Stepping On Lego, the project of Irish songwriter and producer Conor Waters, has released his much-anticipated sophomore album Wide Eyes, following a series of singles throughout 2025. The record continues Waters’ pursuit of what critics have called “widescreen soundscapes,” blending guitars, synths, and strings into lush sonic tapestries. Known for weaving nostalgia with moments of raw vulnerability, Waters delivers a work that feels both cinematic and deeply personal, further carving his place within the landscape of electronic, neoclassical, and synth-pop music.
If his debut Teen in the Eighties dissected digital-era disconnection with sharp observation, Wide Eyes turns its gaze inward, moving from commentary to confession. Written and refined over three years, the album explores themes of shyness, fragility, and self-acceptance, with Waters embracing a level of openness that feels unflinching in its honesty. The record’s atmosphere is often expansive, yet the lyrics remain intimate—creating a tension that defines the listening experience. It’s a collection that reflects growth, both personal and artistic, offering a portrait of an artist in evolution.
Collaboration plays a key role in that evolution. Guest contributions from Ellen O’Meara and Rachel Walsh bring fresh textures and voices into the mix, while a haunting reinterpretation of Arcade Fire’s My Body Is a Cage underscores Waters’ flair for reimagining the familiar into something distinctly his own. The album’s singles—Nightshade, Mindless Chatter, Imposter, and Inside My Head—showcase its range, from brooding electronic currents to soaring, string-laden crescendos. This interplay between grandeur and introspection gives Wide Eyes a striking dynamic character, one that invites listeners into Waters’ inner world while expanding outward toward the cinematic.
With Wide Eyes, Stepping On Lego confirms his place as one of Ireland’s most intriguing alt-electronic voices. The eight-track journey feels like both a continuation and a transformation, cementing Waters’ reputation as a songwriter unafraid to let vulnerability take center stage. By allowing nostalgia, honesty, and sonic ambition to converge, Waters has crafted a body of work that resonates with both immediacy and depth—an album that not only looks inward, but invites its listeners to do the same.
On the release, Stepping On Lego shares, “Writing this album was a therapeutic process. It’s about learning to stop letting insecurities define me and finding clarity in embracing authenticity.”
