High Valley Hopes Listeners Find Comfort and Community On New EP

This new EP is so good!

High Valley Hopes Listeners Find Comfort and Community On New EP
High Valley; Photo credit: Jess Williams

High Valley released their new EP, Grew Up On That, on Friday, May 22nd. The project features six songs, and each track reflects personally on who Brad and Curtis Rempel are at the heart. The EP begins with the title track, a nostalgia-filled ode to how the brothers grew up in their small community outside La Crête, Alberta. The song paints pictures of letterman jackets, King James Bibles, and a teenager’s dream car, with each piece coming from a personal place.

“It’s a completely accurate representation of the way that we did grow up and its authenticity,” says Curtis. “‘Ricky Skaggs on vinyl, King James on the Bible,’ — lines like that just summarize the way that we grew up in our small town and on the farm.”

Another thing that is profoundly important to High Valley is their family, and that is shown in the EP’s second track, “Your Mama.” Co-written by Ben West, Josh Miller, Troy Verges, and Florida Georgia Line’s Tyler Hubbard, the song finds the duo talking to their children about a very important person — their children’s mother.

“Brad and I both take our roles as fathers super serious and it was just special to record this song for our kids and let them know how much their moms mean to us, and how they’re the real rock stars,” says Curtis.

The third track, “River’s Still Running,” brings a lighthearted notion to the project, as the duo sings about enjoying the simple things in life. Then there’s “Northern Star,” a song about how love is the ultimate compass, which was written after a helicopter trip over the Rocky Mountains in Calgary, Canada.

They sing about their roles as fathers in “One Day You’ll Get It,” mentioning all the lessons they hope their children learn to hold onto. The project then closes with “Show Me The Way,” an upbeat love song inspired by the likes of Hank Williams Sr. and The Carter Family and co-written by Brad, Daniel Tashian and fellow Alberta native Tenille Townes (who goes by her real name, Tenille Nadkrynechny, in the credits).

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What's your fav song on the new record and why?

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As a whole, Grew Up On That showcases who the men of High Valley are and what’s important to them, but ultimately, the duo hopes that those who listen can find a sense of comfort and community while relating the songs to their lives.

“Honestly, it’s not really about if they learn about us or not; it’s more I hope they learn to apply these songs to their own lives,” says Brad. “It’s trying to be positive, trying to see the glass half full, so whether they learn about us or not, I don’t really care, but hopefully they learn to be encouraged and hopefully it helps bring families together. That’s always been our mantra.”