South African singer-songwriter Steve Louw has released a new live version of ‘Across the River’, recorded in Nashville with a formidable band of players including Reese Wynans, Chad Cromwell, Bob Britt and Doug Lancio.
‘Across the River (Live in Nashville)’ arrives today, 19 August 2026, on all major digital platforms, accompanied by an official live video.
The song originally appeared on Louw’s fourth solo album, Traces of the Flood, released in May through BFD/The Orchard. While the studio recording revealed the more reflective side of the song, this new version turns it into a full-band rock performance without losing the sense of longing at its heart.
“It is a song of longing… for release, for freedom, for love and for peace,” says Louw.
That contrast is central to the song. ‘Across the River’ can work stripped back to a solo acoustic guitar, but the Nashville performance pushes in the opposite direction, with gritty guitars, keyboards and a powerful rhythm section giving it considerably more weight.
Recorded live in Nashville
The performance was captured at The Analog Room in Nashville on 13 December 2025 during producer Kevin Shirley’s Caveman’s Xmas Bash.
Louw was surrounded by a band with some serious miles behind them. Bob Britt and Doug Lancio, both associated with Bob Dylan, handled guitars, with Kevin McKendree on piano and Alison Prestwood on bass.
Chad Cromwell, whose extensive credits include Neil Young, was behind the drums, while Reese Wynans brought his unmistakable keyboard work to the performance. Wynans’ career includes his years with Stevie Ray Vaughan and more recent work with Joe Bonamassa.
The result gives ‘Across the River’ a very different character from an intimate singer-songwriter performance. The song opens out into something bigger, driven by the chemistry between musicians playing together in the room.
‘Traces of the Flood’ continues Louw’s Nashville connection
The release follows Traces of the Flood, Louw’s fourth solo studio album and another collaboration with longtime producer Kevin Shirley.
The pair’s musical relationship stretches back to Louw’s South African band All Night Radio and their 1986 album The Killing Floor. Shirley later produced Louw’s work with Big Sky before the partnership resumed during his more recent solo career.
That latest run began with Headlight Dreams in 2021, followed by Thunder and Rain in 2022, Between Time in 2024 and Traces of the Flood earlier this year.
Across those records, Louw has continued to move freely between roots rock, blues, folk, country and Americana, with Nashville musicians playing an increasingly important part in the sound.
Traces of the Flood continued that approach, pairing Louw’s storytelling with a warm, guitar-led production and songs that favour character and emotion over unnecessary excess.
As Blues Matters said of the album: “Steve Louw is a first-class songwriter who writes with depth and emotion.”
‘Across the River (Live in Nashville)’ offers another example of that songwriting, this time with the volume turned up.
The single is available now on all major digital platforms, with the official live performance video also available to watch online.
Traces of the Flood is available on CD, vinyl and digitally.
“Across The River (Live in Nashville)” is available on all streaming platforms HERE.
