Paul Van Valkenburgh of TubeFreeks shares music business survival lessons

Episode 016 – Paul Thomas Van Valkenburgh | MAKE // BREAKPaul 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 hearTrace the moment TubeFreeks stopped being a project and became a real bandBreak down how a lineup collapse killed momentum, and what rebuilt itLearn why coaches and co-writers raised standards without flattening Paul’s voice completelyHear an in-house vocal recording process that avoids clock pressure and fixes phrasing fastSteal the anti-Franken-song veto rule that keeps great ideas from getting overworkedGet the scoop on Flower and Canvas, and what a big 2026 slot means🕰️ Chapters00:00 TubeFreeks origin and the MAKE // BREAK frame00:33 Make moment and the first riffs that made it feel real05:19 Switching from drums to frontman mindset08:06 Band chemistry, no-drama lineups, and why personnel is everything15:32 Momentum collapse, touring stops, and rebuilding after a lineup split24:34 Health crisis, recovery writing, and confidence after The Dry Tide31:38 Delegation, coaches, and co-writing with Clint Lowery39:15 In-house studio workflow and vocal takes without clock pressure43:50 Vocal writing: cadence, phonics, and chasing cool51:37 Lyric risk, emotion, and the God hear me out chorus decision56:01 Franken-effing a song and the veto rule that protects great ideas1:03:16 New single Flower, album Canvas, and opening for Black Stone Cherry🔗 Guest Linkshttps://tubefreeks.com/https://www.instagram.com/tubefreeksrocks/https://www.youtube.com/user/Tubefreekshttps://open.spotify.com/artist/4gCE3tYHEDORDZLDQdimlp🔗 MAKE // BREAK & Host Linkshttps://open.spotify.com/show/5GDOUd909p7ir2W74M9teg?si=cbc7e01e13ba4a20https://instagram.com/lowkeyhellishhttps://tiktok.com/@lowkeyhellish🔗 V13 Media Linkshttps://v13.netSubscribe, and comment: would you use the band-veto rule, or does it kill songs?[Mild profanity]#MakeBreak #TubeFreeks #MusicBusiness