Galvo Announces Debut LP 'The HeARTist' & Shares 'Getting Better' Single

Dublin-based singer-songwriter Galvo announced his debut album The HeARTist, set for release on September 26.

Recorded at Porchlight Studios, the album is recorded and mixed by Niall Woods and mastered by 9-time Grammy winner Dave Collins (The Police, Soundgarden, Weezer). Across the 14-track, self-produced project, Galvo touches on themes of love, loss, and hope against the storms of life.

Pre-Order The HeARTist LP Here.

Alongside the news, Galvo also shared the album’s lead single + video, “Getting Better,” co-produced by Hugh Rodgers. Inviting audiences into his sonic world, the track showcases Galvo’s delicate and heartfelt vocals as they soar over an array of rousing acoustic guitar and captivating percussion, while lyrics explore self-improvement.

Paired with a striking video that portrays Galvo waking up one morning with tiny hands that struggle to complete even the simplest of tasks, he seeks out change, but ends up finding himself with monstrously giant hands the following morning before finally coming to terms with discovering solace in self-acceptance. Galvo says, 

“I had an image of a man with very small hands, having difficulty trying to do everything in life,” Galvo says. “Despite this, he was still trying to better himself – I guess it symbolized how I felt being in Ireland; always on the outside. Despite the limits put on me, I still tried to get better, to make my art despite almost being blacklisted for speaking out about industry corruption. I guess you have to sometimes go against yourself to find yourself. But all we are trying to do is to get better, so trying to get better is the mantra.”

Galvo grew up in the Ballymun flats in Ireland during the 1980s before moving to Swords, Dublin in his teens. During this period, he went through some challenging times, and on a few occasions during his early 20s, became homeless and was living out of his car. Throughout these times, Galvo channeled his negative experiences and intense feelings into songwriting.

A self-taught guitarist, Galvo has played in several bands before forming the alternative rock band September Sun, who released the album Low Engine Angel in 2006. After touring across Ireland, the band went their separate ways, and Galvo spent the next few years living in Spain. It was here he rediscovered his love of acoustic guitar and explored a gentler songwriting style, and even started playing the right-handed guitar upside down.

Galvo returned to Ireland and formed the band A Dark Horse with film composer Hugh Rodgers and drummer and engineer Niall Woods. They released their self-titled debut EP in 2012 to critical acclaim, receiving glowing reviews internationally from The Sunday Times to Seattle Weekly, and Nialler9 to Les Inrockuptibles.

The band subsequently went on a hiatus for a few years and came back together in 2017 to start writing again. In 2018, Galvo released his debut single “The Weight” (Hot Press Track of The Day). In 2020, Galvo started working on his debut album, The HeARTist, recorded with his A Dark Horse bandmates, and is finally ready to share his new music with the world.

Photo Credit: Donal McCann

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