The Valley Boys is a relatively new addition to Toronto’s roster of punk bands, but within the past four months alone, they have played shows at the Silver Dollar, The Rivoli, and the Grunge Pit. Bursting onto the scene with a tight, well-produced collection of songs and a west-coast sound reminiscent of The Adolescents, The Valley Boys’ music is appealing to garage, hardcore, and experimental fans alike.
“I try not to pigeon-hole myself into certain musical styles,” explains Matthew Hitch, The Valley Boys’ lead vocalist and principle songwriter: His approach seems to be working. The cassettes of The Valley Boys’ self-titled 10-song album are sold out, and the band’s 12” EP is forthcoming this week from German record label, Cut the Cord That…Records.
Despite the band’s small Internet presence — they use only a bandcamp page — The Valley Boys are quickly accumulating a fan base. “People used to find out about music through trading tapes and giving out fliers,” Hitch says. “It’s definitely handy [to use the Internet] but I don’t find it necessary to do what I want to do. Through word of mouth, trading tapes, and using bandcamp, we’re out there.”
Made up of former and current members of groups like School Jerks, Brutal Knights, Career Suicide, Hassler, and Chattering Class, The Valley Boys offers up an example of far-reaching punk explorations and numerous reformations. “The last band I was in before The Valley Boys was the School Jerks,” Matt reflects. “That was a straight hardcore punk band. I find that a lot of the bands that I liked in Toronto seemed to be mostly hardcore or garage. There didn’t seem to be much in between. I wanted to simply do a ‘punk’ band and be between genres. I just wanted to play regular punk music.
“My band before the School Jerks was kind of an ‘Oi’ band, so this is about as far as you can get from that.”
The music of The Valley Boys differs from other punk bands thanks to its wry lyrics, which range from scathing to irreverent. The album combines political observations with, according to Hitch, some “immaturity and goofiness.”
“I try not to be too political, but when you’re not writing about beer, partying, or love songs, it sort of narrows things down,” he says. “I don’t aim to be a political band; I want to have fun.”
Each song on The Valley Boys’ album is unique, but all of them feature a fast-paced barrage of raw vocals and frantic drums, made fuller by the hard-driving baseline and dual guitars. In spite of this unified sound, Valley Boys’ musical influences are wide ranging.
“I like the smart-ass attitude of the Gizmos but I also like bands like GBH and the Dead Kennedys who are a little more into having things to say,” Hitch explains. “I listen to soul and reggae, and I know we don’t sound like that, but I like to keep things more open.”
A Lafayette, Indiana native, Hitch lived in other punk-loving locales such as Chicago, Blooomington, and Lexington before moving to Toronto six years ago. As a former member of several other bands, settling into the music scene here came fairly easily to him. The overlap of music in the United States and Canada provided a solid foundation for the partnerships that would eventually lead to the development of The Valley Boys.
Currently, The Valley Boys have been touring in and around Toronto, playing in destinations such as Hamilton, Ottawa, and Montreal. As far as Toronto goes, the opportunity to play often and with a variety of groups is fairly consistent. And when it comes to Toronto’s selection of venues, the ideology of the band is “the more intimate, the better.”
“I only really go to bars to see bands anyway, and I’m not much of a bar person,” Hitch remarks. “I really like the intimacy of house shows. Siesta Nouveaux was a great place, and its shutting down was a great loss for the musical community. An inclusive environment where people of all ages can come to, without a stage not only makes for a better atmosphere, but a better sound. The closeness generates a better sound, which creates more energy. More people can get it into it. Everybody is in a better mood, everybody is more excited.”
When he’s not playing shows with his band, Hitch collects records, which in turn keeps his musical influences varied and provides inspiration for exploring different styles of expression. Punk music, though, works particularly well for The Valley Boys’ creative and experimental endeavours. “Punk bands all sound so different from each other,” Hitch explains. “Misfits, The Clash, Talking Heads, Devo — they all sound different. In my opinion, ‘punk’ is doing whatever you want to do.”
