Following a life-changing stroke in 2021, Jesse Valach returns with Stroke of Luck; a gritty blues/soul record that's as much about survival as it is about sound.
Back in 2021, Jesse Valach faced something no musician wants to confront; the very real possibility that music might be gone for good.
A stroke had changed everything. Jesse Valach had to relearn what his body was capable of, navigate a long and uncertain recovery, and sit with the fear that the guitar, the stage, the songs – all of it – might belong to a version of himself he’d never get back.
That it didn’t end that way is the whole point of his new album, Stroke of Luck.
The title does a lot of heavy lifting. It holds the irony of the situation with both hands, the medical event that threatened to derail everything, and the string of fortunate circumstances (the right people, the right support, the music still waiting patiently) that made a return possible. It’s a name that acknowledges hardship without wallowing in it.
Jesse Valach
- Where: Barwon Club, Geelong
- When: Saturday, 25 April, 7pm – 10pm
- Tickets: here
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Picking up the guitar again for the first time was a loaded moment.
“It was emotional,” Valach says. “There was excitement, but also fear because I didn’t know if my hands or my voice would respond the way they used to.”
Once he started playing again, even in small steps, it became something else entirely.
“Music gave me a way to process everything that had happened. It helped rebuild confidence and reconnect me with the part of myself that the stroke couldn’t take away.”
The album title came later in the journey, once the bigger picture started to come into focus.
“Somewhere along the way I started to realise how many small moments had lined up for me to still be here doing what I love,” he says.
“The phrase Stroke of Luck kind of captured that irony perfectly. A stroke changes your life forever, but in my case there was also a lot of luck; the people around me, the support from my family, the doctors, and the fact that music was still there waiting for me.”
The sound on Stroke of Luck lands in familiar blues and soul territory, but with a heavier edge; more grit in the guitar, more intensity in the performances. Valach says it wasn’t a conscious decision.
“When you go through something like a stroke, it changes your perspective on life. Blues has always been about telling the truth, about struggle, resilience and emotion. Coming back after everything I’d been through meant the songs carried a bit more weight.”
Central to the record is his band, The Testaments, who Valach describes as more than just collaborators.
“They’re a brotherhood,” he says. “During the difficult years after the stroke they were incredibly supportive. They gave me space when I needed it and encouragement when I was ready to come back.”
That dynamic translates directly to how they sound together.
“When we play together, there’s a chemistry that you can’t manufacture. Everyone is listening to each other, pushing each other, and serving the song.”
The album launch at the Barwon Club in Geelong will feature a 10-piece lineup, bringing the full sound of the record to the stage: horns, rhythm section, the works. Joining on the bill are Blues Roulette, Iseula, and Justin Yap, who Valach describes as friends he’s spent the better part of two decades making music with.
“Launching a record is a huge milestone for me, but it’s also about celebrating the scene and the people who support it.”
For Valach, Stroke of Luck represents something bigger than any single song or show.
“It’s proof that even when life throws something huge at you, it’s still possible to find your way forward.
“Sometimes setbacks don’t have to define the end of your story, sometimes they’re just the beginning of a new chapter.”
For more information, head here.
