Portland, Oregon’s Hearts of Oak return with their fifth full-length, an ambitious double album entitled Valley of Dark Hills, to be released on October 4th via Deer Lodge Records. A sixteen-track journey through Crazy Horse-inspired burners and Jerry Jeff Walker-infused barroom rippers, this sprawling, 100-minute opus marks a significant evolution from their last release, 2018’s Moves, embracing a rich tapestry of sound that spans from raucous rockers to contemplative ballads, earning them tags such as “shoegazer Americana” and “a singer-songwriter with a druggy, psychedelic backing band.”
At the core of Valley of Dark Hills is the memory of bassist Aron Christensen, whose tragic and untimely death in August 2022 casts a long shadow over the album. Christensen was found dead on the Walupt Lake hiking trail in Washington State, alongside his four-month-old puppy, Buzzo, under circumstances that have been the subject of intense scrutiny and controversy, with both allegedly dying from a single gunshot. Initial investigations were marred by errors and a botched Sheriff’s examination, with emerging evidence suggesting Christensen may have been murdered.
Nate Wallace reflects on the creation of Valley of Dark Hills with a mix of nostalgia and introspection. “I didn’t want the press for this record to be all about Aron’s death, but no matter how you slice it, it is the crux of this double LP. We had started recording on a reel-to-reel at our weekly practices. We were laying new songs down live and planned to flush them out later, having no idea how much later that would be.”
Comprised of Nate Wallace on acoustic guitar and lead vocals, Aron Christensen on bass, J. Leaver on drums, Ezra Meredith on guitar, and Barry Walker Jr. on pedal steel, Valley of Dark Hills was recorded by Meredith at Deer Lodge, though the whole process was unconventional, marked by interruptions as COVID-19 disrupted regular sessions. “Barry Walker Jr. was the first to step away, which is why he appears on only five of the tracks,” Wallace explains. “Though one is a sixteen-minute instrumental opus (‘Infinite Horizon’) that has Aron playing synth.”
Valley of Dark Hills stands as a testament to Hearts of Oak’s resilience and creativity in the face of profound personal loss. It offers a powerful tribute to their fallen bandmate while pushing the boundaries of their sound. The album invites listeners to embark on a journey through their unique blend of Americana, psychedelia, and rock, encapsulating the essence of their musical evolution and the enduring legacy of Aron Christensen.
Today Glide is excited to offer an exclusive premiere of the video for the standout track “A River Why,” a gritty and dreamy work of alt-country brimming with guitar interplay. The lyrics are observational and ponderous, with Wallace embracing almost spoken word-style vocals while the band lays down a loose and jammy soundtrack that flows like a river. Describing it was “maybe if the Rolling Stones had ever backed up Bob Dylan,” the band even injects the song with a thoughtful saxophone solo that drifts over the guitar in heady fashion to really set the mood. It’s been quite a few years since we’ve received a proper album from Hearts of Oak, but if this song is any indication, it will be well worth the wait.
Nate Wallace’s describes the inspiration behind the tune:
“I was sitting on cabin porch in Rhododendron, OR. It was raining but I was under a little overhang. You could hear the ZigZag river. I was messing with these chords and sang ‘there’s a soft drum to the rain,’ then ‘a river why you can’t explain.’ I know A RIVER WHY is a book about fly fishing but I hadn’t read it. The rest of the song came pretty quick with the ruminations on life in each verse. Something for everyone I hope. Once Ezra added some swinging guitar to it the song took on a 1970s vibe. I was imagining the busy streets of New York in that same era, which inspired the video.”
WATCH:
