Episode 016 – Paul Thomas Van Valkenburgh | MAKE // BREAK

Paul Van Valkenburgh is the vocalist and frontman of hard rock and groove-metal outfit TubeFreeks. On MAKE // BREAK with host Lance Marwood, he breaks down the music business realities of keeping a long-running band alive: the early “make” spark, the “break” moments of lineup shifts and stalled momentum, and the habits that rebuild trust. Paul shares how writing during recovery from major surgery reshaped his confidence, why vocal coaching levelled up his delivery, and how delegation protects both the work and the people. He also previews the next chapter, including the upcoming single “Flower” and the album Canvas, co-written with Clint Lowery (Sevendust).

👀 What you’ll hear

• Trace the moment TubeFreeks stopped being a project and became a real band
• Break down how a lineup collapse killed momentum, and what rebuilt it
• Learn why coaches and co-writers raised standards without flattening Paul’s voice completely
• Hear an in-house vocal recording process that avoids clock pressure and fixes phrasing fast
• Steal the anti-Franken-song veto rule that keeps great ideas from getting overworked
• Get the scoop on Flower and Canvas, and what a big 2026 slot means

🕰️ Chapters

00:00 TubeFreeks origin and the MAKE // BREAK frame

00:33 Make moment and the first riffs that made it feel real

05:19 Switching from drums to frontman mindset

08:06 Band chemistry, no-drama lineups, and why personnel is everything

15:32 Momentum collapse, touring stops, and rebuilding after a lineup split

24:34 Health crisis, recovery writing, and confidence after The Dry Tide

31:38 Delegation, coaches, and co-writing with Clint Lowery

39:15 In-house studio workflow and vocal takes without clock pressure

43:50 Vocal writing: cadence, phonics, and chasing cool

51:37 Lyric risk, emotion, and the God hear me out chorus decision

56:01 Franken-effing a song and the veto rule that protects great ideas

1:03:16 New single Flower, album Canvas, and opening for Black Stone Cherry

🔗 Guest Links

https://tubefreeks.com/

https://www.instagram.com/tubefreeksrocks/

https://www.youtube.com/user/Tubefreeks

https://open.spotify.com/artist/4gCE3tYHEDORDZLDQdimlp

🔗 MAKE // BREAK & Host Links

https://open.spotify.com/show/5GDOUd909p7ir2W74M9teg?si=cbc7e01e13ba4a20

https://instagram.com/lowkeyhellish

https://tiktok.com/@lowkeyhellish

🔗 V13 Media Links

https://v13.net

Subscribe, and comment: would you use the band-veto rule, or does it kill songs?

[Mild profanity]

#MakeBreak #TubeFreeks #MusicBusiness