Valley Return To Their Most Authentic Version: “People want the real you!”

The Canadian indie band Valley returns with their highly anticipated album Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden. This new era captures the delicate feeling of holding on to your inner child and resisting the inevitable loss of youth. Exploring themes of growing both together and apart, like vines intertwining in a magical garden. In a recent press conference hosted by °1824, the band reflected on returning to their original band dynamics, shedding expectations, and the hidden references and easter eggs woven throughout their music. 

Rediscovering Their Authentic Selves

Valley revealed how they’ve moved back to their most authentic selves during the creation of this album. In doing so, they returned to the carefree approach that marked their early days as a band. A time when making music wasn’t about overthinking but rather just creating. They realized they had forgotten that they needed to protect a sense of creative freedom and trusting their gut instinct. 

Valley approached the album without any expectations or rigid plans, an effort to tap into a place of comfort and authenticity. “Give it your all, and that’s enough,” was their philosophy. This was not a drastic change in their music but rather a return to their roots. Embracing the spontaneity that originally sparked their creativity again. 

A Bright, Hopeful Sound

Describing the sound of the album as the colour “yellow,” the band sees it as a representation of hope, brightness, and happiness. This positivity is reflected in the sonic choices they made throughout the record. The colour yellow also holds a metaphorical meaning in form of a traffic light. It represents the question of slowing down or pushing forward. The perfect way to describe the struggle of growing up while holding onto the past. Sonically, the band also took a more minimalistic approach with this album, stripping away layers that they felt weren’t necessary. 

Core Memories and Hidden Details

A standout memory from the making of the album involved the title track. It went through various iterations before it clicked on the last day of a writing retreat in the mountains. “We just said, ‘Fuck it,’ everyone grabbed an instrument, and it just worked,” they shared, a testament to the band’s intuitive approach and deep musical connection. Valley is also known for their intricate production style, often hiding small, meaningful details in their songs. Whether it’s obscure sounds or inside references that only long-time fans will catch, they’re obsessed with weaving these hidden gems into their music.

Q&A

Cocoon is a beautiful way to end the album with the message that everything will be alright. What is a life lesson that made you feel more alright again? 

There’s a quote that has been around which says: “When you let go, the universe rewards you in ways that are so unexpected.” And it’s that whole idea of when you are trying to catch a butterfly, you can never catch it. But when you are just sitting and enjoying life by being present a butterfly will land on your shoulder. So, that is really why we close the album with it. This idea that you are holding on too tightly to a thing that is meant to grow and change and go through metamorphosis to leave and enjoy the world. If you really hold on too much it’s just not gonna work. You have got to let life be life and when you least expect it you will see it in little fragments and moments throughout your day. We learned that if we let go of things and expectations you will be rewarded so much by just the tiniest things and you will enjoy things more and things will be less foggy. You get so exhausted by holding on so tightly and letting go is where nature takes its course and shows you what you would be missing out on otherwise. It really is a big blessing.  

Final Thoughts

Valley’s latest album, Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden, represents not just a musical project, but a deeper reflection on life, growth, and embracing the natural flow of change. They realized that: “People want the real you. You don’t have to sell or promote that—it’ll work when people believe you.” Through rediscovering their authentic selves, the band has stripped down their sound to its most essential elements while retaining the artistry their fans have come to love. 

As Valley closes the album with Cocoon, they leave us with a gentle reminder: sometimes the most profound beauty in life emerges when we loosen our grip on expectations. Like the butterfly that lands only when you stop chasing it, the band teaches us to trust the process, to let go, and to allow life to unfold naturally. Ultimately, Valley’s latest album represents a full-circle moment—a reflection on personal and artistic growth, a reconnection with their authentic selves, and a bold embrace of simplicity and joy. It’s an album that, much like its “yellow” hue, offers listeners a bright, hopeful space to reflect and feel.