How “Vikings” Contributed to One of Houston’s Most Iconic Dead Rock Bands: A Conversation With Valhalla
Interview ★ Annsley Jennings ★ @annsleymedia ★ 6 Minutes
Valhalla. Many may know it as a place: the hall of the slain within Norse mythology. That or they can recall it from the iconic Led Zeppelin hit Immigrant Song. Us at Love Street Magazine, however, connect the mighty word to an even mightier band holed up in the great city of Houston, Texas.
A four piece rock collective composed of frontman Sam/Sevyn (vox, guitar), Ibra (lead guitar), Paul (bassist), and newest member Adam (drums), Valhalla recently won the Texas position for our rock band contest - full list of winners here. After securing the win, Sam and Ibra sat down with us to talk about Paramore, what Valhalla means to them, their upcoming single, and more with plenty of jokes to spare.
Sam/Sevyn of Valhalla via Annsley Jennings
Walk me through how the band met and how you all went about making music in the start.
Sam: One night, I went to a party and walked into the wrong room and I found Ibra. He had a lot of baby oil for some reason and-
Ibra: Okay, let’s give them the actual truth. Ahem… I got the band together. I always loved rock. Our original drummer I had met at a family function and we got to jam together so I was like ‘yo wanna start a band?’ Then Paul, I was friends with him in high school and I recruited him. Sam was a friend of a friend and he was kind of crazy so I was like ‘yo join the band’. Thus, Valhalla was born.
What is the backstory behind the band’s name, Valhalla?
Ibra: We got the name from the show Vikings. Our old drummer watched that one a lot and we thought it sounded cool.
Sam: I still haven’t seen that show.
Ibra: Yeah, me either.
Sam: And I don’t think I ever will. Valhalla has its own meaning to us.
AJ: So, what’s the meaning?
Sam: Whatever we want it to be.
What are you currently listening to?
Sam: This band that’s super underground called NXCRE & The Villains. Super cool band. Also Fantasia - amazing voice. Michael Jackson, always. I’ll be sat on April 26 when the movie comes out. My Chemical Romance, of course. A little bit of Ozzy here and there.
Ibra: I’ve been diving into Toto. Their song Rosanna is great and their guitarist is really good. He played the rhythm part on Beat It, actually. I’ve also been listening to The Scourge. My guitar teacher is really awesome and he’s part of it so I've been listening to them a lot. I also like this band called Suspended 4th. They’re Western Japanese rock. Paul showed me them.
What are some things outside of music that you all frequently partake in or care about? (hobbies, tv shows, movies, politics, etc.)
Sam: I love skating. It’s really, really fun. I’m a huge wrestling fan, too. WWE is really fun - Rhea Ripley will forever be like…bro, she’s Rhea Ripley. You get it.
Ibra: *laughs* oh my god dude…I like cars and going to car meets. And I work a lot in sales. I dunno, I enjoy simply just talking to people and socializing. Especially when I’m dr-
Sam: This guy, bro
Ibra: Oh, And I like Anime. And acting a fool.
Sam: We don’t take ourselves super seriously so I frequently do that one, too.
Ibra: Yeah, we do the stupid shit just to make ourselves laugh.
Which artists have influenced your music? Are there any that some would be surprised to hear?
Sam: I get compared to Lenny Kravitz, Prince, MJ, and Hendrix a lot. I mean yeah, I’m black, but I see myself closer to artists like Steven Tyler, Mick Jagger, a little Billy Idol. I like a lot of those 70s guys. An artist you’d be surprised at would be the Cocteau Twins. They’re a shoegaze band and they’re amazing. Oh, Fleetwood Mac, too.
Ibra: I love a band called Good Tiger. And lowkey I’ve been getting into Paramore.
Sam: I put him on.
Ibra: *sarcastically* Yeah, okay.
Sam: Make sure you include that I put him onto Paramore. I want that to be known. I remember when we first started I said ‘guys let’s play Misery Business’ and everybody was like ‘eh’
Ibra: I also like Muse. They’ve got a unique sound.
How do you feel about the evolution of rock over the years, and where do you see the genre heading in the future?
Sam: I’d say rock music has definitely had its ups and downs. Styles like hair metal and grunge have had their time then became less popular and I think now there’s certain mainstream things doing the same thing so there’s a resurgence happening and I’m really grateful for that. Everybody’s looking for the next big rock band.
What is your favorite memory so far with Valhalla?
Sam: Hmm, it changes. It really does. But right now? Probably this one gig we played a while ago. We had a pre-show meeting where we decided to be as unserious as possible. So we made a point to be utter buffoons the whole gig and it was a great time. I had fun.
Ibra: When we got accepted by U of H to be their homecoming band. I remember jumping up and down going ‘oh my god, oh my god’ and calling everyone.
Who are some fellow underground rock/alternative artists that you think deserve some recognition?
Sam: Noisegate. Noisegate like a motherfucker!
Ibra: Yeah. if not Noisegate then Thrower. 307 departure, as well.
Sam: Ooh and Midnight Beverage! They’re so good.
Ibra: Return to Dust is great, too.
What was it like to play together for the first time?
Sam: Oh my god it was horrible. These guys suck.
Ibra: Shut up…It was actually so cool because we all knew we had chemistry and it confirmed that we had some potential once we got up there and started playing.
Sam: It was a good experience. I got to play music I never would’ve played with anybody else so it was cool.
Where was your first gig?
Sam: White Swan. Shoutout Harold! It hosts a lot of first shows for a lot of people in the area.
What is your creative process like?
Ibra: So usually, songs come at random. But once I have the idea I’ll make a demo and send it to the groupchat and the guys will give their input: depending on the answer, we build off of it or we scrap it. The end product always sounds a lot different because we like to Valhall-ify it.
How is playing live connected to recording in the studio?
Sam: I think there’s some crossover. To me, the bones of the song are the same but once you get on stage, adrenaline kicks in and some things speed up or change but it’s dependent on the crowd.
Ibra: They’re equally as frightening. In studio, you’re on a time crunch and live, you’re like “oh god, I can’t fuck up”
What do you hope listeners take away from Valhalla’s music aside from enjoyment?
Sam: I hope that our listeners feel heard. I hope there’s a lyric you can relate to or something that makes you feel validated.
Living or dead, who is your dream collaboration?
Sam: Michael Jackson.
Ibra: Mac Miller.
Anything to say to your fans?
Ibra: Whatever you desire - you can make it come to fruition. You just have to try even when you don’t want to.
Sam: *sarcastically* Don’t listen to this guy. Go work a 9-5.
Ibra: *laughs* Have fun, too.
Sam: Don’t. Climb the corporate ladder. Have a kid at 19.
Can you share anything about your upcoming single set for release in December?
Sam: I wrote Save Me when I was 16 and I was in a dark place at the time; experiencing a lot of depression, anxiety, things of that nature. It took about 2 years for the song to be recorded and fleshed out to what it is now. It comes out funnily enough on my birthday at my exact time of birth. Listen to it at 9:36 PM on December 6th.
Ibra: On all digital streaming platforms!
Sam: And on Roblox. You can add our shit on Roblox.
Ibra: Really?
Sam: Yeah. play dress to impress while listening to Valhalla.
What are your plans for 2026?
Ibra: We definitely wanna play as many shows and festivals as possible. I don’t care if it’s in someone’s house or if there’s only like 5 people who come, I just want some energy. If we can lock in, dropping an album would be cool.
Sam: That’s factual. Emphasis on the ‘if we can lock in’ part.
