Italian-born, Philadelphia-based singer/songwriter Valentina Sounds will release her second studio album, What Keeps Me Alive, on May 16, 2026. The 11-song LP was written across five years and “captures the experience of navigating uncertainty while redefining personal identity.”
The record intentionally presents two “contrasting sonic worlds”: full-band Pop/Rock arrangements produced by Ron DiSilvestro, alongside piano-and-voice recordings produced by Matt Muir. To celebrate the album’s release, Valentina and her band will preview the new songs at The Queen in Wilmington on April 17 and headline The Fallser Club on May 16.
Valentina explains:
Life is a chaotic and complex amalgamation of good and bad. You stay afloat by holding onto the positives as life preservers. This music is what kept me going through some of the darkest moments of my life and I want to share it with others who might be going through a similar experience.
The stripped-down tracks on the album were written during the Covid-19 pandemic, with only piano and voice available. Recorded under strict pandemic conditions at Retro City Studio in Philadelphia and produced by Matt Muir, the first set of sessions “reflects the fragile reality of the time.”
Life also took another dramatic turn in June 2021 when Valentina suffered severe burn injuries in an accident at home, resulting in a 20-day ICU stay, multiple surgeries, and long-term physical rehabilitation affecting her shoulder mobility and hand sensitivity. Music became “both refuge and recovery.”
Determined to return to performance, she continued physical therapy while rehearsing with her trio, bassist/vocalist Molly Hebert-Wilson and percussionist/vocalist Sara Mingle.
Valentina Sound’s new album “invites listeners to find their own answer to the question at its center: What keeps you alive?”
Valentina Sounds Live:
Album Preview Concert with Cait9001
April 17, 2026
The Crown at The Queen – 500 N. Market Street – Wilmington, DE 19801
Doors: 7 PM ET
Tickets: $18.60
Album Release Celebration with Kate Mills
May 16, 2026
The Fallser Club – 3721 Midvale Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19129
8:00 PM ET
Tickets: $20 ADV; $25 DOS
