Barry and The Visitors

My Wave Is New

ALBUM OUT NOW

On limited edition vinyl, CD and via streaming services 

ALBUM LAUNCH – 2 APRIL 2026

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ABOUT

Barry O’Connor grew up in Belfast in the 1970s, was educated in Liverpool and now lives in London.

A songwriter since his teens, inspired by early rock ‘n’ roll, glam rock, Elvis Costello and The Clash he spent many years doing other things. He’s worked in pubs. And Wormwood Scrubs. But recently he’s turned his focus back to music, releasing a debut album, Days Between Stations, as Barry and The Visitors in 2024. O’Connor, along with drummer and guitarist Paul Hickson wrote and recorded 30 songs over a three-year period during and after lockdown, working with musician and producer Sean Read at Famous Times studio in Hackney.

Read (Dexys, Pretenders) has now produced the follow-up release My Wave Is New. On this album O’Connor and Read are joined by two of The Hanging Stars, Patrick Ralla on guitars and Paul Milne on bass, both bringing harmonies and a further dimension. Stephen Gilchrist (Graham Coxon, The Damned and many others) is on the drums.

MUSIC

" ... a sound heavily influenced by 60s rock, Merseybeat and powerpop ... and a 12-string guitar filling the landscape beautifully!"

LYRICS

As I walked by the riverside
One day for recreation
Someone from another tribe
Vied for my attention

He said, “hey brother have you heard the news?
The rats are leaving two by two”
Over the horizon
Somewhere on the periphery

Out of sight
It’s starting to come back to me
Yes I know it’s there
Somewhere on the periphery

Somewhere on the periphery
I thought I saw democracy
Or was it just a floater
In the corner of my eye

It’s hard to see when the light is fading
Some mistakes of our own making
Sewn into the silver lining
Of those true-blue dreams

Out of sight
It’s starting to come back to me
Yes I know it’s there
Somewhere on the periphery

6 is not enough
Some times need 12 strings
George said it’s about facing it
George was always right about things
I thought that I was safe
In my European home
In a different time
In my comfort zone

Out of sight
It’s starting to come back to me
Yes I know it’s there
Somewhere on the periphery

What was gone
Is starting to come back you see
Yes I know it’s there
Somewhere on the periphery

Somewhere on the periphery
Somewhere on the periphery
Somewhere on the periphery


It’s okay to be something that you’re not
Like a leopard who decides
He’s wearing stripes instead of spots
It’s a wonder to behold
When you come in from the cold
The only thing to say is “Wow”
The old me wouldn’t know me now

Some people say that people never change
And there’s something in our DNA
That can’t be rearranged
And there’s something about a soul
If I might be so bold
I’ve had it with that sacred cow
The old me wouldn’t know me now

The old me if he met me
Wouldn’t trust me
As far as he could throw me
He’d swear and say “what have they done”
From the moment that I met her
I fell into a rapture
Reminiscent of a scene from
Invasion of The Body-Snatchers

So, I’m switching to a different function
Who wants to be an architect
 Of their own destruction
I got bored of being stoned
I don’t care if I’m disowned
My risk of re-offending is low
No I won’t let you beat me
No I won’t let you defeat me
And I don’t need you to show me how
The old me wouldn’t know me now

Wouldn’t know me now
Wouldn’t know me now
Wouldn’t know me now


Let the clocks go back and the tables turn
What if, what if?

Before the floods and the fires burned 
What it, what if?

Through the wall you could hear her father
She said “turn the radio up louder”
You said “no”, could see where it was heading
No one throws confetti at a teenage shotgun wedding

Fast forwardto 1985
What if, what if?

The police never checked out your alibi
What if, as if?

