Valley Share 'Don't You Forget About Me?' Video and Announce New Album
(IC) JUNO nominated alternative-pop band Valley officially enter a new era with the announcement of their fourth studio album, Do You Need To Be Entertained? (Universal Music Canada/Capitol Records), arriving January 15, alongside their new single and music video, "Don't You Forget About Me?", out today.
The announcement follows the release of "Vending Machine" and "Someday," which introduced fans to Valley's new musical direction. "Vending Machine" marked a major milestone for the band, becoming their first-ever #1 at Canadian Alternative Radio, while "Someday" continued to build on the sound and themes of what was to come.
Now, "Don't You Forget About Me?" takes that story a step further. Written in collaboration with Chase Lawrence (previously from COIN), the song explores the complicated feeling of letting someone go while still holding onto what a relationship meant.
"It's a song about loving someone enough to realize that letting them go is the right thing to do," the band shares. "It's the feeling of realization, the parachute moment (the release, the free fall) in your life. All while holding onto the hope that what you shared meant something and that, even after you've moved on, you at times think about landing back in their arms."
The song sets the tone for Do You Need To Be Entertained?, an album that looks at connection, distraction and the search for something real in an increasingly fragmented world.
"Attention is fragmented, emotions are interrupted, and silence is something we've learned to avoid. But it doesn't stand outside that reality. It participates in it. These songs are distractions, just like everything else," the band explains. "They're something to click on, something to feel for a moment, something to get stuck in your head."
The album asks a simple question: Do You Need To Be Entertained? For Valley, the answer is more complicated.
"The question is not just Do You Need To Be Entertained? It's what are you hoping to find when you are and what happens when it's over?"
More than two years in the making, the album captures an important period of growth for Valley, both as a band and as individuals. For the first time, they entered the studio with a focus on following their instincts and leaning into the first idea that felt right. They experimented with recording live off the floor, running music through tape and leaving room for mistakes and imperfections.
The result is a collection of songs shaped by heartbreak, grief, fear, love and care, while exploring the desire and curiosity at the heart of the album's central question.
"This album is an exploration of our emotions together as a band, as individual humans," Valley says. "It's an album with heartbreak, grief, fear, love, care but most importantly the desire, questioning and curiosity of needing to be entertained woven throughout it."
Valley will bring this new chapter of music to life with a newly announced World Tour, visiting cities across the U.S. and Canada, as well as the UK and Europe. North American stops include Toronto, Chicago, New York, Vancouver, Los Angeles and Nashville, with European dates including London, Paris, Berlin and Amsterdam.
VALLEY TOUR DATES
Feb 4 - Grizzly Fuzz @ Quebec City, QC
Feb 5 - Le Studio TD @ Montreal, QC
Feb 6 - The Bronson @ Ottawa, ON
Feb 9 - Maxwell's @ Waterloo, ON
Feb 10 - London Music Hall @ London, ON
Feb 12 - Park West @ Chicago, IL
Feb 13 - Fine Line @ Minneapolis, MN
Feb 16 - Park Theatre @ Winnipeg, MB
Feb 18 - Casino Regina @ Regina, SK
Feb 19 - Midway Music Hall @ Edmonton, AB
Feb 20 - The Palace Theatre @ Calgary, AB
Feb 23 - Capital Ballroom @ Victoria, BC
Feb 24 - Commodore Ballroom @ Vancouver, BC
Feb 26 - Neptune Theatre @ Seattle, WA
Feb 27 - Wonder Ballroom @ Portland, OR
Mar 1 - The Independent @ San Francisco, CA
Mar 2 - The Bellwether @ Los Angeles, CA
Mar 3 - Crescent Ballroom @ Phoenix, AZ
Mar 5 - The Complex, The Grand @ Salt Lake City, UT
Mar 6 - Bluebird Theatre @ Denver, CO
Mar 9 - Delmar Hall @ St. Louis, MO
Mar 10 - Brooklyn Bowl Nashville @ Nashville, TV
Mar 12 - The Masquerade, Hell Stage @ Atlanta, GA
Mar 13 - The Underground @ Charlotte, NC
Mar 14 - 9:30 Club @ Washington, DC
Mar 16 - Brooklyn Bowl Philadelphia @ Philadelphia, PA
Mar 17 - Webster Hall @ New York, NY
Mar 18 - Paradise Rock Club @ Boston, MA
Mar 20 - Massey Hall @ Toronto, ON
May 2 - Paris, France @ Nouveau Casino
May 4 - Cologne, Germany @ CBE
May 5 - Berlin, Germany @ Säälchen
May 6 - Hamburg, Germany @ Turmzimmer
May 8 - Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Melkweg Oude Zaal
May 10 - Bristol, UK @ Thekla
May 11 - Birmingham, UK @ O2 Institute 2
May 12 - Manchester, UK @ Club Academy
May 14 - London, UK @ O2 Forum Kentish Town
May 16 - Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club
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