Irish Folk Artist Galvo Releases Debut Album The HeARTist

On his birthday, Dublin-based singer-songwriter Galvo releases his debut album The HeARTist. The album, heralded by single releases for Getting Better, Maybe and These Waves, is accompanied by a full length visual album accessible via his YouTube channel.

Recorded at Porchlight Studios, the album is 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.

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: Conor Beegan