The Valery Trails began in 2011 as a trans-Pacific project with members in Houston, Texas, and Brisbane, Australia, and are now all based in Brisbane. The Valery Trails are entering their 2nd decade, creating melodic indie-based guitar rock, with their 5th album, Winter Palace, scheduled for release in September.
On their new single, “First Kiss,” The Valery Trails transport you to a less stressful time in your life via art-rock melodies and fuzzy textures. The tune captures nostalgia, but not for the sake of aesthetics, as this is a far cry from an attempt to recreate the music of their youth. Rather than leaning on rock icons for sonic inspiration, they use them to evoke fond memories attached to these artists. The band takes these visions of aimless summers and youthful crushes. It delivers them via palpable guitar tones and infectious vocal melodies that combine to give “First Kiss” that jovial swing that is making your feet move. With a new album set for release before the end of 2025, “First Kiss” hints at a freewheeling, immersive LP from a veteran band unafraid of bringing nostalgia to modern times.
“‘First Kiss’ looks back fondly at the obsessions which define our youth. Instrumentally, it leans towards the ‘fun’ side of alternative/indie rock, another reminder of carefree youth when your favorite band/person/team was the most important thing in life,” explains the band when asked about their new single.
