Welsh singer-songwriter Louis O’Hara has announced his new album, How Could I Hate You?, due out on 11th December via Toe Mucker Records and released the first single, Never About Money, which is out now. A tongue-in-cheek song of frustration. A playful “do one” to rich daddy’s boys trying to bend Louis to their will. The upbeat arrangement, built around the main harmonica riff, creates a spaghetti western vibe, which is referenced in the music video created by Molly Allen. Preorder the album here.
O’Hara says, “This song was so much fun to record with my wonderful band. The first word on the track, being ‘yeehaw,’ sums it up really; the lyrics aren’t meant to be taken too seriously, and it’s a tongue-in-cheek diss track about certain bigwigs in the music industry. The arrangement is playful and energetic and was really inspired by mid-1960s Bob Dylan, taking a walk down Positively 4th Street.”
This is the second full-length album from O’Hara, written on a secret tour of the US West Coast in January 2026 and recorded in March 2026 at Real World Studios in Wiltshire with James Trevascus (engineer to Billy Nomates, Nick Cave & Warren Ellis, Young Fathers, etc.). The record features a range of musical contributions from Louis’ live band, His Burley Chassis, as well as a guest vocal from contemporary folk artist Naima Bock on the track Two Balloons.
The album artwork features O’Hara looking straight into the camera. Taken in LA, the photograph shows him holding a cat named Fosse (after the legendary director of All That Jazz) around his neck and accompanied by Gem Stark, who plays bass and electric guitar on the album as well as lead vocals on the song Windowsill and backing vocals throughout the record. The choice of album cover was a very deliberate one. Shot on a 35mm camera with messy hair and moustache, and red eyes from the flash, it aims to show that O’Hara is not aiming for perfection but instead wants to present something genuine and vulnerable. O’Hara is on tour currently and will be previewing many of the new songs.
“How Could I Hate You” Tracklisting:
- Never About Money
- Bywyd Braf
- Pass The Blame
- I Knew You
- Oherwydd Y Glaw
- Two Balloons
- For Now, We’re Apart
- Psycho
- Windowsill
- Memory
- Beth Bynnag A Ddaw
- How Could I Hate You?
Louis O’Hara Tour Dates 2026:
26th October – Sheffield, Sidney and Matilda
27th October – Newcastle, The Globe
28th October – Glasgow, Nice N Sleazy
29th October – Manchester, Gullivers
1st November – London, TheWindmill
2nd November – Birmingham, The Sunflower Lounge
14th December – Brighton, Folklore Rooms
15th December – Southampton, The Joiners
18th December – Bristol, The Louisiana
20th December – Llanarthney, Wright’s
Related