You were alone with the chief detective
He was trying to be sympathetic
 “you can have a smoke in a minute
This is not a who, it’s a you done it”

Do do do do do do do do do do do do do
Do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do 
Do

The years go faster than the days gone by 
What if, what if

The aeroplane crashed, nobody left alive
What if, what if

You wouldn’t wish that end on no-one
No, not even that one exception
Human nature can’t stop you feeling 
The world would be a better place if we were European

What if, what if
What if, what if


Lately I’ve been thinking
About the ones that got away
With a certain sinking feeling 
Underneath these feet of clay
There is no time or season to it 
Comes right out of the blue
Now I’m sending all my love to you
And yours too

There are people up in Liverpool
I used to call good friends
The times we had were beautiful
But I let those good times end
I got the chance to dance life’s tango
Forgot that it takes two, so
I’m sending all my love to you
And yours too

One night just the two of us
Had a fight on the 19 bus
You were giving it this
I was giving it that
On CCTV
All you could see 
Was me and an acrobat
Wearing a pork pie hat
Can you imagine that?

You know the way some people get 
More right-wing as they get older
I wouldn’t say you’ve got there yet
But the day is getting closer
And if I hear the revolution calling
Would I put you up against the wall?
Instead of
Sending all my love (where?)
Sending all my love (to whom?)
I’m sending all my love to you
And yours too
And yours too

Oooh ooh ooh
Yours too


I just might have an original thought tonight
I’ve got a pen with a built-in light
So I can write it down

I woke up with an original thought I had
Written down on the lined notepad
That I keep by the bed

It doesn’t happen everyday
When it does it’s a good one
You have to take advantage of
Sweet inspiration

Then I start to get carried away
I turn the radio on
Turn the radio on
Some-one else is playing that song
Turn the radio on

If I find a thought that’s original in my mind
Hiding like a jewel just set behind
Its unoriginal twin

Tambourines, soul singers and a gospel choir
Country, punk, rock and roll guitars 
With added violins

It doesn’t happen everyday
When it does it’s a good one
You have to take advantage of
Sweet inspiration

Then I start to get carried away
I turn the radio on
Turn the radio on
Some-one else is playing that song
Turn the radio on

Turn the radio on
I just might have an original thought tonight
Turn the radio on


I’m ok with words
Not so good at painting pictures
I’m not that kind of guy
Who knows where my talents lie?
If I could catch a train
Destination in the future
On arrival would I find her
On the platform wearing platform shoes?

This is everything and nothing at all
Isn’t that the contradiction?
When we’re lying with our backs against the wall
This is everything and nothing at all


This is everything and nothing at all
Partly truth and partly fiction
When we’re in hiding from the wrecking ball
This is everything and nothing at all


How could I know
There was no way of knowing
Nobody likes a know-it-all
It comes and goes
Like an ocean overflowing
Like a response to the call

If I could write a tune
Dedicated it to the one I love
Separated from the heard
Isolated from the masquerade
She’d say “save it for the birds”
She’s not passive, just aggressive 
She’ll keep on fighting dragons in our dreams
When we’re sleeping with the fishes

This is everything and nothing at all
Isn’t that the contradiction?
When we’re lying with our backs against the wall
This is everything and nothing at all

This is everything and nothing at all
That could be our valediction
When we’re in hiding from the wrecking ball
This is everything and nothing at all


Take the time, take the time
Don’t let it drift away
Take the time, take the time
To fight another day
If you don’t take the time
You’ll find it’s slipped away

Take the time
Make ridiculous sublime
Take a chance 
Take a branch of the Northern line
In this short space of time
You’ve got a lot to say
Before you know it’s gone
Tomorrow’s yesterday

Take the time
Don’t let the freak show blow your mind
Rope a dope 
Don’t let hope hang out to dry

Children take the time 
That’s how they learn to play
Before you know it’s gone 
Tomorrow’s yesterday

Take the time
Take the time
Take the time
Take the time

VIDEO

Barry and The Visitors - watch video

Animation by Jonathan Hodgson 

PRESS

Striking a chord somewhere between Blue Rodeo and Jonathan Richman … the single blends melodic pop rock warmth with sharp songwriting, setting the tone for the band’s second album recorded in London.

