Meet Victor Valle of Counter Culture Group in East LA

Today we’d like to introduce you to Victor Valle.

Victor, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Growing up, I spent a majority of my time listening to the sounds of music coming from my dad’s rehearsals at home and from my mom’s cocina. I grew up in a family of musicians and music lovers, dancers, all of that. So it was natural to have the bug to want to listen, absorb, understand, and eventually, play music. Playing in bands, touring, and recording music eventually showed me that I wanted to be involved in music, but not playing every night. I ended up starting a music blog that got me into shows for free, expanding that in San Francisco, getting involved in the scene up there, and eventually ended up on the business side of music all through confusion, uncertainty, and chance. I started being the artist with a stern DIY mentality and ended up seeing how important it was to have a team and people who believed in the art. That’s how Counter Culture Group was born – from a bunch of musicians and music lovers who all see the importance of giving artists the chance to break away from the traditional music industry and be heard.

Has it been a smooth road?
I feel like no road is smooth, right? There are always trials and tribulations to face along the way toward pursuing something you love and believe in with every fiber in your body. There were a ton of moments where I needed to come back to really understanding why I do what I do – whether it’s A&R, management, marketing, production, whatever – and that’s always been the fact that I”m a fan first and always. I love the music with all my being. There’s been moments where the lack of sleep, the long hours, the unhealthy habits that came with dedicating my life to music and my pursuits led to some tough times. There have been decisions I’ve made, risks I’ve taken that have all really been tough tests to get through, but at the end of it all, they’re all lessons to learn from. I have no regrets, I’ve only learned a ton and been consistently growing and blooming.

Please tell us about Counter Culture Group. What should we know?
Counter Culture Group is what I like to call a creatives agency. I started off in artist management and event production, but we eventually expanded into offering marketing services, publishing deals, film + photo services, and even releasing some artists through the label deal we have. We manage artists like Katzù Oso, Nicotine & more and really work to helping artists build their business and foster their creativity. In addition, we’ve put on some dope festivals and events helped artists on a couple of marketing campaigns, set-up some songwriting sessions, shot music videos, etc. I love the community and family we’ve built. Everyone we work with we really spend time getting to know, trust and understand. It’s unlike anything else I’ve seen or been a part of. We are art lovers, artists, professionals and creative minds who seek to transform an industry that has been ridiculed as dirty and corrupt by working transparently and openly. We value working with artists that are committed, passionate and driven to take their music to the next level. Most importantly, we’re invested in openness over hierarchy, risk over stability and innovation over the tried-and-true.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Los Angeles is home. I grew up here. These streets shaped me into the person I am today, and I’m eternally grateful. However, seeing other parts of the world gave me the outlook that there’s so much more than just here and there. It’s been a process of understanding what connects us all and how that can transcend geographical location. We make communities online. We place make what we’re missing. And that’s beautiful. I’d recommend Los Angeles to anyone who is looking to experience a wild spectrum of people, places and things, but I’d also remind them that there’s so much more to the world to be understood and seen.

Contact Info:

• Website: counterculture.group
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: instagram.com/counterculturegroup
• Facebook: facebook.com/counterculturegroup
• Twitter: twitter.com/countercgroup

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