Valley’s Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden: A heartfelt exploration filled with growth and resilience
As they close one chapter and begin another, Valley’s latest album delivers their most personal work yet.
Executive Produced by: COIN’s Chase Lawrence
Valley, the JUNO Award-nominated alternative-pop trio, has just released their latest studio album, Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden, via Capitol Records/Universal Music Canada. This new record marks a significant moment for the band as they navigate the challenges of a decade-long career, offering a deeply personal and introspective collection of songs.
Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden was born from a period of intense reflection and growth for the band. Last fall, Valley found themselves at a crossroads, grappling with the typical growing pains that long-established bands face after years on the road. While touring with Dermot Kennedy, they rediscovered a forgotten demo of the album’s title track, a song originally written during the same sessions as their 2021 viral hit ‘Like 1999.’ This discovery inspired them to reconnect with their roots, blending their pop sensibilities with indie and folk influences, and ultimately led to the creation of this album.
The title track, ‘Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden,’ embodies the band’s journey through love, loss, and finding hope in the midst of adversity. The song had been tucked away for years while Valley pursued a more pop-driven sound on their previous records, Last Birthday and Lost in Translation. Now, this track serves as a reminder of who they truly are—a band that thrives in the space between indie, folk, and pop, with lyrics that reflect the depth of their experiences.
Karah James, Valley’s drummer, reflects on the impact of rediscovering the song: “We really had these two paths that we previously didn’t know we had… It feels like us. It feels like a path that finally feels like Valley.”
The album was crafted in a secluded cabin in the Smoky Mountains under the guidance of COIN’s Chase Lawrence. During this time, the band processed their heartbreak and envisioned their future following the departure of founding guitarist Mickey Brandolino. The result is a record that captures the raw emotion and newfound resilience of the trio. Lead singer Rob Laska shares, “The songs just poured out of us… This is the first time I think we’ve ever witnessed as a band where everything’s there, we just have to reach and grab it.”
Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden is a victory and highlights Valley’s resilience and growth, both as musicians and as individuals. As they continue to evolve and find their true path, this record stands as a powerful statement of who they are and who they’ve always been destined to be.
Standout Songs: ‘Water the Flowers Pray for the Garden,’ ‘When You Know Someone,’ ‘Crawlspace,’ and ‘Bass Player’s Brother’
Release Date: August 30
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