Saints of Valory
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| origin = Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| genre = Alternative
| current_members = * Stephen Buckle
- Gavin Jasper
- Godfrey Thomson
| past_members = * Gerard Labou
| website = {{URL|saintsofvalory.net/}}
}}
Saints of Valory is an American alternative rock band from Austin, Texas. The band is composed of Gavin Jasper (lead vocals/bass), Godfrey Thomson (guitar/vocals), and Stephen Buckle (keyboards/vocals). The band released their V EP on May 19, 2014. This was a follow-up to the Possibilities EP, which released on July 9, 2013, via Atlantic Records.{{cite web|url=http://www.alternativeaddiction.com/musicnews/article/2519/Music-Free-For-All |title=Music Free-For-All |website=AlternativeAddiction.com |date=2012-04-18 |accessdate=2013-08-03}} The debut EP features the single "Neon Eyes".{{cite web|url=http://idolator.com/7476133/saints-of-valory-royals-lorde-cover|title=Saints Of Valory's "Royals" (Lorde Cover): Idolator Premiere |website=Idolator.com |date=2012-08-08 |accessdate=2013-08-13}}
History
The band was formed in 2008 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil before relocating to Austin, Texas in 2010.{{cite web|url=http://blog.vivogig.com/news-saints-of-valory-to-open-for-mumford-and-sons/|title=Saints of Valory to open for Mumford and Sons|website=Vivogig.com|date=2013-07-11|access-date=2013-08-13|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130927194832/http://blog.vivogig.com/news-saints-of-valory-to-open-for-mumford-and-sons/|archive-date=2013-09-27}} Their origins are rooted in a childhood friendship between lead vocalist-bassist Gavin Jasper and Thomson, who met in Jasper's native Rio de Janeiro while their parents were working abroad. Jasper learned to play bass and joined a country-rock band, while Thomson launched his own band. In 2008, Jasper and Thomson reunited in Brazil, with Thomson bringing along his friend Gerard Labou, a young drummer from France. Calling themselves Saints of Valory (an reference to Labou's mother Valerie), the trio decided to form a band and took to MySpace to post their tracks, which attracted initial interest from independent labels.{{cite news|author=CJ Ellers |url=http://www.iowastatedaily.com/ames247/music/campus/article_301661e6-9d86-11e2-9ce8-0019bb2963f4.html |title=Meet Saints of Valory - Iowa State Daily: Campus Music |newspaper=Iowa State Daily |date=2013-04-19 |accessdate=2013-08-03}} Needing a space to rehearse for a showcase, they contacted their friend Stephen Buckle, who had a small studio in his home in Boerne, Texas. Buckle was born in Greece to an American mother and Canadian father and spent most of his childhood in Thailand and Southeast Asia, but befriended Jasper during a four-year stint in Brazil. In April 2010, he joined the band full-time as a keyboardist.
After self-releasing their debut, The Bright Lights, in November 2010, featuring an early version of their track "Providence", the track entered the top 50 at Triple A radio, making the band the only unsigned artist to reach the upper tier of the chart.{{cite web|author=|url=http://austinot.com/exclusive-saints-of-valory-untold-story |title=Exclusive: Saints of Valory Untold Story |website=Austinot.com |date=2012-07-09 |accessdate=2013-08-03}}{{cite web|url=http://schedule.sxsw.com/2012/events/event_MS19889 |title=Saints of Valory |website=Schedule.sxsw.com |date= |accessdate=2013-08-03}} In May 2012, the band self-released their second EP, Kids, which entered iTunes' Top Rock Albums Chart, selling 1,700 copies in its first week.
Throughout 2011 the band performed at South by Southwest, CMJ, and DeLuna Festival.{{cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/502918/saints-of-valory-battle-of-the-bands-2012-southwest |title=Saints of Valory: Battle of the Bands 2012 Southwest |magazine=Billboard |date= |accessdate=2013-08-03}}
Atlantic Records, ''Possibilities'' EP
After being named one of Billboard's Top Unsigned Artists in 2012{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/artists/saints-of-valory/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130714102414/http://www.mtv.com/artists/saints-of-valory/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 14, 2013 |title=Saints of Valory | New Music And Songs |publisher=MTV |date=2013-07-14 |accessdate=2013-10-05}} the band announced their signing to Atlantic Records.{{cite web|url=http://www.kingsofar.com/saints-of-valory-signs-to-atlantic-records/ |title=Saints of Valory signs to Atlantic Records | Kings of A&R |website=Kingsofar.com |date=2012-12-06 |accessdate=2013-08-03}} The band's label debut Possibilities EP featuring the single "Neon Eyes" was released July 9, 2013 and was produced by Joe Chiccarelli and Saints of Valory.{{cite web|url=http://cincymusic.com/news/2013/07/saints-of-valory-hits-bogart-s-on-thursday |title=Saints of Valory hits Bogart's on Thursday! |website=CincyMusic.com |date=2013-07-16 |accessdate=2013-10-05}}
"Neon Eyes"
On July 24, 2013, the band premiered the music video for the single "Neon Eyes" on Billboard.{{cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/4309814/saints-of-valory-neon-eyes-exclusive-video-premiere |title=Saints of Valory, 'Neon Eyes': Exclusive Video Premiere |magazine=Billboard |date=2013-07-23 |accessdate=2013-08-03}} The video was also featured on MTV's Buzzworthy.{{cite web|url=http://buzzworthy.mtv.com/2013/06/19/saints-of-valory-neon-eyes-lyric-video/e |title=Video Premiere: Saints of Valory, 'Neon Eyes' (Lyric Video) |publisher=MTV |date=2013-06-19 |accessdate=2013-09-05}}{{dead link|date=June 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
Members
;Current
- Stephen Buckle (keyboards/vocals)
- Godfrey Thomson (guitar/vocals)
- Gavin Jasper (lead vocals/bass)
;Former
Gerard Labou (drums)
Discography
=Albums=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align: center;"
|+List of albums ! scope="col" style="width: 12em;"| Title ! scope="col" style="width: 18em;"| Album details |
| scope="row" | Bleeding Rainbows
|
|
|---|
=Extended plays=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align: center;"
|+List of extended plays ! scope="col" style="width: 12em;"| Title ! scope="col" style="width: 18em;"| Album details |
| scope="row" | "The Bright Lights"
|
|
|---|
| scope="row" | "Kids EP"
|
|
| scope="row" | "Possibilities EP"
|
|
| scope="row" | "V"
|
|
Singles
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align: center;"
|+List of singles as lead artist, showing year released and album name ! Title ! Year ! Album ! Label |
| "Providence"
| 2010 | The Bright Lights | Self-released |
| "Neon Eyes"
| 2013 | Possibilities EP |
Guest appearances
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align: center;" border="1"
|+List of non-single guest appearances, with other performing artists, showing year released, album name, and label ! scope="col" style="width: 18em;"| Title ! scope="col"| Year ! scope="col"| Other artist(s) ! scope="col"| Album ! scope="col"| Label |
| "Stay"
| 2016 | Size Records |