Featured in the official game trailer for "The Last of Us Pt. 2" which was originally released in 2016, this re-imagining adds a weight to the dark ballad that celebrates the finally arrived release of the game.
It’s insane to think about what this song has become for so many people. When I wrote it, I wasn’t thinking about the potential reach or popularity whatsoever. I was expressing myself and the frustration I felt towards people who put themselves on a pedestal while looking down on others. It was written from a place of anger, resentment & bitterness towards my experiences with those kinds of people. It inspired me to write “Through the Valley” around 2012.
Essentially it’s about a character I created who has been wronged so many times that he sets off to live life on his own in solitude. The song goes through his perspectives and insights of his belief system/psyche and the way he continues to survive. I guess in a way it might have been a symbol for another path I could have taken in life if I had let that resentment & bitterness fester inside of me.
Instead, I found a way to release it through music while also telling a story that would hopefully impact others in a similar meaningful way...To be honest, the song was never that popular back in the day but it didn’t really bother me. I did what I had to do and put it out there which helped me let go of all those negative feelings.
Fast forward to the end of 2016 when Naughty Dog, Inc announced their new trailer for "The Last of Us Pt. 2" and overnight, one of my saddest, darkest songs immediately became my most popular song. I can't describe the feelings of having that happen. I still can’t believe it. Thank you all so much for the continued love and support over the years. I hope you enjoy the new, updated version of one of my favorite songs I ever wrote.