Valencia met by playing local shows together around the tri-state area in separate bands. George Ciukurescu and JD Perry grew up together; attending elementary school, high school, and their first year of college. They joined a band in 2001 called The Capgun Heroes with Brendan Walter and former member Sean Mundy. Shane Henderson sang in the band Attracted to Miss and Max played drums in The Emphasis. They formed the band that is known today as Valencia in 2004. The band is named after the wife of the protagonist, Valencia, in the book by Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughter House 5.
In 2005 Valencia signed to I Surrender Records after the label's owner, Midtown's drummer Rob Hitt, heard their demo tape. After playing the Warped Tour in 2005, they released their first album, This Could Be A Possibility, in October 2005, which was re-released in September 2006.
In 2006, the band was named SPIN Band of the Day and was a finalist for Band of the Year, but lost to Nightmare of You. In May 2006, the band stopped touring because of the death of Shane's girlfriend in a freak lawn mower accident. In July 2006, Valencia traveled to Japan to play the Fuji Rock Festival.
In 2007 the band toured with Boys Like Girls, The Audition and All Time Low in the U.S. Valencia also toured with We the Kings, The Cab, Charlotte Sometimes, and Sing it Loud in April 2008.
In 2009 Valencia performed at the Soundwave festival with New Found Glory, Say Anything and Billy Talent. The band opened for blink-182 in June 2009 on their summer reunion tour.
Valencia's second album, We All Need a Reason to Believe was released on August 26, 2008, featuring 11 new tracks. The album leaked in its entirety on August 16, 2008. On August 19, 2008 it was made available as a full stream on the band's Myspace page. "Safe To Say" is on the soundtrack for MLB 09 The Show. Valencia spent summer 2009 touring with Every Avenue.
Band member Brendan Walter was one of 32 sued by the RIAA in its first round file-sharing suits. During an interview on WCUR's Foundation Radio on December 9, 2010, host Adam Barnard asked about the circumstances surrounding this incident. Walter stated that he had been chosen at random due to the fact that he had illegally downloaded music by American rock band Smash Mouth.
Valencia's third album, "Dancing With A Ghost" was released October 12, 2010. After a long break from touring, the band went back on tour for their new album in October of 2010. The tour includes a few shows of headlining along with shows with bands like Say Anything, Saves the Day and Motion City Soundtrack. The band's tour will also make it all the way to Australia.
In October of 2011, Shane Henderson released a statement regarding the band's decision to go on an indefinite hiatus after 2011. Following a farewell tour in Japan, the band played a final show on December 28th at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia, PA to a sold-out crowd.
Friday Night
Valencia Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I went out for a drive and I never looked back
I wanted out cause I knew you were right
I put it all on the line just to see you react
Typical breakthrough, just different words used
Obviously, thought you knew me
And fear we've been living in a dream
Selfishly I try to blur the lines
To hide that I, I guess I fucked up
I guess I was wrong
I guess you wouldn't understand
I don't regret a single moment (And if I'm fucked up)
So what if you're right?
Just try to understand that I only regret the things I haven't done yet
When all these fights stem from foolish pride
You put action aside cause you can't comprehend
There's no excuse, walk away or you lose
Whichever you lose, it's just a means to an end
I can't believe you, all that we lived through
Obviously, you don't know me
When desperate we collide and disappear
And fear we've been living in a dream
Selfishly I try to blur the lines
To hide that I, I guess I fucked up
I guess I was wrong
I guess you wouldn't understand
I don't regret a single moment (And if I'm fucked up)
So what if you're right?
Just try to understand that I only regret the things I haven't done yet
My heart's the only thing that's on my mind
It's not a crime
To feel more connected to the things you've lost
Than the things you've gained
What have you gained?
I guess I fucked up
I guess I was wrong
I guess you wouldn't understand
I don't regret a single moment (And if I'm fucked up)
So what if you're right?
Just try to understand that I only regret the things I haven't done yet
I guess I fucked up
I guess I was wrong (When desperate we collide and disappear and fear we've been living in a dream)
I guess you wouldn't understand
I don't regret a single moment (And if I'm fucked up)
So what if you're right? (Selfishly I try to blur the lines to hide that I)
Just try to understand that I only regret the things I haven't done yet
Valencia's song Friday Night is an emotional and reflective piece about regret, personal growth, and the fear of missed opportunities. The song starts with a simple narration of events, with the singer driving aimlessly on a Friday night, wanting to escape a situation that they know is not right but still putting everything on the line just for the sake of a reaction from the other person involved. The lyrics then move to a deeper introspection of the singer's actions and feelings, recognizing that sometimes fights stem from foolish pride, and that walking away or losing can be just a means to an end.
However, despite these reflections, the singer still struggles with their feelings and uncertainties, feeling lost and disconnected from the things they've gained but more connected to the things they've lost. This realization leads to an admission of mistakes and wrongdoings, but also to a strong desire to embrace the unknown and to regret only the things they haven't done yet.
Overall, the lyrics of Friday Night are a poignant portrayal of the complexities of relationships, growth, and self-discovery, showcasing Valencia's talent for capturing emotions in their music.
Line by Line Meaning
It started out on a Friday night
The story begins on a Friday night
I went out for a drive and I never looked back
I went out for a drive and didn't turn back
I wanted out cause I knew you were right
I wanted to leave because I knew you were correct
I put it all on the line just to see you react
I took a risk to see your reaction
Typical breakthrough, just different words used
It's a common breakthrough, just expressed differently
Obviously, thought you knew me
I thought you knew me well, but obviously not
When desperate we collide and disappear
We meet and vanish in times of desperation
And fear we've been living in a dream
We are afraid that we've been living in a dream
Selfishly I try to blur the lines
I try to confuse things for my benefit
To hide that I, I guess I fucked up
To conceal my mistake, I suppose I messed up
I guess I was wrong
I suppose I made a mistake
I guess you wouldn't understand
I think you wouldn't comprehend
I don't regret a single moment (And if I'm fucked up)
I don't regret anything even if I made a mistake
So what if you're right?
Why does it matter if you are correct?
Just try to understand that I only regret the things I haven't done yet
I'm only remorseful about the things I haven't done yet, just try to understand
When all these fights stem from foolish pride
When all the arguments originate from foolish arrogance
You put action aside cause you can't comprehend
You ignore action because you don't understand
There's no excuse, walk away or you lose
There's no justification, leave or you will lose
Whichever you lose, it's just a means to an end
Regardless of which one loses, it's just a method to an end
I can't believe you, all that we lived through
I'm amazed by you, and everything we've experienced
When desperate we collide and disappear
We meet and vanish in times of desperation
And fear we've been living in a dream
We are afraid that we've been living in a dream
My heart's the only thing that's on my mind
Only my heart is on my mind
It's not a crime
It's not a wrongdoing
To feel more connected to the things you've lost
To feel more attached to the things you've lost
Than the things you've gained
Than the things you've attained
What have you gained?
What did you attain?
I guess I fucked up
I suppose I messed up
I guess you wouldn't understand
I think you wouldn't comprehend
So what if you're right? (Selfishly I try to blur the lines to hide that I)
Why does it matter if you are correct? (I'm trying to conceal my mistake)
Just try to understand that I only regret the things I haven't done yet
I'm only remorseful about the things I haven't done yet, just try to understand
I guess I was wrong (When desperate we collide and disappear and fear we've been living in a dream)
I suppose I made a mistake (We meet and vanish in times of desperation, and fear we've been living in a dream)
I don't regret a single moment (And if I'm fucked up)
I don't regret anything even if I made a mistake
Contributed by Aubrey O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.