Q&A: A Group Grounded in Inspiration and Creation, Valley Talks Tour, their new EP & More
ONE OF THOSE BANDS YOU FIND YOURSELF LISTENING TO FOR HOURS — Valley may make you ask yourself, “Another indie-pop group?” But when you dive into their discography, you’ll find yourself sucked into a world of colorful instrumentation and highly-relatable lyrics. Their vulnerable songs are just what their fans needed this past year as the group has gained a lot of traction following their EP release sucks to see you doing better, which came out last fall. While live shows are making their way back, the Toronto-based group is preparing for their big support tour for the band COIN.
On October 1, the band will be releasing their 7-track EP Last Birthday via Capitol Records and we’re excited to say the least. With much to reflect on and exciting shows on the horizon, Karah, Mickey, Alex, and Rob share about their music and some insightful stories about their chemistry as a band.
LUNA: With your latest single, “Oh shit… are we in love?”, was there a moment or a precise feeling you were trying to capture with the song?
ROB: To give a bit of background, this song was written in the same period we wrote “Tempo.” We had gotten a cabin during the pandemic to write with friends over Zoom, and one night the guy we were working with started this drum groove and I got this walking-down-the-street type of vibe. It kind of reminded me of the beginning of a sitcom. Then it dawned on us that — for this song in particular — we wanted something more upbeat, because the last thing people need right now is a sad song. We wanted a kind of love anthem, and we’ve never really done a love song before. It all came very naturally and we liked how it opened up with a story kind of similar to how we like opening up sucks to see you doing better.
Lyrically, we wanted to talk about the “Oh shit” moment you have in life. This can come with any type of life relationship, like with a friend or even a dog, but it’s when you have the sudden realization of love being a mutual feeling. It’s such a powerful song live and I think people love to just sing along to something chill and hopeful.
LUNA: What’s the story of how you guys all met?
MICKEY: Karah and I went to high school together while Rob and Alex also went to high school together, but we were two separate projects. When graduation came around, both our duos felt like we were going through a transitional phase. By coincidence, we were double booked for a studio session one day and during the session we walked in on each other and started chatting and playing our music for each other. I think we both liked each other’s vibes.
ROB: Mike hated me.
MICKEY: No, I hated the moustache.
ALEX: I don’t think any of us liked the moustache.
MICKEY: Anyway, we just started hanging out and basically haven’t stopped hanging out to this day. Our band’s like one long hang out (laughs).
LUNA: That kind of leads into my next question, because from my perception, songwriting seems like such a vulnerable space. How did you know that you were each others’ band members and that you wanted to continue to create together?
KARAH: I literally remember the exact moment! We were in my basement and we had Rob over and he was tuning his guitar to open tuning and because Mike and I are noobs, we didn't know what he was doing. Then he started playing along to what Mike and I were already working on and the guitar just sounded so beautiful. At that moment Mike and I just looked at each other and without another word we were just like, “Be in our band!”
LUNA: Besides fulfilling roles as the drummer, guitarist, lead singer, and bassist, what roles do you think each of you play as part of the group that meshes so well together?
KARAH: I feel like I have a good analogy. Sometimes all of us play the role of either a kite or the kite holder. Each of us takes our turn of going off into our own creative world and not thinking about logistics, and as a result, I feel like there’s someone in the band that will keep them grounded and reel them back in. We all swap around depending on the situation.
MICKEY: To put it in the context of a tour, though, I feel like Alex is the dad. Karah is the mom because she holds us together.
KARAH: Ew, I kind of hate that.
MICKEY: Okay, maybe the cool aunt.
ROB: Mike is the cool uncle who can pack the van like Tetris. I’m just a child … I’m the, “Where’s Rob?”
LUNA: What’s one of your favorite memories as a band?
ROB: Oh, there’s one really good one. I went on a little scooter ride last night that reminded me of this because I rode past the house that we stayed at back in 2019. It was where we wrote our upcoming EP Last Birthday, and it’s just a place full of fond memories. I remember us going a thousand miles an hour writing every day and writing our favorite song to this date (which is coming out next year). We just drank wine, ate cookies, co-wrote with amazing artists, AND got to go to Disney.
MICKEY: Also, in a non-masochistic way, the night our van got broken into is a memory I kind of cherish in a weird way. I think it’s because it showed how strong our bond was with each other when times got tough. We had a show the next day; our sound engineers mixing files got stolen and passports got stolen. All hell broke loose, but regardless of the disaster, we just assigned roles and worked together all night to go through the security footage and get windows replaced and, yeah. It was a confirmation that even though shit happens, we’ll still be there for each other.
KARAH: On the other hand, my favorite memory was going to Disneyland (laughs).
LUNA: Since you guys are going on tour with COIN, is there anything you’re specifically looking forward to or any lesson you aspire to take away from the experience?
ROB: COIN shows are just so much fun and their fans are amazing. COIN fans are basically an extension of the band and we’re excited to break through the wall and invite them over to our side during our 30 minute sets each night. Also, each of the COIN band members are just crazy cool so it’ll be a fun dynamic to support them.
MICKEY: Also, we love to watch the shows after playing our set because it gives us a chance to learn and take in the minute details that make each show so sick. Every tour we get to go on is inspiration because each artist is so unique.
LUNA: Kind of a random question, but it’s fun to hear: What’s your guys’ favorite scents and would you ever write a song that represents that scent?
ROB: A less interesting answer, for me, would be cookies, but a cooler answer would be anything like sandalwood or [something] orange-scented.
MICKEY: I love the smell of rain.
KARAH: It would be hard to write a song about that, but I’m here for it.
MICKEY: I also love the smell of sourdough cooking, because my dad would bake it for me all the time.
ALEX: I love the smell of hydraulics when you walk onto a Disney ride, which is so niche, but it’s a smell maybe once a year; it’s always a fond memory trigger.
LUNA: Last, more serious question: What can we expect from you guys in the upcoming months?
MICKEY: Last Birthday EP, COIN tour, a couple surprises coming in 2022, and then maybe a headline tour.
ROB: And writing lots of music!
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