When I lived in North Carolina, Heather worked with this guy Tofer, and occasionally she would come home from work and say, “You should really get together with him sometime and play music.” My response was always something dismissive and self-deprecating. I knew how hard it was to find someone with whom you really connect aesthetically from many past failed attempts. But one day Heather came home and said that Tofer and some other guys were going to head out into downtown Durham, NC and busk. I found the offer too tempting to resist, and after an evening of being hassled by Segway rent-a-cops, we walked with nearly $100 and a lot of encouragement to start a proper band. We called the band Proud Valletta (after an absurdly long name search), and played a few shows around Durham and Chapel Hill last fall. Unfortunately, as it often does, life changed our plans for us, and Tofer moved to San Francisco and we moved to New York. We still communicate and provide each other feedback. He’s a great person and a tremendously talented musician (and graphic designer). He currently writes under the monicker In the Circuit of the Sun. 2009 work comprises the material he wrote for Proud Valletta.
