Valley to Release Third Studio Album in August; Share Title Track
The title track “Water the Flowers, Pray For A Garden” was written in the same session as Valley’s viral hit, “Like 1999."
By: Josh Sharpe Jun. 07, 2024
Alternative-pop band Valley – comprised of Rob Laska (Lead Vocals, Guitar), Alex Dimauro (Bass) and Karah James (Vocals, Drums) – release the title track and announce their third full-length album Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden, arriving August 30 through Capitol Records/Universal Music Canada.
“’Water The Flowers, Pray For A Garden’ is a song about love and loss. It touches on the classic idea that nobody is going to make you happier than yourself, and sometimes we take ourselves too seriously to the point where we become unhappy,” Karah describes with optimism. “Everything feels like a bigger deal than it really is or ever should be. Sometimes the best thing we can do is just laugh at ourselves and let it go.” “Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden” follows “When You Know Someone,” which was released last month and debuted as Valley’s highest streamed songs in its first week of release.
“Water the Flowers, Pray For A Garden” was written in the same session as Valley’s viral hit, “Like 1999” which moved them to take a more pop leaning direction that they pursued with gusto on 2021’s Last Birthday and last year’s Lost in Translation. “We had these two paths that we previously didn’t know we had,” Karah reflects on the discovery of the old song, “this feels like us. It feels like a path that finally feels like Valley.”
The title track captures the spirit of the whole record and was the song that inspired working on a larger project. After reworking the song, its overall message sparked a cascade of some of the band’s most authentic songwriting that sprawls across every song. Water the Flowers, Pray For A Garden is a brave exploration of the full spectrum of emotions with an invitation to also surrender control and trust the process.
We wanted to make this album in a very condensed period of time so we didn’t overthink it.” Rob comments, “we went away for a month to the top of a mountain in rural Tennessee and built a studio in a cabin. We wrote and produced the entire album start to finish that month.” For the first time, Valley welcomed in an executive producer, COIN’s Chase Lawrence, who helped them to navigate their collective grief after the exit of their fourth band member. “Chase told us to really trust the process,” Rob says. “We’re learning a new language. We’re missing a limb.” The result is a reflection of the band’s raw and vulnerable healing, each of the twelve tracks representing a phase of feeling, round out an arc of a full experience.
“The songs just poured out of us,” Rob continues. “I think that's a true sign of when you're making something special. We weren't looking for things to write about. We knew exactly what we needed to write about. This is the first time I think we've ever witnessed as a band where everything's there, we just have to reach out and grab it.”
Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden Tracklist:
- Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden
- A Little More
- Growing (Apart)
- When You Know Someone
- Let It Rain
- Crawlspace
- Mosquito
- Bop Ba
- I Didn’t Even Ask For This
- Bass Player’s Brother
- Life Goes On Without Me
- Cocoon
In addition to the summer festival appearances and Canadian shows with friends, today Valley announce their Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden North American headlining tour spanning coast to coast in the US and Canada. The tour includes shows at iconic venues and some of the biggest rooms they’ve played to date, including Brooklyn Steel in New York, The Wiltern in Los Angeles, History in Toronto and more. See full list of dates and details below. Fans can get tickets at the band’s website HERE.
WATER THE FLOWERS, PRAY FOR A GARDEN US TOUR DATES
September 28 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer*
September 29 - Boston, MA - House of Blues*
October 1 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club*
October 2 -Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Steel*
October 4 - Asheville, NC - The Orange Peel*
October 5 - Atlanta, GA - Buckhead Theatre*
October 6 - Nashville, TN - Cannery Hall*
October 8 - Chicago, IL - The Vic Theatre*
October 9 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue*
October 11 - Boulder, CO - Boulder Theatre*
October 12 - Denver, CO - Gothic Theatre*
October 13 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Union Event Centre*
October 15 - Phoenix, AZ - The Van Buren*
October 15 - San Diego, CA - The Observatory North Park*
October 18 - Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern*
October 19 - Berkeley, CA - The UC Theatre*
October 21 - Portland, OR - Revolution Hall*
October 22- Seattle, WA - The Showbox*
*support from Mickey Darling and Charli Adams
Photo credit: Becca Hamel
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