Valley
Watering the Seeds of Sound
By Emma Fox
Since forming in 2016, Toronto-based alternative/pop trio Valley has made quite the
splash in the music scene, accruing over one billion streams globally. With the release of
their latest album, Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden falling just days ago on
August 30, we were lucky enough to have the chance to sit down and chat with Valley in
a recent press conference.
The release of Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden marked a significant moment for the trio, as Valley began a new era with what could be considered their most intimate and raw record to date. Comprised of Rob Laska (vocals), Alex Dimauro (bass), and Karah James (drums), we dove into their approach with the new album, their upcoming tour, and more.
There are many ways in which Valley’s incredible new album could be described, but one of the most fitting is that it takes listeners on an emotional rollercoaster. This album covers a wide range of emotions, from joy and sadness to discomfort and pain. Themes of growth, renewal, grief, and resilience are prevalent from start to finish, with pockets of relatability tucked into every note, and every lyric.
This record was quite a personal one for Valley, as drummer Karah James stated, “A lot of the themes were that pivot point of being a kid, to realizing you’re not a kid anymore. We don’t feel like adults, so it’s us trying to figure out why we’re continuing to live in this gray zone. Also resisting losing our youth and losing that spirit but having to deal with very adult problems. I think that was where it first stemmed from, is ‘How do we not lose this inner child spirit?’ We all just connected over that.”
Growth is one of the most dominant themes throughout Water the Flowers, Pray for
a Garden. It reflects upon a collective period of growth that each member of Valley went through – together, and as individuals.
“We were all going through a similar period of growth, navigating that together. It’s about growing. Are you growing apart with people from your past, or are you continuing to have those same relationships that you had?” Karah stated.
Along with growth comes reflection and resilience, something Valley has done a lot of as a band.
“Looking back as friends and bandmates from the last 10 years of knowing each other and looking at this beautiful thing that we’ve been building. It hasn’t always been the smoothest, but we’re really proud of our friendship, and we’re really proud of our band. Looking at that as being a big garden, that’s where it all stemmed from,” Karah continued.
When asked how the band has changed since their creation in 2016, vocalist Rob Laska stated, “I don’t know if it’s really changed as much as it’s circled back and matured. We’ve just matured and honed in on what parts feel authentic, what parts of us feel the most honest, what parts of us feel the most unfiltered. I really believe it's more so a return to the way we made music when we started, which was very much ‘You just make, you don’t think.’”
One idea that really stuck with them throughout the process of creating this album, was the idea of ‘Stop expecting things from the music. Just give it your all, and that’s enough. The universe kind of rewards you for that in really fun and unexpected ways.’”
Bassist Alex Dimauro likened the album to the color yellow, saying, “The way that I see. yellow is hopeful, bright, and happy. It represents sun, and growth, all of the things that really summarize this record.”
Laska agreed, furthering this point even more with, “On a literal level, yellow is this color that poses the idea of hesitation. It’s like when you’re about to run a yellow you just go for it just to get through the light. There’s something about yellow being this hesitation and uncertainty but you just push through.”
Heartache is another predominant theme that is seen throughout the album, surfacing repeatedly throughout the tracks.
When asked about its presence on the record and the emotional thought process behind the album, Rob Laska said, “This record is the first time that I can remember as a band, and as friends, that we had to process something together. We’ve been there for each other for a lot of things in life, and we’ve been there for each other for the last 10 years in numerous ways.
“But this is the first time where we had to hold this hurt together and this grief together, and also be happy and proud for our friend – and for all these things happening in our lives. It was really difficult and leaning into that we learned a lot about ourselves that we didn’t know. We established a deeper understanding of what it feels for us to hold each other in that space and to really process life changing in front of us. This is the one constant we can tend to and protect.”
Valley will be embarking on a two-month tour beginning in Philadelphia on September
28th, where they can’t wait to bring these tracks to life. Be sure to stream Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden and get out to see a show on tour!
Copyright ©2024 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved. Posted: September 10, 2024.
Photos by Emma Fox © 2024. All rights reserved.
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