Sky Olson & The Valley bring collaborative energy to Logan City Limits

When Sky Olson first started playing music, it didn’t feel like something he chose. 

“My parents are both musicians,” Olson said. “My dad’s a music professor at USU [Utah State University], and my mom is a piano teacher, so music was sort of something that definitely didn’t feel like my own.” 

That changed when he first picked up a guitar. 

“I was able to kind of put my own stamp on it,” Olson said. 

Now, Olson fronts Sky Olson & The Valley, one of five local acts set to perform at Logan City Limits on April 11 at the Carol and Jim Laub Plaza. The event, hosted by Aggie Radio 92.3 KBLU-LP, highlights Logan-based artists and the city’s evolving music scene. 

Olson began writing songs about five years ago and quickly found early success, winning a weekly round of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest. Most recently, his song “Sandcastles” earned the contest’s grand prize. 

“That gave me kind of the motivation to keep doing it,” Olson said. “I definitely would have never expected to be doing this.” 

While Olson’s music started as a solo effort, the current lineup of The Valley formed through connections within Logan’s music community. 

Guitarist Chris Williams said he first met Olson as a student at Utah State University. 

“I was moving into my dorm and checking out my guitar locker on campus, and he was rehearsing in one of the rooms with this little trio,” Williams said. 

At the time, Williams was playing in a band called Garden Drive alongside drummer Adam Torrie and keyboardist Izak Kropf. When their lead singer moved away, the group began looking for a new direction. 

“It kind of all fell together,” Williams said. 

Olson, already familiar with their work, invited them to join. 

“I was just a huge fan,” Olson said. “These guys are talented and cool and nice. Like, ‘Yeah, come hang out. Let’s do it.’” 

Although Olson writes the band’s music, he said the live performances are intentionally more collaborative. Rather than simply recreating recorded songs, the group builds on them together. 

“It starts with my own songs,” Olson said. “But people get to sort of take the ideas of the initial song and kind of put their own spin on them.” 

That approach allows each member to contribute creatively, often through improvisation and extended solos. For Williams, that shared freedom is what defines the band’s dynamic. 

“It’s so fun,” Williams said. “Everyone’s just so chill. Everyone just wants to play good music.” 

He added that Olson encourages the band to interpret the songs freely. 

“He kind of just told us, like, ‘Do your thing,’” Williams said. “We were able to kind of morph it all into our own thing.” 

That collaborative energy extends beyond the band and into the crowd, leading to unexpected moments. 

“We’ve had everything from mosh pits to one time, there was a show where people were jumping off the stage, and we were like, ‘What is happening?’” Williams said. 

For Olson, those moments are what make live music meaningful. 

“That’s when it becomes more than just one person’s song,” Olson said. 

That connection is especially strong in Logan, where both Olson and Williams said the community consistently supports local music. 

“People want to go see live music, no matter where it’s happening,” Olson said. “People show up.” 

Williams, who is originally from Davis County, said Logan has become a second home during his time at Utah State. 

“I always love playing in Logan,” Williams said. “It definitely feels like home.” 

The band released a live album last year and is preparing for a busy summer of performances across Utah and surrounding areas, with new music also in the works. 

“We’re locked in for a lot of gigs,” Olson said. “There’s going to be so many opportunities to come see us.” 

For now, both musicians say they are focused on the upcoming show and the opportunity to be part of a larger community effort. 

“It only works because of so many moving parts,” Williams said. 

As Logan City Limits returns, Sky Olson & The Valley will take the stage not just as performers but as a part of the local scene that supports collaboration, trust and live music.