Valley Taylor shares new LP ‘Doppelgänger’

Based in the Bay Area, Valley Taylor is a musician and producer who’s built a body of work based in reflection, favouring atmosphere and texture over overt gestures or direct impact. Valley Taylor’s vision is all about creating environments, places where sound, mood and subtle shifts are just as important as melodies or lyrics. The music that forms sits in the overlap between indie, ambient pop and experimental lo-fi stylings, where fragments of sound, tonal imperfections and repetition build something truly immersive.

The project first surfaced in 2021 with the debut EP A Spy in the House of God, marking the start of a steady output. Since then, two further EPs and a trio of full-length records have expanded that world, offering music that feels profoundly personal while never fully giving itself away. Alongside these recordings, Valley Taylor has also composed for film and television, further exploring the relationship between sound and story, while maintaining a DIY ethos that carries through everything from recording to performance.

In a live setting, that ethos translates into an adaptable presence and with a rotating cast of musicians, the project moves between different scales from larger venues like Ace of Spades, playing alongside acts such as Underoath, to more intimate environments like house shows and backyard performances. These shifts aren’t treated as compromises but as opportunities, allowing the music to take on different forms depending on the space it occupies. In each setting, the focus remains the same, creating an experience that feels engaging, even when the sound itself reaches for distance.

Bringing us their latest release, their third album titled Doppelgänger offers the project’s most emphatic statement thus far. The record is an exploration of split identity, self-reflection and the context of multiple internal selves, ultimately embracing uncertainty as a central theme. That sense of fragmentation extends into the way the album was made; recorded primarily in a home studio, with additional contributions captured remotely and across a range of informal, unconventional spaces, the process mirrors the ideas at the heart of the record.

Starting the release with soft instrumental tones and strummed acoustic guitar on opening track “End of the World,” Valley Taylor’s smooth voice glides above to cast delicate melodies as the steady patter of downtempo percussion adds a lilting rhythmic sway. Flowing with dreamy aesthetic and warm bass notes, it’s a charming outing that’s mesmeric and wholly absorbing from start to finish. “Anyway” jumps straight into a more upbeat scene with the rustle of lively drums and plucks of jangly guitar tones forming a catchy indie rock focused jam.

“Haunt You” rolls with intricate key notes and fluttering guitars as shuffling drum work instils an invigorating energy as soothing vocals drift above to cast a delightful listening experience brimming with memorable melodies and emotive lyricism. The crisp punch of grooving percussion, woozy guitar notes and flickering synth elements form an inviting soundscape on “Laika” which brings moving vocals and sticky hooks to serve up an outing that balances energy and atmosphere.

Other highlights on the record include tracks like “Twinning” with its subtly jittery rhythms and hazy instrumental textures capped by laid back vocals, showcasing penchant for pop-focused writing. “Everyone Wants To Go To Heaven But Me” slows things down with soft piano notes and gentle guitar tones as drifting vocals hover above with mellow melodies before the hurried taps of muted percussion injects a slick forward motion.

“Spring” pairs snapping beats with airy guitar notes and tender vocals, offering an engaging groove cut with alluring melodic writing while “Shellback” glides with a contrast between delicate passages and moments of rhythmic switch ups. Closing the LP with “Lightyear,” the fuzzy rattle of drums and spacey guitar tones are met by Valley Taylor’s restrained vocal performance to deliver an epic indie finale, closing the artist’s superb new album in spectacular fashion.

Listen to Doppelgänger below