Editing Nick Valensi

{{short description|American musician}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2022}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| background        = person 
| name              = Nick Valensi
| image             = Nick Valensi - The Strokes - New Year's Eve 2019.jpg
| caption           = Valensi performing with the Strokes on New Year's Eve 2019
| alt               = Valensi playing guitar.
| birth_name        = Nicholas Valensi
| birth_date        = {{birth date and age|1981|1|16}}
| birth_place       = [[New York City]], U.S.
| genre             = {{hlist|[[Indie rock]]|[[garage rock revival]]|[[post-punk revival]]|[[new wave music|new wave]]}}
| occupations       = {{hlist|Musician|composer|songwriter|singer}}
| instruments       = {{hlist|Guitar|keyboards|vocals}}
| years_active      = 1998–present
| label             = {{hlist|[[Rough Trade Records|Rough Trade]]|[[RCA Records|RCA]]|[[Cult Records]]}}
| spouse            = {{marriage|[[Amanda de Cadenet]]|2006}} 
| current_member_of = {{hlist|[[The Strokes]]|[[CRX (band)|CRX]]}}
| website           = {{URL|thestrokes.com}}
}}

'''Nicholas Valensi''' (born January 16, 1981)<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rose |first=Mike |date=January 16, 2023|title=Today's famous birthdays list for January 16, 2023 includes celebrities Lin-Manuel Miranda, Kate Moss|url=https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2023/01/todays-famous-birthdays-list-for-january-16-2023-includes-celebrities-lin-manuel-miranda-kate-moss.html |access-date=January 16, 2023 |website=[[Cleveland.com]]}}</ref> is an American musician, best known for his role as lead and rhythm guitarist in the American [[Rock music|rock]] band [[The Strokes]]. Since 2001, the band has released six studio albums, some of which Valensi has also contributed keyboards and backing vocals to. 

In 2013, Valensi founded the band [[CRX (band)|CRX]], for which he acts as singer, songwriter, and lead and rhythm guitarist. Their debut album, ''[[New Skin (CRX album)|New Skin]]'', was released in 2016, and was followed by the 2019 album ''Peek''. Valensi has also worked as a songwriter and session guitarist with various artists, including [[Sia]], [[Regina Spektor]], [[Kate Pierson]], [[Kesha]] and [[Ringo Starr]].

==Early life==
Valensi was born in New York City, to a Tunisian father and a French mother, Danielle. His mother was from a Catholic family in South Western France, near [[Bordeaux]], and his father was a [[Tunisian Jew]].<ref name=":0"/> Valensi's mother had moved to Boston as a teenager and met his father in New York; his mother converted to Judaism to marry his father.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Samuels|first=David|date=2018-01-31|title=Q&A with Nick Valensi|url=https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/arts-letters/articles/qa-with-nick-valensi|access-date=2020-11-05|website=Tablet Magazine|language=en}}</ref>

Valensi was raised on the [[Upper East Side]] of [[Manhattan]] with two sisters, Céline and Alessandra.<ref>{{Cite web|date=September 19, 2003|title=Rock Stars Next Door|url=https://nymag.com/nymetro/arts/music/features/music2003/n_9258/|access-date=2020-11-13|website=New York Magazine|language=en-us|quote=PEDIGREE: Raised by mother on Upper East Side.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.shesfixingherhair.co.uk/theface_02_txt.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050309082524/http://www.shesfixingherhair.co.uk/theface_02_txt.html|url-status=dead|title=''The Face'' Magazine August 2002|archivedate=March 9, 2005}}</ref> Until the age of 16, Valensi spent summers at his grandfather's home near [[Bordeaux]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Itzkoff|first=Dave|date=2005-06-05|title=DIRECTIONS - ON THE WEB - Rockin' the Torah - NYTimes.com|url=https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10814FA3D5C0C768CDDAF0894DD404482|access-date=2011-12-08|publisher=Select.nytimes.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Shes Fixing Her Hair – The Strokes Latest Album Angles Is Out Now! » Interviews – Rock & Folk April 2011|url=http://www.shesfixingherhair.co.uk/blog/interviews/interviews-rock-folk-april-2011|access-date=2011-12-08|publisher=Shesfixingherhair.co.uk}}</ref> He began learning guitar at the age of five, following an impromptu strum on one of his father's guitars.<ref name="2hrpod">{{cite web|title=063 – NICK VALENSI – on early memories of the Strokes, meeting David Bowie, and working with Josh Homme on his new band CRX|url=http://audioboom.com/posts/5379183-063-nick-valensi-on-early-memories-of-the-strokes-meeting-david-bowie-and-working-with-josh-homme-on-his-new-band-crx|access-date=12 January 2017|website=2 Hours with Matt Pinfield}}</ref> His father described him as a natural guitarist, due to his quickness at picking up the ability to strum along with the rhythm of songs at a young age.<ref name="2hrpod" /> Valensi's father died when Nick was nine.<ref name="2hrpod" /> Valensi was arrested at age 11 and was assigned a  probation officer for a year.<ref name=":0" />

