Skout Release "Move," Powerful New Song and Video about Mental Health, Age and Ambition
Above: single artwork for “Move”
SKOUT
—MONIKER OF SINGER-SONGWRITER, GUITARIST LAURA VALK—
RELEASE “MOVE”
THE POWERFUL NEW SONG AND MUSIC VIDEO FOCUS ON ART, AGE, CREATIVE AMBITION, AND MENTAL HEALTH
ANNOUNCE NEW FIVE-SONG EP
PATTERNS
OUT SEPTEMBER 25
NASHVILLE, TN (July 31, 2020) — Skout has released “Move,” their powerful new song about mental health and pushing though moments of doubt when feeling stuck. Along with the song is its companion music video that is strikingly choreographed and underlines the song’s concept using spoken word elements.
“reminiscent of an introspective Fiona Apple with its jagged percussions and melodic guitar.”
Skout—the musical moniker of Brooklyn-based singer, songwriter, and guitarist Laura Valk—has also announced her forthcoming EP, Patterns, will be released on September 25. The five-song collection delivers a message of thriving during times of uncertainty. “In a way, Patterns represents all the different forms that the voice in your head can take, ranging from crippling self-doubt to flashes of optimism and opportunity,” says Valk. “I hope people can hear that something really beautiful can come from every corner of our identities if we let it.”
Above: cover art for ‘Patterns’
Known for percussive, melodic guitar work and introspective songwriting, Skout’s lyrics wrestle with the messy truths and “what nows?” that linger once the dust of adolescence starts to settle. Often writing and performing alongside her best friend and longtime collaborator Connor Gladney, Skout has created a sound that floats somewhere between indie, folk, and pop.
Patterns was produced by Quinn Redmond and Julian Dente and recorded over several months in both Nashville and New York City. The EP is the result of two years of writing, touring, and intensifying highs and lows, culminating in two particularly difficult struggles for Skout: while Valk grappled with her mental health, Gladney was diagnosed with a debilitating chronic health condition.
While an evolving soundscape defines her sound, it’s the repetitive, cyclical thoughts common with anxiety and depression that ultimately led Patterns to its namesake. In writing the EP, Valk confronted one of her darkest patterns: the swirling self-doubt that seemed to dominate a post-coming-of-age reality.
In navigating this musical and personal uncertainty, Skout found confidence, healing, and a remarkable new stride. In 2019, Adam Duritz of Counting Crows tapped Skout to play at his Underwater Sunshine Festival in NYC after seeing Valk and Gladney play live, remarking, “they just blew my mind…they are both incredible guitar players.” Later that year, Skout joined platinum-selling soul-pop powerhouse Eric Hutchinson on his sold-out City Winery tour. Proudly independent, Skout’s first major release, Just Words, landed on both Spotify’s USA and Canada Viral 50 charts, and her music has since been featured by MTV, NBC, Popmatters, and Music Connection.
Track listing for Patterns:
“Move”
“Don’t Fail Me Now”
“Ghost”
“Hi Banks”
“Dumb Little Life”
Above: Skout; L-R Connor Gladney and Laura Valk