Sometimes, all it takes for me to pay attention to a song is its title.

So, perhaps it’s my current mindset or the general approach to life in our fast-paced 21st century. But when I opened The Valery Trails’ press release, I didn’t hesitate to press play on the song they were pitching. 

And I can assure you that its nostalgic yet catchy vibe perfectly matches the sad but true claim that it boldly makes.

PART 233 OF “AM I EVER GONNA SEE YOUR FACE AGAIN?” A RANDOM COLLECTION OF UNKNOWINGLY OBVIOUS FACTS ABOUT THE AUSTRALIAN MUSIC SCENE

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The first time I heard about The Valery Trails was in 2022 when I co-hosted the Cultural Popcorn show on Radio 614 from Columbus, OH.

They’d just released their fourth album, The Sky Is Blue, so I jumped on the bandwagon well into their indie rock music journey. But it spoke to me enough to include one of the songs from that record, “Maybe”, in one of the programme’s episodes called “Music From the Vault”.

Coincidentally, the band’s origin story is also US-related. 

Everything started in 2011. Andrew Bower (vocals/guitars/keys), an Aussie then living in Houston, TX, enlisted his brother Sean Bower (bass) and Dan McNaulty (drums) in his hometown of Brisbane to form the band. With the assistance of the internet and some intercontinental travel, the trio developed a set of songs in Andrew’s home studio. They eventually became the band’s debut record, Ghosts & Gravity.

I find long-distance relationships tricky in every aspect of life you can think of. So The Valery Trails have my utmost respect for releasing the Feline E.P. (2012), and two more albums, Buffalo Speedway (2014) and Chameleon Bones (2016), being (literally) an ocean apart.

By that point, the band’s melodic and atmospheric indie rock was receiving college and specialty airplay in the US. Critical acclaim from outlets such as PopMatters, The Big Takeover and many more around the globe followed. And that’s when Andrew decided it was time for homecoming.

He moved back to Brisbane in 2020, and The Valery Trails began their transformation to operating more conventionally. The result was the record I’d mentioned earlier. It was also the time when long-time collaborator, guitarist Tim Steward (Screamfeeder), took a more active role in the band. Additionally, Skye Staniford (We All Want To) provided additional vocals, as she has since the second album. 

Like their previous records, The Sky Is Blue charted on US college and specialty radio, maintaining The Valery Trails’ profile on that side of the Pacific. At the same time, being in one place in Australia made it easier for the band to reach wider audiences in their home country. Radio airplay in several Australian cities, as well as an East Coast tour, significantly increased the group’s profile locally, too.

Heading into their second decade, The Valery Trails continue to strive towards their goal of building a body of work on their own terms. So the extended line-up reconvened in 2024 to work on a set of songs that would become the next album. And the first taste from it is the reason you’re reading about the Brisbane outfit today.

Musically, “Everything is Temporary” leaps out of the gate on the back of Dan McNulty’s urgent drumming and widescreen, fuzz-laden guitars. As Andrew and Skye’s voices ring warm and true, they are simultaneously draped in reminiscing about youth. No wonder hearing the song made me feel pretty melancholic and introspective.

Two lines particularly struck a chord with me. They reminded me that, as you get older, you start noticing that:

Everything is temporary when you’re young.

But then, despite all the accumulated (good and bad) life experiences, you also realise that

If I knew then what I know now, I’d probably still mess it up somehow.

Sounds familiar? It does to me. ONE. HUNDRED. PERCENT.

Andrew weighed in on that nostalgic tone in the lyrics, too. According to him, the track “mines the typical intro/retrospective preoccupations of the indie rocker of a certain age, while acknowledging the fundamental pointlessness of such musings.” Again – I couldn’t have said it better.

The song’s strongest point, in my opinion, are the simple lead guitar parts. Interestingly, Andrew revealed that they survived from his home-recorded demo.

“They were laid down as placeholders, assuming some ‘real’ lead parts would be added later,” he shared. But, as the rest of the track matured around them, there was something about their raw simplicity and spontaneity that demanded their continued inclusion. So, they stayed as they were conceived at the beginning and “no real thought (was) given to replacing them” anymore.

Those uncomplicated guitar parts in “Everything is Temporary” are a great example of the band’s eclectic approach, with straight-up rock and roll sprinkled among the band’s trademark powerpop crunch and jangle. 

In fact, Winter Palace is all about that vibe, being a sonic continuation of its predecessor. On their 5th album, the band continue to explore diverse styles and aesthetics, with songs maneuvering between both synth-pop stylings and horn-driven retro flavours.

That attention-catching indie pop/rock amalgamate is also evident on the second single from the new album, “First Kiss”, which dropped mid-July. There is another song, “Universe”, coming in the third week of August, and I can already assure you it’s another sonic fusion.

Finally, Winter Palace releases on Bandcamp on August 29, followed by the streaming services premiere on September 12. So you might want to mark your calendars on those dates.

While I was browsing through The Valery Trails’ channels, I also spied with my little eye that the album’s vinyl version will be released via another Brisbane institution, Suitcase Records. Judging by my interview with Kathy Wilson from the vinyl pressing plant, it’ll surely be a beautiful, unique and environmentally friendly work of art. And another reason to give it your full attention.

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That’s not the end of the announcements, though.

If you happen to be in Brisbane on August 31, stop by the PFR Lounge. The Valery Trails will be officially launching the new record then. Fingers crossed, the band will also play some shows in other places on the East Coast later this year. 

But for now, check out that nostalgic tune that got my attention. And see if you agree that everything, indeed, is temporary. 

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