Girl at the Rock Shows

The first time I heard “Shot of Adrenaline” from Jon Valenzuela, I was hooked. I loved the swagger and the energy so much and just loved how there was so much personality and grit packed into this track while it didn’t feel over the top or anything like that. It was a fun, danceable kind of song that I oddly found a sense of zen behind. It was perfect and I just had to learn a bit more about Jon, his process, this song, and, naturally, his favorite kind of pizza.

What is the best combination of pizza toppings?
Absolutely spicy pepperoni! I have an inherent need to make whatever food I’m eating spicy so definitely that

Everyone says that every crowd is their favorite but, what city has the best audience and why is it Minneapolis?
I’ve had the most fun playing in Melbourne, Australia, they were just the nicest people where I felt super welcomed and the crowds were really receptive to the performers which can be rare at smaller gigs. I’ve never been to Minneapolis yet so best l can do is promise to play there soon one day, maybe at US Bank Stadium hahah

If you could have dinner with any musician, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
Eddie Van Halen is my guitar idol, I’ve spent hours and hours watching and listening to him playing and even just talking. I would always just feel pumped to play some guitar after watching him so going halfsies on a spicy pepperoni pizza would be an honour.

Have you ever been able to finish a Rubik’s Cube?
Absolutely not, you could give me a whole year to figure it out and l’d still be confused.

What’s your favorite video game and why?
I’ve had the most fond memories playing many of the Tekken games. For the longest time Tekken was like my favourite THING in the world because I grew up obsessed with fighting games, it was always a fun way to hang out with friends and family and even play alone; specifically Tekken 3 and 5.

What’s your go-to coffee order?
Almond Mocha, l try not to get them as l feel like l have a lot of energy as is haha

If you could compare yourself to a brass instrument, what one would it be and why?
Probably a trumpet, it feels the most versatile and the most expressive to me

What’s the worst concert you’ve ever been to and why?
I won’t namedrop because l don’t wanna be mean haha but there was a certain big time retired metal band that made their triumphant return to Sydney in 2023 and everything just went wrong. The mix was terrible, vocalist fried his vocals after two songs, they very noticeably messed up like three songs and in the literal opening riff of the opening song, the bassist jumped up on a small platform before it slipped out from under him causing him to go feet up in the air then crashing down to the floor. It was just a really weird night.

Favorite lyrics of all time?
My absolute favourite band is this midwest emo band from Washington DC named Origami Angel and a lot of their songs are really positive and honest and inspiring. The first song l heard from them was exactly this, it’s called ‘Doctor Whomst’ where the main hook is “I think I’m starting to like myself, I think I’m right where I need to be”. Without getting too much into it, it was the exact chorus l needed to hear at the time l heard it, that and a lot of their other songs lyrically mean a lot to me.

If you were to rob a bank, what would be the song playing in the getaway car as you escape?
Blackout by Turnstile. I love Turnstile a lot and you can only drive fast when listening to them in the car

What was the first concert you ever went to?
I think it was a Michael Jackson tribute concert at the zoo funnily enough

What’s an old-school fad that you wish would come back?
Those with good eyes may see me messing with a yo-yo in the Shot of Adrenaline video. It’s a bit of a side mission of mine to bring the yo-yo back because it’s awesome, it’s fun, it’s sort of productive, and everyone enjoys having a go at it!

What’s your favorite method of listening to music?
I do a lot of driving so definitely in the car is my favourite method for listening and also for songwriting and working on mixes as well!

What’s one thing I should know before listening to “Shot of Adrenaline”
This is song #1 and there will be lots and lots to come (maybe sooner than you think) so I ain’t going anywhere and I’m gonna try and be everywhere!

Would you consider yourself an adrenaline junkie?
Not in my everyday life haha but onstage it definitely changes and I’ll do anything for a crowd cheer! I’ve been told by a few people that I turn into a different person onstage

This is your debut single (CONGRATS!). Are you nervous about it or just excited to have it out there?
Both! It’s like an excited nervous where I’ve had this song for so long that now I’m desperate to get it out and excited to start this whole journey.

How long did it take you to create this tasty jam?
Probably about a week all up, I’ll never forget showing my friends this track and them having these over the top reactions is what kind of inspired me to keep writing music on my own like this

Where were you when you wrote this?
Physically I was in my new apartment at the time, l had only been living there for like 1 month; first apartment after moving out from my childhood home and also closer to the city. Mentally there was this overwhelming feeling that this was the beginning of something new and unknown after being kind of lost for a while. Thus this song was that exact feeling manifested.

Did the lyrics come first or the instrumentation?
For me the instrumentation always comes first, usually on guitar as well (although this song started with drums and percussion)

You’ve been part of bands in the past but this is your first solo venture. What was been the most challenging thing about that shift?
Singing, not even close. I only really started SERIOUSLY singing about three years ago and have been practicing and trying to improve, even just trying to get used to the feeling of being centre of the room standing in front a microphone was such a foreign thing to acclimate to. Still working on it obviously but I’ve fallen in love with it and am excited to improve!

There’s a little jazz, a little funk, heck, there’s a little bit of everything in this song. Who would you say you were listening to on repeat when working on this track?
I was listening to a lot of Muse at the time, as well as Willow Smith! I think those explain the frantic vibe shifts, all the while l was obsessed with ‘Lady Hear Me Tonight’ which explains the disco-ish feel haha

If this were to be covered by a 90’s rapper, who would you hope it was and why?
Great question! Absolutely MF DOOM, I love his beats so much and the fun sampling he did with pre-existing songs. That mixed with his flow and fun rhyme schemes, it just always sounded like he was having a blast making his music

What dance move would you associate with “Show of Adrenaline” and why?
Everyone’s had that moment at a gig or concert where a certain riff or groove or flow puts you into this primal feeling of wanting to just MOVE, whether it be moshing, dancing or just flailing your body. So it would be that, whatever that move is called. Maybe we could name it the Adrenaline Dump haha

Again, debut single here, what’s next for you?!
Small scoop but something big may be coming in the coming month and if you follow my socials you’ll find out very soon…

Anything else you want everyone to know?
This is hopefully the beginning of a long and fun ride so if you’re in need of a small distraction from anything or everything that has been going on (and have an appreciation for some simply good and simply fun music) then come along with me! Also wear your seatbelts and don’t text and drive!

Okay, Jon joked about playing US Bank Stadium here in Minneapolis (which, for those of you who don’t know, is where The Vikings play) but, really that’s the kind of vibe that radiates from this song and Jon in general. It’s larger-than-life, bombastic, and energized but it also feels relatable and just oh so real in a way. I feel like so many musicians out there these days try to be the coolest, the most intense, the grittiest, the most serious but not Jon. Jon just wants to play music that he enjoys in hopes of other people picking up on it (at least that’s how I take it) and I think he nailed it with “Shot of Adrenaline. But don’t take my word for it! Check out this amazing single below and make sure to follow Jon on his socials (also listed below) so you don’t miss what comes next!

Jon Valenzuela on Instagram

Jon Valenzuela on TikTok

Shameless Self Promotion:

Join My Patreon Here!

Buy Me a Coffee (Seriously!)

Check out my playlist HERE!