Valley On Letting Go, Growing Up, And Writing An Album In The Woods

After nearly a decade together, Canadian indie-pop band Valley are entering a new chapter — or rather a “rebirth,” defined by emotional honesty, creative evolution, and a deeper understanding of who they are both as musicians and as people.

At the heart of this transformation comes their most personal album to date: Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden. Written during a month-long retreat in a remote Tennessee cabin, the record captures Valley at their most vulnerable — reflecting on grief, friendship, healing, and change. It’s a project born from stillness and self-reflection, where every song serves as a snapshot of a specific moment in time.

Now, as Valley return to Asia — including a long-awaited stop in Manila — they bring this new chapter to life on stage. With a setlist anchored by the new record and intimate experiences, the band invites fans into their world more openly than ever before.

Ahead of their Manila show, Billboard Philippines caught up with Karah James to talk about the making of the new record, how the band’s dynamic has evolved, and what this chapter means for Valley.

Welcome back to Asia! Your tour sees cities you’ve been to before and some cities that you’ve never visited yet. What are you most looking forward to, both on and off stage?

Karah James: We love exploring what cuisine each country has to offer, it’s so cool for us to be able to get authentic versions of dishes we like. We really enjoy walking around the cities and taking it all in that way. We are also looking forward to meeting more fans, because that’s the whole reason we get to be there! 

In terms of your fans’ experiences, how does this tour compare to the last one?

This tour will be mainly focusing on the new album, Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden, with songs from previous albums mixed in. We will also be doing a VIP experience with the fans, and playing some new unreleased music for fans at our soundcheck experience. 

How would you describe this era of Valley?

This era of Valley is a rebirth and rediscovery of ourselves. We have been a band for almost 10 years and we are constantly rediscovering relationships with each other as bandmates and friends. We’ve gone through a lot of chapters in our life including losing a bandmate, family members passing away, and relationship breakups. We feel that we have entered a more mature sound and at the same time have gone back to our roots from when we first started the band as teenagers. 

As you embark on this new chapter together, how has the band’s dynamic and chemistry been like?

When we first started the band we did everything together in and outside of the band, and it was because we were still learning each other and nurturing friendships that would last a long time. As the years have gone on, and we are on the road all the time and constantly together we have gotten closer in the departments that matter but farther away from each other in the areas that are important to have a sense of individuality. Getting here was a challenge at first but in the last year we feel that we have really honed in on our dynamic in the healthiest way. 

Marking this new chapter is your album, Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden. What was it like working on the album? How has your songwriting and production process evolved since Lost In Translation, and how did it influence the sound and direction of Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden?

Working on this album was different from any album we had ever done. First of all, it was our first time working with Chase Lawrence; we have been friends for a while and have admired him for years, so it was about time we worked together. Secondly, we rented a cabin in the back country of Tennessee for a month and set up a studio there. We agreed to make the album at that time and whatever songs we wrote were what the album consist of. In previous years we have written maybe 60 songs and then chosen 12 to 15 to put on the album. We wanted this album to reflect a very specific time in our lives and felt that was the best way to do that. 

Were there any songs that were particularly difficult to finish or get right? What was that process like?

“Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden” was a tricky song to figure out because it was the only song that was written before we went to record the album. We had written that chorus three years prior in a very different season of our band. It’s ironic because it was the song that started the album concept but also the oldest one we had. We like to think it was always in us, just waiting for the right time to water it.

The original demo had an electronic dance flair to it, and then the versions after that sounded like an Oasis song or Smashmouth song. We felt like we had tried enough versions out that we should just land on something, and then on the last day of our recording trip Chase stood up and said, “I think we needed to re-do the song, but you guys are going to play it live off the floor.” We spent the whole last day recording and although it was hard to get right, we’re really happy with the way it turned out. 

The album was produced by Chase Lawrence of COIN. How did this collaboration shape the sound and direction of the album?

He’s sitting beside me actually as I answer this question so I have no choice but to speak highly of him in case he looks over. But honestly, he is an incredible person first and foremost, and equally an incredible creator secondly. He has opened our eyes up so much to music, songwriting, and most importantly life lessons. We have been so lucky to work closely with him and call him a friend. He has a very unique approach to making music, and I’ve honestly never seen the guy eat or pee… he’s an anomaly. 

You often collaborate with other artists. How does co-writing and collaboration influence the band’s own music? What have you learned from other artists’ creative energy?

Collaborating with other artists is something we really value. We really connect on the “why” of making music with other people that have to put their personal vulnerability into their art. It feels like a safer space when we work with other people in the same position as us. We learn the most from our artist friends. When I think of the biggest breakthroughs we’ve had as a band, it’s always prompted by inspiration from our peers. 

Looking back on your first releases compared to this album, what do you think has changed the most about you as musicians and as people?

We’ve just grown up a lot. We met when we were 19 years old and have grown throughout our twesties together through so many stages of life. Our music should ideally be reflecting our lives as we move through it, and I think it has in terms of production decisions, lyrical content, and genre. 

Lastly, beyond the tour, what else can we expect from Valley this year?

We hope to release some music before the end of this year, we are working in the studio again with Chase currently and continuing to build on the seeds of Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden. 

Listen to Valley’s Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden here.