Riffing off a chapter in Elizabeth Gilbert’s book Big Magic, Valerie personifies her inspiration as a glowing yet feisty sprite in “Pixie,” the first single off Wake You, her upcoming EP. In this collage of traditional African instruments, horns and toylike instruments, she takes the listener to a happy dream world that nudges you to get out of bed and go make art, play music, do whatever makes you a better person and thus the world a better place. Devon C. Johnson, collaborator for most of Wake You, gave Valerie a mbira-centered loop that she played with on her new audio software toy, Ableton Live. Messing around with one of her favorite instruments, the voice, Valerie built interesting layers of harmonies and sampled her voice, producing a swinging, upbeat song unique even to her own style. A long-time songwriter, “Pixie” is the first release that Valerie had a hand in producing herself. The meaning behind “Pixie” lies directly at Valerie’s activist roots and her purpose as a songwriter: motivating her listeners. “Get up… make some noise.” This message needs to be heard now more than ever.