When Val Halla was only 12 years old she purchased her first guitar magazine.  At the time Val had just started learning songs of the 90’s grunge movement, playing on an old nylon string classical guitar her grandfather had given to her mother.  After a few years of lessons focusing on grunge and rock n roll, Val’s guitar teacher was finally able to persuade her parents to buy her an electric guitar.

“All I was playing was Nirvana and Classic Rock.”  says Halla, now 25. “My guitar teacher saw how I was struggling with this thick fretboard on the nylon string with my tiny hands, trying to play Aneurysm, and just couldn’t stand to watch it anymore.”

Thanks to Halla’s childhood guitar teacher, she soon discovered the joys of overdriven guitar tones and new sonic and technical landscapes she had never before dreamed of. 

Now an endorsing artist for both Mack Amps (www.mackamps.com) and Carparelli Guitars (www.carparelliguitars.com), she has found a unique style and sound all her own, and is making big waves in the guitar and music communities alike.

Val Halla’s song “The Bad Girl Touch” was featured and reviewed in the November 2009 issue of Guitar Player magazine by the Editor in Chief himself, Michael Molenda. Molenda made note of Halla’s “seductive singing and coy lyrics” in addition to a positive review of her playing abilities. Only a few weeks later Halla was contacted by Guitar World Magazine to be featured in their 2009 Holiday Buyer’s Guide.

Gary Allen, best known for his days drumming in the Charlie Daniels Band and with guitar legend JJ Cale, remarked “If Nancy Wilson could sing like Val Halla, she could have kept all the money.”

Steve Gunner of Creedance Clearwater Revisted testifies “She is very talented, and has a great future in the music business.” Gunner adds that Halla “is serious about her craft, and I admire her determination.”

That determination was first demonstrated just after Halla turned 17 years old, moving two provinces away to the big city of Vancouver, British Columbia to pursue her music further.  “My parents didn’t believe me that I was going for music.  They asked me if there was some guy who was brain washing me to go out there.  I just told them I knew I had to go, because the music was out there calling to me. I don’t blame them for thinking I was crazy!”

After 7 years in Vancouver, 3 full length albums, a cross Canada tour, and a 3 year audio engineering apprenticeship, Halla decided it was time to take back her base on the prairies in her hometown of Regina, Saskatchewan.  She is now able to spend her time touring extensively all over Canada and the United States, and working with great writer’s, producers, and players in her part time home of Nashville, TN.

“Being in Nashville this past year has really kicked me into overdrive. Its turned my playing, writing, and performing skills up to 11!” laughed Halla. “I feel so proud of the songs I’ve been writing lately because I feel like they are the most sincere compositions I’ve ever made.  I’ve been able to come to terms with some of the struggles I’ve gone through in my life and some that I still am going through. I’m hoping to give other people inspiration or relief in the face of their own struggles, by writing in the most honest way I can.  I want to know I’m not in this alone, and I want them to know that too.”

Halla’s new album is scheduled to be released in January of 2010.  It will be her first full length release in two and a half years.

“No one has accused me of being lazy because most people have seen me out busting my ass these last few years.  I basically threw myself into my own strict boot camp.  I wanted this next album to be a journey, so I’ve been playing live shows like a mad woman, working on my sound and playing, then writing like a lunatic every day.  Most record labels these days want nothing to do with artist development, so I decided to put myself through it the old fashioned way, before even approaching the labels.  The funny thing is now that I’ve done it, I’m starting to see interested parties come looking. It’s a good feeling, but you just hope that the momentum continues and that some of those boomerangs you started throwing out years ago, are about to come back and knock you off your feet. My biggest fear is having someone else force me to make music in a way that I don’t want to make it, so my main focus is still to hone my own craft, and keep developing and growing as an artist.  Whatever comes after that shouldn’t be too frightening!”

She has collaborated with Canadian artists: Def 3, Chadio, Azrael, Kaboom, Forgetful Jones, Eekwol, with producers: Aalo Guha, Factor, Aries and Alberta band: Joshua's Habit.

On the production side of the studio, she has worked with artists Wide Mouth Mason, Callahan, A Single Few, Joshua's Habit, Reel Vinyl, The Flairs, The Pepper Sands.

- - -"...guitar arpeggiated interesting rock work. We are reminded a bit of the Runaways... musically rich, energetic... We look forward to more." -Earbuzz.com

- - - "Val's music is high energy, modern sounding with a classic (with the emphasis on 'class'), authentic vibe. Her voice has a Janis meets Rickie Lee Jones quality that pushes her upbeat, groove oriented tunes to a whole other level. I am officially a fan!" -Todd Kerns, Musician/Producer (Age of Electric)

- - - "Val is one to watch!" -Greg Beatty (Prairie Dog Magazine)

- - - Listen to Val Halla if you like: Led Zeppelin Heart The Cranberries Nirvana Cream Alice in Chains System of a Down Queens of the Stone Age Janis Joplin Hawksley Workman

- - - Listen to Val Halla acoustic if you like: Joni Mitchell Bob Dylan Bruce Springsteen Sheryl Crow The Pretenders