America’s Sweetheart, the female-fronted, Jersey City-based indie-pop band, recently unveiled their latest single/music video, “Reject Beach,” a track from their forthcoming album, One of A Kind.
While recording the album, guitarist/vocalist Valerie ‘Val’ Germain was diagnosed with a very rare cancer. She kept recording through her treatment and left her musical sister, the band’s co-founder, vocalist and bassist Anastasia ‘Stace’ Kinsella, a parting wish: “Finish the album.”
“Val and I grew up together in this band. She loved writing songs with me, and she loved America’s Sweetheart, so she was like, ‘Let’s play.’ Nothing would have happened without that,” Stace says. “There’s a big deafening space left by her.”
In early 2024, Stace and her co-writer, the legendary NYC-based producer Godfrey Diamond (Lou Reed, Etta James, Frank Sinatra), crowdsourced the funds needed to return to the studio and face the music. After completing the band’s third album, One of A Kind, they have now delivered to fans its first of three upcoming video clips, “Reject Beach.”
“Reject Beach” captures the liberation of shedding your woes along with your clothes for a moonlit skinny-dipping session after too many hours of low-wage work. The dreamy feel of its verses transports the listener into the ocean, rocked by the waves until an infectious, fast-moving bassline brings varying choruses of reassurance and wordless relief.
The “Reject Beach” video invites viewers inside that sisterhood – backstage and behind the scenes to the fun, humor, passion, and chaos of America’s Sweetheart.
Guitar Girl Magazine spoke with Stace Kinsella to talk about Valerie Germain, “Reject Beach,” the upcoming album, and gear.
How would you describe your music?
We play rock and roll – each song is its own little man. But we are telling stories that are ours and really, everyone’s.
Can you share the inspiration behind “Reject Beach,” and the creative process involved in bringing it to life?
‘Reject Beach’ is a nostalgic, summer memory of our guitar player, Val’s; she wanted to write an everyman’s song. Val is from Woonsocket, RI and I went to high school in Newport, RI, which is a salty, beachy tourist town that brings a lot of Rhode Islanders down to work for the summer to make some money for the winter. Valerie worked at a super popular restaurant in Newport called Christies. The townies loved it and so did the tourists. I think the kitchen was downstairs, so you were running up and down these stairs with heavy trays of food and the table turnover was intense. It was always hot for the waitstaff and kitchen workers. Any native Newporter knows that the place to go at the end of a hot, sweaty shift is to Reject Beach, a modest beach next to Baileys Beach, which is a private beach that none of us could ever enjoy. After hearing it, a friend of ours said it was reminiscent of a Bruce Springsteen tune. Thrilling! When Valerie played this for me, I knew I wanted the bass to roll like the ocean waves. We play songs over and over until we feel the goosebumps on our bodies- that’s when we know it’s done.
Who directed the video and where was it shot?
My high school chum, Jen Cobb, directed this and pretty much all of our videos. It was shot in both New York, New Jersey, and Lil Rhody, of course! There is a lot of footage from old America’s Sweetheart videos and shows – a lot of nostalgia there…..
What do you want people to take away from the song and the video?
That we are: “All alone and together.”
“Reject Beach” is from your upcoming third album, One of A Kind. What can you share about the album?
‘One of A Kind’ is our 3rd and final album. Valerie worked across the street from the World Trade Center for 8years after the attacks on 9/11 and finally succumbed to a rare form of cancer right before we completed everything. It was her greatest wish that I get this album out and that’s what I’m doing. It’s our best record yet, and she would be so proud!
How did you get started in music? What’s the back story there?
Val and I are self-taught, which is wildly evident, and we had written some of our songs before we met at a wedding on the dance floor. We were both dating Kinsellas at the time – we met through our boyfriends – and we were the two people dancing to the Go-Go’s, cuz ‘everybody got the beat!’ While we were dancing like a couple of weirdos, Val leaned forward, close to my face, and said, ‘I have a guitar and I wanna start a band!’ and I said: ‘I have a bass and I wanna start a band! It took a minute to get together and play- but when we did, we just had so much fun!
What can you share about your writing process?
Valerie was always more cerebral than me – she would think and work on a song. I have always been more visceral – I make up a bunch of disparate things on the fly- and put them together however I’m feeling it. When Val and I would come together to work on them we were always very honest and we both acknowledged that we enhanced each other’s abilities, we sounded good together. We had fun playing and sometimes a song just pops out when you’re rehearsing and messing around at band practice…always a treat!
What kind of guitar do you play? Which amps and pedals are you using?
Valerie played a gorgeous Gretsch guitar with a Big Muff pedal and she loved her Fender amp. I play a custom Mike Lull bass that is designed a lot like a Fender P bass. Sometimes…I use a bass wah. and I like the Ampeg!
What is your definition of tone and has your tone changed over time?
I think of tone as timbre and pitch. Our producer, Godfrey Diamond, is all about tone! He taught us that tone is vital, and he always said we had a reasonably nice timbre, but that we needed to be more mindful of our pitch. I’m gonna say we got better at it and that we have become more and more smooth, and rich in the way we hit our chords/ notes. Thank you, Godfrey!
What’s been the highlight of your career so far? Maybe touring or who you’ve played with, something that’s really stood out.
It was fun to go on tour, play in Nashville, and have such a favorable response from the crowd: ‘Ya’ll are better than you think!’ Interesting and insightful comment from a dude with full-on mullet and a thick country drawl, my people. I grew up listening to country music on a little red, Bakelite radio and that was huge to me…but the thrill of our life has been to write and record with Godfrey Diamond – best damn band daddy ever! He has taught us so much about songwriting and recording! And he has always been very real and very supportive, as a mentor and friend. We love him so much.
Which do you enjoy the most: writing, recording, practicing, or playing live?
We have always loved playing live. It’s electric and fun! I used to find myself just laughing while we were playing live. Val and I would look at each other and grin and grin. It’s the party, the celebration of sharing your hard work, right? And both Val and I always loved a party.
Knowing what you know now, if you could go back and start your music career all over, what would you do differently?
I would start sooner. People, girls, please start as soon as possible. Make a bunch of mistakes and play live until you meet your band family.
What’s next for you?
I’m going to fulfill my band sister’s final wish, and then take a little break before writing and playing more because that’s what Valerie would want me to do.
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