John Gallagher Jr. is a Brooklyn based singer-songwriter who has been seen on stage and screens both small and large. Notable film and TV roles include The Newsroom, Short Term 12, 10 Cloverfield Lane, and Hush. He won a Tony Award for his performance in Duncan Sheik’s hit musical Spring Awakening, portrayed the Jesus of Suburbia in the Broadway adaptation of Green Day’s Grammy winning rock opera American Idiot, and most recently starred in Swept Away - a new musical tale featuring songs by The Avett Brothers. But when it comes to his music, that’s a bit more personal. 

Born in the Small Wonder of Wilmington, Delaware to folk musicians, John wrote his first song at the ripe age of 5. Rather, just the chorus, as he would earnestly admit to his listeners today. In the years between he has played in a half-dozen bands ranging from roots rock to pop punk. He gigs most often as a solo performer, wielding his Gibson J-45 and red lightning bolt strap. Taking inspiration from Prine, Costello, Springsteen, and Westerberg - his music is raw, honest, and heartfelt. Emo folk rock, if you will.

“Write what you know - I don’t go for that,” John joked while sharing his latest crop of songs at Rockwood Music Hall - the venue on NYCs Lower East Side that has hosted him since 2006 and released his debut album Six Day Hurricane (2016). Produced by guitarist Thad DeBrock, this LP drew comparisons to the jangly Laurel Canyon guitars of The Byrds and the lean bar band dynamics of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Following the release, John hit the road as an opening act for Anaïs Mitchell and Aaron Lee Tasjan. 

2021 saw the online self release of 8th and Jane, a short but sweet 8 song sophomore effort. It’s a fast and fierce postcard jammed with power pop rock and roll numbers, smoothed out by several soul searching acoustic ballads. An almost tragicomic blend of the rootsy bravado and vulnerable heart-on-sleeve reflection that has become a staple of his music.

While Gallagher has always leaned into the profundity of private life in his songwriting, the tunes on his latest LP are in a different class: raw and relentless in their pursuit of difficult truths. Plain and simple in their recounting of the facts that make up the fabric of a traumatic romantic disentanglement. Tracked at Studio G Brooklyn and featuring Zach Jones, Oscar Albis Rodriguez, Chris Cubeta, Hannah Winkler, and Todd Caldwell, Goodbye or Something (2024, Grand Phony Music) is a heart-wrenching and sometimes humorous reflection on lost love and the power of music, familial bonds, and a good meal to see us through.

Photo by Mara Rothman