Valensi attended New York City public schools while growing up.<ref name=":0" /> He began attending [[The Dwight School]] at age 13, where he met [[Julian Casablancas]] on the first day of the school's orientation program. Soon after, he met classmate [[Fabrizio Moretti]] and the three formed a band.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|last=Goodman|first=Lizzie|title=[[Meet Me in the Bathroom (book)|Meet Me in the Bathroom: Rebirth and Rock and Roll in New York City 2001–2011]]|publisher=[[HarperCollins]]/Dey St.|year=2017|isbn=978-0-06-223309-7|location=New York|pages=109–118|chapter=These Guys All Go So Far Back}}</ref> He was once quoted as saying, "I always thought I wanted to be able to play any song you could name. But once I started playing with Julian, that's when I really started to understand music."<ref>{{cite web|title=''Rolling Stone'' 2001 Interview|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/thestrokes/articles/story/5933812/the_strokes_of_genius|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071020022840/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/thestrokes/articles/story/5933812/the_strokes_of_genius|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 20, 2007|access-date=2011-12-08|publisher=Rollingstone.com}}</ref> Through Casablancas, Valensi also met [[Nikolai Fraiture]] during this time.<ref name=":1" /> The two later attended [[Hunter College]] together.<ref>{{Cite web|title=This 2001 Story Of The Strokes' Rise To Fame Is A Rock & Roll Time Capsule|url=https://www.thefader.com/2015/09/15/the-strokes-cover-story-issue-9|access-date=2020-11-10|website=The FADER|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Rapp|first=Allison|title=On the Record: Before They Were Big, They Were CUNY – The Brooklyn College Vanguard|url=http://vanguard.blog.brooklyn.edu/2020/04/29/on-the-record-before-they-were-big-they-were-cuny/|access-date=2020-11-10|language=en-US}}</ref>

