- Introvert Blues The Valery Trails 2:06
Andrew Bower (vocals/guitars), an expatriate Australian then living in Houston, enlisted his brother Sean Bower (bass) and Dan McNaulty (drums) in his hometown of Brisbane, Australia to form The Valery Trails in 2011. With the assistance of the internet and some intercontinental travel, the trio developed a set of songs started in Andrew’s home studio into The Valery Trails’ debut album Ghosts and Gravity, released in February 2012.
“If you’re looking to make your road movie about wide-open spaces and foolish choices coming back to haunt you, [Ghosts and Gravity] just might be your soundtrack.” – David Maine, PopMatters
In July 2013, after some online exchanges of tracks and ideas, The Valery Trails reconvened in Brisbane to record their second album, this time with the luxury of a full week in the studio together. The album was mixed in Brooklyn with Bryce Goggin (Pavement, Sebadoh, Spacehog).
“This sophomore album hits it out of the ballpark with its firm grasp of neatly chugging rock that bristles with a wealth of tasty hooks and sparkling harmony…This is the type of music that lifts one’s spirits in the most direct and immediate way possible: There’s a straight-on honest sincerity at work that’s impossible not to be moved by.” – Joe Wawrzyniak, Jersey Beat
For album number three, the band reverted to the technologically-enabled collaborative approach of the first album with recording sessions in Brisbane and Houston coming together to create a collection of songs that explores the different elements of The Valery Trails’ sound, from the power-pop hooks of “OK” through the layered guitars of “Cordless” and “Fall Around”, with excursions into Americana (“Doesn’t Have to Live There”) and the title track “Chameleon Bones” delving further into left field.
“These guys aren’t trying to reinvent the wheel; they’re trying to do something even harder. They’re showing us what can happen when you mix a concrete respect for certain musical lineages with a brazen disregard for modern convention.” – Joshua Pickard, Nooga.com
Tracks from the three albums have received airplay and charted on US and Canadian specialty and college radio, as well as community radio in the US, Australia and Europe. Internet radio has been particularly supportive, with lengthy periods of rotation play.
Songs by The Valery Trails have appeared on PBS’ “Roadtrip Nation” and MTV’s “Teen Mom 2”, as well as being featured in online videos for the Dew Tour extreme sport online videos.
With band members formerly separated by the Pacific Ocean, live shows by the Valery Trails have been understandably rare (and celebratory) events. In 2015 the band made their live debut via a mini tour in Brisbane, Australia and in 2018 The Valery Trails made their U.S. debut with shows in Texas (Houston and Austin).
In 2020 Andrew moved back to Brisbane following an extended period of travel that was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The band are now figuring out how to function in a more conventional manner where all the members live in the same city.
With multiple releases scheduled for 2022, including a long-delayed fourth album, the Valery Trails continue to work at their own pace, building a body of work on their own terms.
SOURCE: Official Bio
LINKS:
http://www.thevalerytrails.com
https://www.facebook.com/thevalerytrails
https://twitter.com/thevalerytrails
https://thevalerytrails.bandcamp.com
