Steve Louw will release his new album Traces of the Flood on 15 May 2026.
The ten-track record marks his fourth solo release in five years and continues a long-running collaboration with producer Kevin Shirley. The first single, “Time To Move,” arrives on 27 February 2026, with an official music video accompanying the release.
Recorded at the old RCA studio in Nashville, the album was built around live performance energy. Louw arrived with 18 songs in development. Ten were selected and shaped during the sessions.
Louw retained the core group of musicians who have worked with him across recent albums, including Headlight Dreams, Thunder & Rain and Between Time. For this record, he brought in guitarists Bob Britt and Doug Lancio after seeing them perform together in Memphis. Their presence adds texture and depth across the album.
“Time To Move” began with a simple riff. Louw was unsure whether it was ready, but once the band began playing, the groove fell into place. The song became one of the final pieces recorded during the sessions.
“Echo Dream” was cut with three acoustic guitars before electric parts were layered. “CBGB Xmas” was captured in a single take with limited studio time remaining, preserving the looseness of the performance.
The title track has roots that go back to 2019, written alongside material from Headlight Dreams. Its timing, Louw says, only became clear during these sessions.
Traces of the Flood reflects a band working together in the room, rather than building tracks piece by piece. The focus remains on feel, dynamics and space.
A long road to Nashville
Louw’s career spans more than four decades. Born in The Hague and raised in South Africa, he formed his first band in the late 1960s before establishing himself professionally in the early 1980s.
With his band Big Sky, he released a series of albums through the 1990s and 2000s, including Waiting for the Dawn and Horizon. The group became a significant part of South Africa’s rock scene during a period of social and political change.
Louw has also collaborated with Brian May and Dave Stewart, and recorded with Joe Bonamassa on recent solo releases.
With Traces of the Flood, Louw continues a late-career run of focused, studio-driven albums recorded in Nashville. The new record places guitar interplay and live energy at the centre of the sound.