== Career ==

=== The Strokes ===
{{Main articles|The Strokes}}
In the late 1990s, Valensi was part of an informal band with vocalist Casablancas and drummer Moretti in high school, and continued after he and Casablancas left Dwight.<ref>{{Cite news|date=February 2001|title=Fabrizio Moretti: This Is The Strokes|language=en-US|work=DRUM! Magazine|url=http://drummagazine.com/fabrizio-moretti-this-is-the-strokes/|quote=I was around 14 when we started writing songs together, but it was never a band, we just hung out and wrote songs}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Smyth|first=Cody|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hBO0DAEACAAJ|title=The Strokes|date=October 10, 2017|publisher=Lesser Gods|isbn=9781944713171|language=en}}</ref> [[Nikolai Fraiture]] started playing as the bassist and the band was formed when guitarist [[Albert Hammond Jr.]] joined in fall 1998. Their first show as [[The Strokes]] was at the Spiral in New York City on September 14, 1999.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Goodman|first=Lizzy|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=voa9DgAAQBAJ|title=Meet Me in the Bathroom: Rebirth and Rock and Roll in New York City 2001–2011|date=August 1, 2017|publisher=Faber & Faber|isbn=9780571337996|language=en}}</ref> The band released The Modern Age EP in 2001 under [[Rough Trade Records]]<ref>{{Cite news|last=Robinson|first=John|date=June 28, 2001|title=Interview: The Strokes|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2001/jun/28/artsfeatures|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> and was signed for a five-album record deal by [[RCA Records]].<ref>{{Cite magazine|date=April 13, 2001|title=The Strokes Ink Deal With RCA|magazine=Billboard|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/80122/the-strokes-ink-deal-with-rca}}</ref> The band released six LPs including ''[[Is This It]]'', ''[[Room on Fire]]'', ''[[First Impressions of Earth]]'', [[Angles (The Strokes album)|''Angles'']], ''[[Comedown Machine]] and [[The New Abnormal]]'' with tours and festival sets in the North America, Europe, South America, East Asia and Australia. Following the completion of their album contract deal with RCA Records in 2013,<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Roffman|first=Michael|title=The Strokes Wipe the Slate Clean on Comedown Machine|language=en-US|magazine=Time|url=https://entertainment.time.com/2013/03/26/the-strokes-wipe-the-slate-clean-on-comedown-machine/|issn=0040-781X}}</ref> the band has continued to release new music through Casablancas' [[Cult Records]].<ref>{{Cite magazine|title=The Strokes Are Back: Hear Their New EP 'Future Present Past'|magazine=Billboard|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/7385842/strokes-oblivius-future-present-past-new-song-ep-2016-julian-casablancas}}</ref>

=== CRX ===
{{Main articles|CRX (band)}}
In 2013, Valensi co-founded the Los Angeles-based rock band CRX. He is the frontman of the group, and is backed by drummer Ralph Alexander, multi-instrumentalist [[Oberhofer|Brad Oberhofer]], bassist Jon Safley, and guitarist Darian Zahedi.<ref>{{cite web|last=Strauss|first=Matthew|title=The Strokes' Nick Valensi Announces Debut CRX Album Produced by Josh Homme|url=http://pitchfork.com/news/67927-the-strokes-nick-valensi-announces-debut-crx-album-produced-by-josh-homme/|access-date=September 8, 2016|website=Pitchfork|date=30 August 2016}}</ref> The band released their debut album, ''[[New Skin (CRX album)|New Skin]]'', on October 28, 2016.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Rettig|first1=James|title=Nick Valensi's CRX Detail Debut Album Produced By Josh Homme|url=http://www.stereogum.com/1896652/nick-valensis-crx-detail-debut-album-produced-by-josh-homme/news/|access-date=September 8, 2016|website=Stereogum|date=30 August 2016}}</ref> This was followed by the 2019 record ''Peek''. Valensi has described the band's sound as a mix of [[power pop]] and [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]], and has named [[The Cars]], [[Cheap Trick]] and [[Elvis Costello]] as influences.<ref name="RS">{{cite magazine|last=Doyle|first=Patrick|title=Nick Valensi on New Side Project, State of the Strokes|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/nick-valensi-on-new-side-project-state-of-the-strokes-w438094|access-date=September 8, 2016|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=6 September 2016}}</ref>

===Other projects===
While much of his career has been focused on playing and writing for The Strokes and CRX, Valensi has also contributed as a session musician and songwriter to some of his contemporaries. One of his first notable credits was playing guitar for [[Regina Spektor]]'s song "[[Better (Regina Spektor song)|Better]]," which was released on her 2006 album ''[[Begin to Hope]]'' and also published as a single in a slightly different version on which the guitar parts are rearranged.

