When Clare-based singer-songwriter Steo Wall burst onto the Irish folk scene in 2018, we dubbed him “one of the most pioneering voices in the Irish folk music scene.” And with the release of his most recent single ‘Glory Days,’ that tune hasn’t changed.

The fourth single to be released from his forthcoming album Street Wisdom For Lost Souls, ‘Glory Days’ drips with nostalgia and memory coloured by the singer’s Dublin roots.

Of the track, Steo says, “It came to me in a few hours during the pandemic, like a musical hug from the ancestors. I wanted to get the words, me auld segotia into a song. Then once I did, memories of old friends and characters from my childhood flooded my mind and I just followed the path. I hope the listener gets the same nostalgia filled buzz from listening as I did from the writing.”

The music video for ‘Glory Days,’ premiering today, opens with Steo in a dressing room. As he flips through a memory box, he is transported to adolescence: one marked by his homegrown Dublin roots. The singer strums a rich, acoustic melody as the clips play, contrasting youth with the present and finding a balance within the beauty on either side of the timeline.

His roots are a major component of Steo’s unique storytelling, which includes pride in his Traveller heritage – evident by his album single release earlier this year, ‘More Blacks More Dogs More Irish.’ As a part of Hot Press’ 100 Voices #AllAgainstRacism, Steo shared, “My thing is, whatever I see going on in the world, I take it into my little fecking room here and I write about it. I let the song do the talking. That’s the way that I’ve always been. I work from the background, in the shadows.”

Steo Wall in the 2020 video for 'My People' (dir. Alex Gill)

Steo burst onto the Irish music scene in 2018, immediately gaining a following and the attention of Irish idols like Christy Moore. His distinct sound – a raw blend of Irish folk and poetic hip-hop – and bold, spoken word lyricism have led the rising artist to share a stage with Damien Dempsey on national tours. Dempsey also featured on Steo’s debut single, ‘What’s Wrong With The World Ma?’

His passion radiates through his live performances, which stick with his audience long after the last track. The only thing Steo Wall seems afraid of is being silenced. Luckily, the music has only just begun flowing from this promising Irish voice.

Steo Wall will celebrate the video release tonight with a performance as part of Glór Nua, at London’s Irish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith, alongside Rosa Theodora. Written by Steo, ‘Glory Days’ and the rest of the new album is co-produced by the artist himself with Martin O’Malley and is mastered by Brian Masterson at Soundscape.

The ‘Glory Days’ music video was filmed in Milltown Malbay, Co. Clare, shot and directed by Jay Reddan.

Check out the music video for ‘Glory Days,’ from Steo Wall’s forthcoming second album, Street Wisdom For Lost Souls, below!