The Sky Is Blue is The Valery Trails’ most ambitious album to date, with the band working without a deadline and taking the time to produce each song to its logical conclusion without strictly adhering to a rigid sonic framework. Help was enlisted from Brisbane friends Tim Steward (Screamfeeder, We All Want To – guitars and vocals) and Skye Staniford (We All Want To – vocals) as well as online collaborations with a horn section in Atlanta, Georgia (Terminus Horns) and strings by Swedish musician Filip Magnusson.

The album was mixed in North Carolina by Scott Solter, who has recorded and mixed an eclectic array of artists including The Mountain Goats, Superchunk, St Vincent and his own avant garde / ambient projects such as Boxharp and The Balustrade Ensemble. Scott was the perfect choice to bring together the diverse elements and different ideas explored in this set of songs, honoring each song’s direction while bringing them all together as an album.

The maturity and poise of Andrew Bower’s songwriting provides the canvas for the band to layer sparkling guitars, fuzz-laden riffs, cascading melodies and a weighty and fluent rhythm section. There’s a muscularity to the music but one that’s equally tempered by sensitivity and, at various times, a dreamy sway or a surge of electricity.

The strength of the album lies in the way the band imbue the songs with their various international influences, seamlessly blending and embedding them in the songs. There’s the sound of Brisbane in the 70s and 80s, the textural shoegaze side of UK indie in the 90s, the literate jangle and fuzz of some of the New Zealand Flying Nun bands, the rhythm and drive of Melbourne’s Underground Lovers and the nuanced guitar sounds of US college rock.

The difficult third album ...

"Reminiscent in many ways of the late ’80’s sound of Fender Jazzmasters and some fuzz (think a toned-down My Bloody Valentine or a poppier Dinosaur Jr.), it’s a crisp gathering of songs that have melody and throttle ... A good collection of songs that fit together and flow seamlessly – which is always the winning mark of an album. When a band can think the process out and deliver a work that’s coherent, you know they’ve done their jobs in total. The Valery Trails have done just that." - Popdose

The Valery Trails are: Andrew Bower - Guitars, Vocals Sean Bower – Bass, Guitar, Vocals Dan McNaulty – Drums, Percussion, Vocals

Additional musicians: Morgan Hann – Keyboards, Vocals Skye Staniford – Vocals

Produced by The Valery Trails Additional Production on 5, 9 by Tim Steward

Recorded by: Darek Mudge at The Shed (Brisbane, Australia) Paul Cox at 226 Recording (Houston, TX) Additional Recording by Andrew Bower at Home (Houston, TX, and Brisbane, Australia)

1, 2, 4, 7, 8 Mixed by Darek Mudge at The Shed 5, 9 Mixed by Bryce Goggin at Trout Recording (Brooklyn, NY)

Mastered by Bryce Moorhead (Brisbane, Australia)

Design by Jason McElweenie Artwork by Lachlan Bower

1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9 written by Andrew Bower 7 written by Sean Bower & Andrew Bower

Copyright 2016 Buffalo Speedway Publishing - ASCAP

Our second album, release date April 29, 2014

"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 ... A lovely little gem." - Joe Wawrzyniak, Jersey Beat

Andrew Bower - Guitars, Vocals

Sean Bower - Bass

Dan McNaulty - Drums, Percussion

Additional Musicians:

Darek Mudge - Guitar, Drum Programming

Morgan Hann - Keyboards

Skye Staniford - Vocals, Percussion

Tim Steward - Bass, Vocals

Heide Leighty - Vocals

Produced by Tim Steward and The Valery Trails

Recorded by Darek Mudge at The Shed (Brisbane, Australia)

Additional Recording by Andrew Bower at Home (Houston, TX)

Mixed by Bryce Goggin at Trout Recording (Brooklyn, NY)

Mastered by Joe Lambert at Joe Lambert Mastering (Brooklyn, NY)

Artwork by Jason McElweenie

All songs written by Andrew Bower, except Black and White - Sean Bower & Andrew Bower

Our debut album.

"Marvelously moody and melancholy, this album broods it up with often beautiful and captivating results. ... An intoxicating cocktail of sheer aural pleasure." - Joe Wawrzyniak - Jersey Beat

Andrew Bower - Guitars, Vocals

Sean Bower - Bass

Dan McNaulty - Drums

Additional Vocals - Chenoa Farrell

Recorded by:

Andrew Bower - at Home (Houston, TX)

Darek Mudge - at The Shed (Brisbane, Australia)

Paul Cox - at 226 Recordings (Houston, TX)

Mixed and Mastered by Dale Cotton at Audioworkshop (Dunedin, NZ)

Artwork by David Barrett

All songs written by Andrew Bower