He has collaborated with artists [[Devendra Banhart]], The Stroke's Moretti, and [[Sia]] on multiple occasions. Nick Valensi sang backing vocals and played guitar for Devendra Banhart's song "Shabop Shalom" on the 2007 album ''[[Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon]]''.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1049836/banhart-rocks-with-valensi-robinson-on-new-cd|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140905185257/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1049836/banhart-rocks-with-valensi-robinson-on-new-cd|url-status=dead|title=Banhart Rocks With Valensi, Robinson On New CD|archivedate=September 5, 2014|magazine=Billboard}}</ref> Furthermore, he contributed backing vocals on the self-titled debut album of his bandmate [[Fab Moretti]]'s band, [[Little Joy]]. He appears in the video for "No One's Better Sake" by Little Joy as drummer. He also appears in the video for "Adam & Steve," a song by [[Devendra Banhart]] and Moretti's side project [[Megapuss]].<ref>{{cite web|date=2008-11-05|title="Adam & Steve" on Youtube|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7yERTHz44I |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/v7yERTHz44I |archive-date=2021-12-22 |url-status=live|access-date=2011-12-08|publisher=Youtube.com}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

He plays guitar on Sia's album 2010 ''[[We Are Born]]'' and has also written several hooks and melodies on it. Sia has also stated that she and Valensi are planning to write songs together for other artists. He also co-wrote the track "Hostage" on Sia's 2014 album ''[[1000 Forms of Fear]]''. Other credits include co-writing with [[Brody Dalle]] in 2014, [[Kate Pierson]] for her 2015 album ''[[Guitars and Microphones]],''<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://thestrokesnews.com/nick-valensi-collaborated-with-b-52s-kate-pierson/ |title=Nick Valensi collaborated with B-52's Kate Pierson |access-date=2015-05-31 |archive-date=2015-03-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150316235020/http://thestrokesnews.com/nick-valensi-collaborated-with-b-52s-kate-pierson/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.stereogum.com/1729628/kate-pierson-bottoms-u-feat-nick-valensi/mp3s/|title = Kate Pierson – "Bottoms Up" (Feat. Nick Valensi)|date = 16 January 2015}}</ref> [[Kesha]], and again with Sia for the 2017 [[Blondie (band)|Blondie]] track, "Best Day Ever."

==Instruments and influences==
[[File:Nick valensi 2dollarbill.jpg|thumb|upright|Valensi in 2002]]
Valensi's main guitar, which he uses for nearly every live show and recorded song, is a 1995 [[Epiphone]] Riviera with [[Gibson Guitar Corporation|Gibson]] P-94 pick-ups, which was given to him by friend and fellow Strokes guitarist [[Albert Hammond Jr.]] In a 2004 interview with Epiphone, he called it "the greatest guitar never made"<ref name="Interview with Epiphone 2004">{{cite web |url=http://www.epiphone.com/News-Features/News/2004/Interview-with-Nick-Valensi.aspx |title=Interview with Epiphone 2004 |publisher=Epiphone.com |date=2004-05-28 |access-date=2012-02-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305072001/http://www.epiphone.com/News-Features/News/2004/Interview-with-Nick-Valensi.aspx |archive-date=2016-03-05 |url-status=dead }}</ref> because Gibson had never produced a semi-hollow with humbucker-sized P-94 pickups. He has several models in different colours (all with P-94s), including multiple naturals, one in vintage sunburst, one in red, and a 12-string elite in red. In 2005, Epiphone released a signature model of his guitar, the Elitist [[Nick Valensi Riviera P-94]], and followed it up with a standard model Nick Valensi Riviera P-94 in 2007.<ref name=EpiphoneNickValensiRivieraP94>{{cite web|title=Epiphone Nick Valensi Riviera P94|url=http://www.epiphone.com/Products/Archtop/Nick-Valensi-Riviera-P94.aspx|publisher=Epiphone.com|access-date=24 February 2012}}</ref> Back-up/warm-up guitars include an Epiphone Dot fitted with 2 P-94s, an Epiphone Casino, an Epiphone Sheraton, and a Gibson Faded Special Double Cutaway with 2 [[P-90]]s. Valensi often borrows fellow Strokes guitarist [[Albert Hammond, Jr.]]'s backup guitars, which include a [[Gibson Les Paul]] Jr. and a Les Paul Special. New guitars used for the First Impressions of Earth tour include a Les Paul Custom in black, a [[Fender Telecaster]] Custom (which he can be seen using in the music video for [[Under Cover of Darkness]] ), and a Duesenberg semi-hollow. Valensi's main amplifier is a 2x12" [[Fender Hot Rod DeVille]], used with Fender 4x12" extension cabinets during live shows. He also recently{{when|date=March 2021}} purchased a Carr amplifier to use on the last few stops of the First Impressions tour.

