Get Out of My Heart: A Dark, In-Your-Face Rocker by Steve Louw

Released on 30th July 2021

Taken from the album “Headlight Dreams“, produced by Kevin Shirley

A raw, conflicted love-hate anthem. An unexpected time signature transforms a rocky power ballad into a haunting exploration of toxic attraction. Gritty vocals and a driving beat capture the song’s emotional turmoil, creating a dark, compelling atmosphere.

I like the opening line: “I’d rather walk than drive another mile with you.” Two people who can’t figure out if they love or hate each other, or both . . . It’s different to all the other songs but the in-your-face vocal, acoustic guitar riff and weird time signature sucks you into their personal mayhem.

I only had the “get out of my heart” line when I started writing this song, singing along to power chords and a Bo Diddley-type beat, and later wrote the verses. I thought of the song as a rocker and a cry in the dark. We played it that way live and it went down well but I felt the song was too linear for the lyric and I put it aside.

About a week before going into the studio I tried playing and singing the chorus in a different time signature and suddenly the song took on the mood of the lyric, which is pretty dark – and the story  came into stark relief.

Once we got the time signature nailed down in the studio I found I could sing the lyrics with the space it needed. I love the sound of the vocal.

Steve Louw