

Turns out the phrase "the sooner, the better" was not only a part of a song lyric but the foundation on which Valadez and his musician friends, including Relethford, had based their musical pursuits. "...it was an inside thing my buddies and I would say," Valadez explained in an email to Patch. "We wanted to get famous so soon. Pretty much our dreams."

Clearly, "The Sooner, The Better" was the perfect band name for Valadez, who began writing and playing music solo but has since been joined by Reece Menzel, Jake Adderson, Barrett Spring Bates and brothers Luke and Sean Gibson

Valadez, hailing from southern California, may be the only member who does not claim roots in Enumclaw or the Plateau, but the boys have been seen around town often these days, playing open mic events at a variety of venues including Enumclaw Music and Rendezvous Wine & Brew.

Valadez was kind enough to take part in the following Q&A:

Describe your band. What kind of music do you play?
We are called "The Sooner The Better." We play alternative rock music.

Name some of your musical influences. Why are they important to you?
Dashboard Confessional, Secondhand Serenade, The Scene Aesthetic. They originally started with the acoustic music singing with such power and emotion and later on became a band.

What's the music scene like here in Enumclaw and the Plateau? I noticed you have photos from inside Enumclaw Music on your Facebook page. Does the community (local businesses) support musical artists well? Yes they do. They encourage the youth to express themselves through music and that it can help guide them away from bad influences. We have played at Rendezvous and the Enumclaw Music store. We are always invited.

Where can fans find your music? Which stores? Where online? Where can they buy?
On soundcloud.com, Facebook, and YouTube. We don't charge yet because we are still trying to record our albums. The first two will be just the singer and the acoustic guitar.

What do you want our readers to know about your music and your band?
Well we want them to get a chance to listen to our songs and be able to relate. In other words if we wrote a song about how your best friend has cancer or their first love, and to show them hope and life learned lessons from our past. And of course to inspire and encourage people that even a small town can have lots of talent!

Want to See Them?

Valadez at all the members of The Sooner, The Better will be playing at The Live Room in Sumner on Saturday, April 6. Tickets are $8 in advance and $12 at the door. Visit the band's Facebook page for more information.

Meanwhile, Valadez will also be making an appearance during open mic night tonight at Rendezvous Wine and Brew. He will be selling tickets for Saturday's concert.