Crate Digging is a recurring feature that takes a deep dive into music history to turn up several albums all music fans should know. In this edition, the members of Valley talk through some favorites that shaped their individual musical identities.
Valley’s new era has arrived, but for bandmates Mickey Brandolino, Rob Laska, Karah James, and Alex Dimauro, Lost in Translation is about the fight to stay in the present moment. The alt-pop act’s buoyant sophomore album sprawls across 15 tracks, a third of which were rolled out ahead of the full record over the past few months, and the final result feels like a series of journal entries or texts from a friend.
“At times, life can feel like you’re living in a fishbowl — watching it pass you by as one big blur,” says Brandolino. “Music always breaks us out…It’s the energy we use to keep going.”
“It’s been a maze to figure out what this all means, why we still do it, what’s been found and most importantly, what’s been lost along the way,” adds Laska.
With a string of international tour dates on the horizon (secure tickets here), the band won’t be slowing this momentum any time soon. But first, to mark the release of Lost in Translation, the quartet took a moment to chat through some of their favorite albums, unpacking the ways they’ve been shaped individually as artists along with how these records ultimately impacted their sound as a group. Read on for Valley’s favorite albums, from Ariana Grande’s thank u, next (which James alleges might be “the best pop record ever made”), to classics from The Beatles and Fleetwood Mac.
