Justin Rutledge’s fifth studio album, Valleyheart, was released in February 2013. The quiet songwriter returns to his roots with a stately collection of spacious songs featuring Rutledge’s trademark poetic lyrics. "I wanted to write songs the way I look at old photographs," the singer says. "Valleyheart is, at the core, an album about translating memory." It has been almost three years since Justin Rutledge has released an album—the longest stretch between albums for the 33 year-old songwriter who was born and raised in The Junction, an old railway neighbourhood in the west end of Toronto. During this time, he recorded an album with Early Winters, his band in Los Angeles, and also became involved in the world of theatre. Rutledge has worked with such pivotal directors as Daniel Brooks and Morris Panych, and collaborated with Michael Ondaatje on adapting his novel Divisadero for the stage. Valleyheart was recorded in Toronto with Rutledge’s veteran backing band, featuring his best friend Bazil Donovan (Blue Rodeo) on bass. Rutledge has twice been nominated for a JUNO Award, and twice been long listed for the prestigious Polaris Music Prize.