His pedalboard has included the Visual Sound Jekyll & Hyde Ultimate [[Distortion (music)|overdrive]] pedal, Boss TR-2 Tremolo, [[Vox (company)|Vox]] Cooltron Bulldog [[Distortion]], [[MXR Micro Amp]], [[Boss Corporation|Boss]] TU-2 Chromatic Tuner, [[Electro-Harmonix]] Memory Man, and [[Boss Blues Driver]].  He uses a Fender Super-Sonic 100-watt head into two Fender 2x12" cabinets.{{cn|date=January 2025}}

He cites his influences as [[The Velvet Underground]], [[The Cars]], [[George Harrison]], [[Slash (musician)|Slash]], [[Bob Marley]], and [[Blondie (band)|Blondie]].<ref name="Interview with Epiphone 2004"/>

== Personal life ==
In summer 2006, Valensi married his girlfriend of five years, English photographer and television personality [[Amanda de Cadenet]]. With De Cadenet, Valensi has [[fraternal twins]], Silvan and Ella.<ref>Confirmed by de Cadenet in ''Hello'' Magazine January 2007</ref> He has a step-daughter, Atlanta, through de Cadenet's first marriage. De Cadenet published a book of photographs entitled ''Rare Birds'' in 2005, which includes several pictures of Valensi, whom she refers to as her "muse" on her website. Valensi has lived with his family in Los Angeles since the mid-2000s.<ref>{{Cite news|title=How the Strokes' Nick Valensi got his groove back {{!}} CBC Music|language=en-US|work=CBC News|url=https://www.cbc.ca/music/read/how-the-strokes-nick-valensi-got-his-groove-back-1.5056882|access-date=2020-11-07}}</ref> In the past, they have lived in the neighborhoods of [[Van Nuys]] and [[Studio City, Los Angeles|Studio City]] in Los Angeles and in [[Midtown Manhattan]] and [[Park Slope]] in New York City.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2013-07-03|title=Nick Valensi, Amanda de Cadenet list Studio City house|url=https://www.latimes.com/business/realestate/hot-property/la-fi-hotprop-nick-valensi-amanda-de-cadenet-20130703-story.html|access-date=2020-11-07|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=David|first=Mark|date=2013-07-16|title=Julian Casablancas (of The Strokes) Sells Downtown Digs|url=https://variety.com/2013/dirt/real-estalker/julian-casablancas-of-the-strokes-sells-downtown-digs-1201236154/|access-date=2020-11-07|website=Variety|language=en-US}}</ref>

Valensi speaks French.<ref name=":0" />

==Discography==
;CRX discography

* ''[[New Skin (CRX album)|New Skin]]'' (2016)
* ''Peek'' (2019)
* ''Interiors'' (2024)

;The Strokes discography
{{Main|The Strokes discography}}

* ''[[Is This It]]'' (2001)
* ''[[Room on Fire]]'' (2003)
* ''[[First Impressions of Earth]]'' (2005)
* ''[[Angles (The Strokes album)|Angles]]'' (2011)
* ''[[Comedown Machine]]'' (2013)
* ''[[The New Abnormal]]'' (2020)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{The Strokes}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Valensi, Nick}}
[[Category:1981 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American people of French descent]]
[[Category:American people of Tunisian-Jewish descent]]
[[Category:American rock guitarists]]
[[Category:American male guitarists]]
[[Category:Dwight School alumni]]
[[Category:Jewish American musicians]]
[[Category:Hunter College alumni]]
[[Category:The Strokes members]]
[[Category:Jews in punk rock]]
[[Category:American rock keyboardists]]
[[Category:American lead guitarists]]
[[Category:20th-century American Sephardic Jews]] 
[[Category:21st-century American Sephardic Jews]]
[[Category:American alternative rock guitarists]]