STEVE LOUW ANNOUNCES
“ACROSS THE RIVER (LIVE IN NASHVILLE)”
AVAILABLE ON ALL DIGITAL PLATFORMS ON 19 AUGUST 2026
STREAM SINGLE | WATCH LIVE VIDEO
“Steve Louw is a first-class songwriter who writes with depth and emotion. I can’t recommend his album Traces of the Flood highly enough.”
– Blues Matters
Following the international success of his celebrated fourth solo studio album Traces of the Flood (released 15 May 2026 via BFD/The Orchard), South African singer-songwriter Steve Louw returns with a passionate new live recording of the album’s second single, “Across the River (Live in Nashville).”
“Across The River (Live in Nashville)” is available on all streaming platforms HERE.
Watch the official video of “Across The River (Live in Nashville)” on YouTube HERE.
Since its release, Traces of the Flood has enjoyed widespread critical acclaim from music publications across the UK and US. Traces of the Flood is available on CD, vinyl and digital HERE.
Among its many accolades, Henry Yates at Classic Rock Magazine awarded the album 8/10, describing it as, “one of Louw’s finest albums.”
Other international reviewers have celebrated the album’s evocative songwriting, rich musicianship and signature blend of folk, roots, country rock, blues and Americana.
Amit Sharma at Guitarist Magazine, had this to say about Steve – “There’s an honesty to Steve Louw’s music that hits listener’s straight in the heart. On his latest album Traces of the Flood, he mixes elements of folk, country and classic rock using tones that will have just about any fan of guitar music grinning from ear to ear.”
Photo by Jacqui van Staden
Originally described as a song that encapsulates imagery both intimate and wide open, a narrative that keeps you along for the ride, “Across the River” takes on an entirely new dimension in this live recording, a full-band anthem, where the song captures the emotional breadth that has become a hallmark of Louw’s songwriting.
“It is a song of longing… for release, for freedom, for love and for peace,” Louw shares.
The live performance of “Across the River” becomes far more than a song; it’s an exhilarating cry of joy, transcendence, and redemption, that invites the promise of freedom that lies beyond the river.
“Across the River” is an introspective song which works as a solo acoustic performance or as with this live recording; a full tilt, no holds barred high octane rocking band treatment.
Recorded live at The Analog Room in Nashville on 13th December 2025, the venue is renowned for hosting live sessions by artists including The Black Crowes and Dave Stewart.
The performance took place during Producer Kevin Shirley’s Caveman’s Xmas Bash in 2025, a celebrated event featuring some of Nashville’s finest musicians, including Alyssa Bonagura, Joanne Shaw Taylor and Randy Bachman, amongst others.
The live recording captures Steve Louw and his band at their peak, delivering a performance brimming with energy, passion and musical chemistry.
Joining Louw are Bob Dylan’s guitarists Bob Britt and Doug Lancio, Kevin McKendree (piano), Alison Prestwood (bass), legendary drummer Chad Cromwell (Neil Young & the Bluenotes) and iconic keyboardist Reese Wynans (Stevie Ray Vaughan, Joe Bonamassa), whose contributions elevate the performance into an unforgettable live experience.
Driven by gritty guitars, powerful rhythms and an undeniable sense of emotional release, this version of “Across the River” showcases why Steve Louw continues to earn recognition as one of South Africa’s most accomplished songwriters.
Experience Steve Louw live. Experience “Across the River.”
Listen to “Across The River (Live in Nashville)”
on the following streaming platforms:
Bandcamp | Soundcloud | Spotify | iTunes
ISRC – QMDA62631916 | Running Time – 2:55
The album Traces of the Flood is available
on CD, vinyl & digital HERE
Steve Louw – Biography
Steve Louw (born 16 September 1955) is a South African musician and singer-songwriter who specialises in album rock, blues rock, country rock and Americana music. He was born in The Hague and has been active as a musician since 1981. He was inducted in the South African Rock Hall of Fame in 2003.
Louw, who was born Stephen Geoffrey Louw, learnt to play the guitar after being inspired by the music of Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, and Neil Young, and formed his first band, Atlantic Rose, while in high school in Cape Town in the late 1960s. While a student at Stellenbosch University in the 1970s he became involved in the local music scene, playing his own songs in various line-ups.
His career as a professional musician began in the early 1980s when he formed the band All Night Radio with fellow former Stellenbosch University students Nico Burger (guitar) and Rob Nagel (bass). The group recorded two albums – The Heart’s the Best Part (1984) with US producer John Rollo, and The Killing Floor (1986), on which Louw began a partnership with producer Kevin Shirley that continues to this day.
Louw then formed the band Big Sky and in 1990 released their debut album, Waiting for the Dawn, again produced by Kevin Shirley. The album arrived just as South Africa began moving away from apartheid rule and the group’s music helped soundtrack a decade of positive revolution. The title track is today considered a South African rock classic.
Big Sky released another five albums over the next 15 years: Horizon (1995), Going Down with Mr Green (1997), Best of the Decade (1999), Beyond the Blue (2002) and Trancas Canyon (2008); as well as the concert DVD Heart and Soul, filmed at Cape Town’s Little Theatre in 2008.
Louw and Big Sky achieved considerable success in South Africa with sell-out tours and several major radio hits including “Kathleen”, “Mr Green”, “One Cut With A Knife”, “Strange Room” and “Diamonds and Dirt”. In 1996 the band won the FNB South African Music Award for “Best Pop Music Performance” and “Best Rock Album” for the album Horizon.
In 1998 Big Sky opened for US singer-songwriter Rodriguez on his triumphant debut tour of South Africa, with the musicians in the band also backing the US artist. The tour is chronicled in the 2012 Oscar-winning documentary Searching for Sugar Man.
Louw gained an international profile after he collaborated with Brian May (Queen) and Dave Stewart (the Eurythmics) on the track “Amandla”, recorded for the 46664 Aids awareness project inspired by the work of Nelson Mandela.
In 2021 Louw returned with the album Headlight Dreams, produced by Kevin Shirley, and recorded in Nashville with crack studio musicians and featuring a guest appearance by US guitar legend Joe Bonamassa. The album received critical acclaim and the first single, “Wind in Your Hair”, has become a popular Spotify hit.
Louw released his sophomore solo release Thunder and Rain on November 11, 2022, through BFD. The album was produced by Kevin Shirley and features Joe Bonamassa and Doug Lancio.
On 6 September 2024, Louw released his third solo album Between Time, produced by Kevin Shirley.
On 15 May 2026, Louw released his fourth solo album Traces of the Flood, produced by Kevin Shirley.
STEVE LOUW
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