Bombshell Radio
 
… a sound heavily influenced by 60s rock, Merseybeat and powerpop, with a beautiful melody, backing vocals and a 12-string guitar filling the landscape beautifully!
Heatwave!
 
It reminded me a lot of 80s and 90s rock, like REM, The Charlatans, Travis, James and more, but at the same time, it feels new, like something from 2026, so I think there’s a great balance there.
Musicardi Rock. Learn More

This has a slight 60s influence in some places and Brit Pop influences in other parts …little nods towards Bob Dylan that I can hear in the vocals and the arrangement of the track. It feels almost like the Candy Flip version of Strawberry Fields which is great.
Laura Beth
 
OMG it sounds so great … the best song of the year. It’s like having Bob Dylan back like he was in the 60s, The Byrds, The Zombies…WONDERFUL!
Good Vibrations Radio

If you’re looking for something fresh yet with a soul reminiscent of rock’s golden age, Walking Back To Cliftonville, the new EP from Barry and The Visitors, is a gem worth discovering. The title track … delivers a vibe that blends New Wave nostalgia with a touch of classic rock, as if the Beatles and the Stones had unexpectedly joined a modern conversation. The line “a brother’s in the bedroom on his own with The Beatles and The Stones, he’s not alone” captures the feeling of intimate connection with music, something that will surely resonate with anyone who has ever found solace in a great record.
Heaven and Hell Magazine
 
… a captivating retro sound … authentic and striking energy.

The Route of Rock

… esta muy cool.
El Club Del Pogo
 
Ideal to get lost on the road while the landscape merges with your thoughts, especially if the co-driver is not exactly the life of the party.
ArepaVolatil.Com

The song has a typically British melodic sense that is really cool to hear. I feel influences from pub rock bands from the 1970s, especially the vocals, but the sound is broader and more interesting in its own right.
Leonardo Rodrigues
 
The band is ready.
Saquarema Surf Rock Radio
 
Thank you so much for sending your track “Days Between Stations”. I really love your vocal performance and the instrumental arrangement throughout the track. Your lyrical storytelling is fantastic and the summery vibe of the song is great for this time of year.
Rachel Colton (Hidden Harmonies)
 

… a rockabilly meets surf feel that really makes feet move.
En Tijuana Hay Rock
 
… a classic vibe.
The Sounds Won’ Stop

Barry & The Visitors deliver yet another cracking tune … True to form, this is an unapologetically raw rock ‘n’ roll stomper that thrives on authenticity and a refusal to overcomplicate itself. It’s the kind of sound that doesn’t try to act clever – it just hits you right where it counts.
Click Roll Boom
 
A rather striking exploration of high frequencies. I like that risk; it makes noise more appealing. These are the brave acts that rock and roll requires to survive in these times.
Zonagirante.com

Such a good throwback tune with that great Byrdsy jingle jangle with some great horns. Love the production here – the guitar and beat also reminds me of the Hollies and the Stones. I really dig what you’re throwing down man.
Setlist Kitchen
 
True rock and roll!
Lexee Shapiro
 
Inviting and catchy rock ‘n’ roll, like an entrance to a North American love movie.
Radio Saquerema Surf Rock Radio
 
This song deserves to be heard by everyone.
Bruno Alain

The Who meets Elvis Costello! Very cool man … You have a vibe. It’s cool. Killer horn work!
Eric Sanderson
 
This track has a lot of cool influences and we are fans of anything New Wave.
The Soundgeist
 

"Sparkly guitars intertwine with flamboyant trumpet lines ... a big, open-hearted sound."

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My Wave Is New album design by Martin Powderly and Rob Palmer, inspired by a painting by Fabio Almeida
Main photography by Naomi Woddis – Photograph of the two wee lads by John Davies