Dublin-based artist Galvo releases his debut album, The HeARTist, on 26th September, a date that just happens to be his own birthday, and a month ahead of that is his new single ‘Maybe’ out now.
‘Maybe’ demonstrates that the spirit of indie folk is alive and strong in 2023. This slow, acoustic single finds its power in its intricate layering of guitars and Galvo’s harmonising vocals. While the song is in parts retrospective, ‘Maybe’ should still resonate with anyone who’s ever felt strongly for another.
‘Maybe’ is available across all platforms now and you can also the video for it right here at RAMzine.
The HeARTist is a 14-track indie-folk project, and said to have a richness and depth to its storytelling “that comes as no mistake”. Very much the result of the miraculous, and at times unbelievable life, led by the artist behind – Between a working-class Irish upbringing that saw his family flee violence, through running a Pakistani Hip Hop label in London, Galvo has his own voice, and some would say has earned it the hard way.
Fans may also recognise Galvo from his other music project, the band A Dark Horse (Hugh Rodgers and Niall Woods) who also lent their musical talent to the record.
The HeARTist will also be a full visual album with an accompanying music video for each track. This began with the album’s first single ‘Getting Better‘ that garnered over 11.3k views in under two weeks on YouTube and follows on from Galvo’s experience as a screenwriter/actor/director most notably in his role as a Knight of the Vale on HBO’s smash hit television show Game Of Thrones.
‘Getting Better’ encapsulates the spirit of the album both tonally and spiritually. Galvo’s soft and emotive vocals harmonise over a warm bed of acoustic guitar that swells with rousing and dynamic percussion. The single carries an optimistic message of self-improvement inspiring its listeners, all over a moving sonic sound bed.
The accompanying music video shows Galvo as a man cursed with tiny hands that struggles with even the simplest tasks until he makes a deal with a shaman who grants him monstrously huge hands. The video doesn’t shy away from its funnier moments but also tells a powerful message of the dangers of pursuing the extremes in life and learning to find comfort in who you are.
‘Getting Better’ is available now on all platforms and you can also check out the video for it here at RAMzine.
Regarding other tracks on the forthcoming album, rousing opener ‘Weight’ brings piano to the equation and concerns Galvo’s journey to reclaim himself amidst of a dysfunctional family upbringing. The song is framed against the backdrop of him and his brother trying to save their dogs from storm Ophelia’s 160mph winds from the chains that their stepfather had put them in.
Towards the album’s end, ‘The Hammer’ looks at saying goodbye to old partners – specifically Galvo’s ex who is getting married. The artist examines the way in which these battles strip back layers of ourselves, to hopefully reveal a calmer version of ourselves, a version better equipped to deal with life’s hardships.
The HeARTist will be available on all platforms as of 26th September.
