Legendary South African blues-rock, roots, and Americana guitarist and singer-songwriter Steve Louw releases his new double album, Between Time, on Friday, September 6th. Available as a 2-CD digipack, double vinyl, and digitally, the album can be purchased from https://orcd.co/SteveLouwBetweenTime.
To coincide with today’s release of Between Time, Louw has unveiled the fourth single from the album, "Cruel Hand of Fate," featuring Joe Bonamassa. You can watch the official music video for "Cruel Hand of Fate" on YouTube HERE.
“Before highways and cars, people traveled by foot, horse, and later by train, if you could afford it or manage to hop aboard,” Louw reflects on the new single. “Trains have always had a mysterious quality, their rhythm coming from a distance and fading into the future. As a kid, I would place coins on the tracks and feel the warm, flattened metal in my hand as the train clattered away.”
Louw continues, “The song is about a traveling musician who feels his time is running out. He needs to catch one last ride to see his love. The rhythm of the song mirrors the train tracks and nods to the journey we all take in life.” Joe Bonamassa contributes a beautifully crafted country-style solo that complements the mysterious tone of "Cruel Hand of Fate." Using a Fender Telecaster B-Bender guitar, Bonamassa creates a pedal steel-like effect, adding a perfect counterpoint to the song’s brooding slide guitar.
Between Time marks another milestone in Louw’s decades-spanning career, which began in the 1990s when he partnered with South African record producer Kevin Shirley while fronting the band Big Sky. This collaboration propelled him to acclaim in his native South Africa. After a decade of silence, Louw roared back onto the scene in 2021 with his solo album Headlight Dreams, which Shirley encouraged him to record. With a stellar band, including keyboardist Kevin McKendree (John Hiatt), drummer Greg Morrow (Billy Gibbons), bassist Alison Prestwood (Buddy Miller), and guitarists Rob McNelley (Hank Williams Jr.) and Doug Lancio (Bob Dylan), Headlight Dreams garnered rave reviews and earned Louw his third South African Music Award nomination.
His follow-up, Thunder and Rain, solidified his return with a rich blend of muscular folk and insistent rock, a sound he has honed over his career. Now, with Between Time, Louw explores moments that transcend the boundaries of time, with songs that merge the past, present, and future, all while employing imagery that feels both timeless and immediate. Recorded live with the same band, the album exudes a transcendent quality, blending craft and inspiration into something mystical.
Three standout tracks were recorded back-to-back on the same day: the heartfelt "Killers," with the line, "Killers with numbers, not names, came killing across the plains," flows into the driving "Giants Walk The Land" (co-written with Midnight Oil’s Jim Moginie), and culminates in the hopeful "Time to Get On," which proclaims, "As we face the sun, it’s time to get on."
The chemistry between Louw and his band is palpable throughout Between Time. Their connection shines on the low-down shuffle of "Do Me Good" and the country honk of "Alibi." They swing hard on "Get Real Gone" and build tension on "Flowers on The Graves of Doves," a ringing and roiling track that evokes the mystery of early R.E.M. You feel the band as much as you hear them, particularly on "Highway to the Sun," the eight-minute finale to this 20-song collection.
Louw is as much a part of the band as he is its leader, his steady, propulsive guitar playing providing the connective tissue alongside his unguarded vocals. Guitarist Jim Moginie’s eclectic sound and creative force enhance the natural power of "Giants Walk The Land," while Hammond maestro Lachy Doley evokes a comforting warmth on "Streets of Rain."
Between Time is filled with compassion and heart, a defining album for an artist who has consistently delivered great music over several decades.
Track Listing
CD1
Alibi (4:07)
We Had It All (3:37)
Beggar Tonight (4:40)
Giant’s Walk The Land (4:45)
Killers (4:40)
StreetJanes Dream#3 (5:24)
Do Me Good (4:06)
Flowers From The Graves Of Doves (4:07)
Don’t Leave A Heart Alone (3:22)
Time To Get On (5:38)
CD2
Get Real Gone (3:33)
The Way Your Heart Beats (2:05)
Take Me For A Ride (3:56)
Streets Of Rain (4:07)
Cruel Hand of Fate (5:19)
Free To Fly (2:10)
You ‘n Me Tonight (3:08)
Cold Cold Rails (3:45)
