Toronto indie pop band Valley are set to perform on the Sandbar Stage at Sommo Festival 2025 in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island on Saturday, September 13.
Lead vocalist Rob Laska took some time for a Q&A with SWOMP ahead of the show.
Laska discusses the East Coast performance, an upcoming tour with The Beaches, their latest album ‘Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden’ and what’s next for the band.
SWOMP: Valley has performed all across Canada and North America, and you’ll be performing on the Sandbar Stage at Sommo Festival 2025 on Sept. 13 in Cavendish, PEI. What are you looking forward to the most while visiting and playing on the East Coast? Have you played out there before?
RL: We’ve never played out here before. Our friends have and got us very excited. We know it’s beautiful and people are so thankful for music. We’ve been looking forward to this festival for quite some time.
SWOMP: For fans who may be experiencing Valley for the first time at Sommo, how would you describe yourselves as a band, in terms of your sound and feel?
RL: We really are just humans that found each other in a band. We love songwriting and how much songs change and evolve through a live show. If you love our albums, we really try to bring the energy and more dynamics to the live show. It’s all about entering a little world we’ve built with our fans through the years. No matter where in the world. I think Valley shows do feel really welcoming and revolve around the songs we’ve written together. It’s all about the the life we’ve lived and the people that have joined along the way.
SWOMP: I’ve read that Valley are the “ones talking excitedly about that classic band and some new artist in the same breath” – who are some of the classic bands that got you guys excited? And who are some new artists catching your eye?
RL: Love this question. We grew up on a lot of classic pop songwriting of the 70s and 80s. Fleetwood Mac arrangements, Beach Boys melodies, ELO orchestration (Jeff Lynne is a genius). In terms of new music, I’ve been loving the new Blood Orange album ‘Essex Honey’ (its perfect for a summer to fall transition), loving the new Dominic Fike album, new Sabrina Carpenter, new Olivia Dean!! music is in an amazing place right now culturally. Lots of honest music being made. Also shout out to our fave band The Beaches who dropped a really honest and vulnerable banger of an album.
SWOMP: Talk to us about your latest full length project, ‘Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden’, released in 2024, focused on an exploration of grief and resilience?
RL: Totally. I mean to be honest…we lost a band member and just had to reset. I think it awoke a lot of silent thoughts of where we were headed and what ‘nutrients’ the band needed to sustain for a lifetime or at least until we decide to stop. And we didn’t want to stop. But we needed to reset and really look inwards of why we we’re exhausted by this hollow chase for success. We just made a commitment to go away for a month to the top of a mountain and be really honest with ourselves and how we were feeling. The album ended being a diary entry about bandhood, grief and how to move on from the biggest changes of our entire lives. It felt like the most important turning point of our band. It was truly us giving up this chase for success we couldn’t even define for making music we believe in; and trusting that honesty and vulnerability is the only way.
SWOMP: We understand the album was born out of a three year old demo of the title track? And you guys wrote the album while isolated in a cabin? What was this experience like?
RL: It was wild. We we’re locked away for a month with barely any communication with friends or family back home. It really was a month long journey of processing. We also had the most fun. Accepting that we’re hurt but we need to make the most of this. Chase our co-producer really became such a safe space for us to be honest and just let it all out. The title track we wrote with Chase over zoom during the pandemic. I’ll never forget that day cause we predicted our own future without even knowing it. We knew we’d made something special. It was just missing humanity. The original demo felt over produced. We needed to strip it back and make it feel like a band playing in a room together…which is the final version you hear today. No fancy gear or techniques. Karah played the drums in the kitchen. But it’s real and human.
SWOMP: You released a new single on August 29, a live cover of MGMT’s ‘kids’, tell us about how this came together? How was this song chosen in particular?
RL: the honest answer is we were heading out on tour with AJR (biggest opener we’d ever done) playing in front of thousands of new humans every night. We felt like we needed a song in the set that could create a bridge for new people in the room. Kids was always a classic indie anthem to me. I remember bringing in that MGMT cd to gym class in grade 8 because our teacher encouraged us to bring in our own music. There’s something about that era of alternative music that feels so nostalgic for us. And it really suited Valley. We found a way to make it feel like a Valley song. Which is always so fun to reimagine as producers as well.
SWOMP: You’ve opened for a number of amazing acts in your career since 2016, who are some artists that you’ve met that have made the biggest impact? Any words of wisdom you’ve acquired that you can share with other up and coming bands?
RL: Great Q! we’ve definitely had a lot of great opportunities and mentors. We’re so lucky to be surrounded by so many talented friends in the city that we’ve all come up with together. Leaning on them has been such a privilege. I will say, Billy Joe was a big one for Alex (he’s the biggest green day fan in the world) I remember Alex handed him an old first ep we had out at the time and he was so supportive of us starting a band. I once met one of my heroes Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, who was such a sweet person. We chatted music we were into and talked about living in Toronto. I think just simply knowing that someone who’s music really changed my life was also a kind person was a big lesson for me to always approach people in this industry with kindness. Everyone got into this because they love music or at least did at one point in their life and are figuring it all out just like you. Chase our co-producer always tells us “you never run out of chances” and its really true. Just keep going. Rumours was Fleetwood Macs like 8th album or something?! Just keep going. Fuck what people say about age, timeline ect. FOLLOW YOUR OWN TIMELINE! your time will come I promise. Just don’t stop and wake up everyday with the gratitude for making music in the first place.
SWOMP: You’re set to open for The Beaches for an upcoming tour across Canada this fall? What can you say about your fellow Torontonians?
RL: the hardest working band in this country. don’t fight me on it! Honoured to share the stage with them.
SWOMP: You’ll also be playing as part of ‘All Things Go’ in Toronto in October, a nice hometown show at Budweiser Stage with an incredible lineup!
RL: insane. we honestly feel so lucky. Golden Hour is a top 5 album of all time for us so to even remotely be sharing a stage with Kacey is wild to us. Role Model!! Noah!! the list goes on. Just so lucky and how did we get here? also this an open petition to make Karah sally! if anyone can let Tucker know haha
SWOMP: After the tour with The Beaches, what’s next for you guys? Is there any more new music in the works? Full slate of festivals and shows in 2026?
RL: We’ve been writing a lot. To be honest, our album just turned 1 years old. We don’t feel a lot of pressure to follow up just yet. We have to process and live a life that amplifies an album. We want to make sure we’re giving you the most honest and real snap shot of our lives. That sometimes takes time and some living. But one thing i can say is…we will not stop playing shows. Festivals for sure and trying to go back to Europe, Australia, Asia and the U.S! Canada well see ya this fall with The Beaches <3 thanks everyone!! see ya soon 🙂
Here are SWOMP’s photos from their Sommo 2025 set:
For more details about Valley, and for all ticket details for their upcoming shows, visit https://www.thisisvalley.com/.