NYCS First Impression: High Valley ‘Grew Up On That’ EP

The Canadian brothers behind the mega-hits “Make You Mine” and “She’s With Me” have long been one of country music’s most underappreciated duos. Rather than pander to contemporary trends, High Valley, composed of Brad and Curtis Rempel, have always strayed a bit from the mainstream, staying true to their harmonic, blue-grass tinged roots. Today, they released the Grew Up On That EP, a follow up to 2016’s Dear Life, that shows them continuing to do exactly that.

The six-track collection opens with the title track celebrating the ways the duo was raised and grew up. “We have spent a lot of time in the past couple of years explaining what we grew up without, having spent our childhoods living in a pretty remote area,” Brad said in a statement. “This time around we wanted to let people know more of our story and exactly what we did have – what made us who we are – and what we grew up on.”

That theme continues throughout the tracks of the EP, as “Your Mama” takes us through an ode of appreciation to the pair’s wives, while “River’s Still Running” continues to look at life through the lens of small town glasses. On “River,” the pair muse how the song accidentally applies to the current circumstances of the world. “When we wrote this song, we had no idea about the predicament we’d be in right now,” said Brad in a statement. “But it’s pretty true that if you can look outside and see the sun still shining, see the river still running… then you know it’s going to be ok. We just have to focus on little pieces of positivity every single day.”

While the entire EP is a solid offering of new music, “Northern Star” is a certain standout, perfect for first dances and proclamations of new love. Think the likes of Russell Dickerson’s “Yours” or Dan + Shay’s “From the Ground Up” here. “I’ve always prayed for a porch light/To keep me from losin’ my way in the dark,” They sing. “I finally found it in your eyes/ My northern star.”

One of the best things about High Valley is that they have always managed to stay true to their roots, sound, and upbringing, and nowhere is that more apparent than on the Grew Up On That EP. The collection combines their signature harmonies and bluegrass background with songs that still manage to maintain modernity and mainstream appeal.

Grew Up On That EP Track Listing:
1. Grew Up On That (Brad Rempel, Ben Stennis, Jaron Boyer)
2. Your Mama (Ben West, Tyler Hubbard, Josh Miller, Troy Verges)
3. River’s Still Running (Brad Rempel, Randy Montana, Corey Crowder)
4. Northern Star (Brad Rempel, Matt Rogers, Ben Stennis)
5. One Day You’ll Get It (Brad Rempel, Derrick Southerland, Ben West)
6. Show Me The Way (feat. Jillian Edwards) (Brad Rempel, Daniel Tashian, Tenille Nadkrynechny)

To keep up with High Valley, visit their official website or follow him on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Grew Up On That – EP is now available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released music here on our “New Country Music” playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.

 

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