Andy J Gallagher

A lot of people incorrectly think that rock and punk rock are about mindless bluster or aggressive noise. However, the best rock, like the best music in general, often has an emotional subtext simmering crucible-like just beneath the surface. This tension between the artist's passions and the music that can barely contain them serves to bring an added depth and urgency to the apparent chaos.



If you're wondering what the hell I'm talking about, check out Andy J. Gallagher's latest, "Helicopter Dolphin Submarine." On this, his full-length solo debut, Gallagher (formerly of The Shopkeeper Appeared) harnesses volatile emotions like anger, regret and longing to fuel and add moments of sublime beauty to 12 seriously cracking rock/mod-punk tunes. More specifically, Gallagher seems to be ruminating over a recent breakup, and this palpable sense of loss informs the vast majority of the album, taking his songs to an even higher level.



Roman Jugg (formerly of the Damned) is seated in the producer's chair for HDS, and while the tunes are all Gallagher's, I assume Jugg is at least partially responsible for the feeling of "windswept anarchy" that propels much of the album forward. That feeling is so pronounced, in fact, that it often threatens to consume the listener whole. Of course, many of Jugg's rollicking proclivities were hinted at during his tenure with the Damned, but 80's production values presumably held him in check. Here, he's finally let "off the chain" and it's quite the revelation.



Gallagher and Jugg work well together: Nifty tracks like "Something Else", "Faster and Faster", and "Another Craze" gallop along at a breakneck pace with reverb-drenched guitars and riffs that oscillate like a demented ambulance siren. The arrangements are tight and punchy, and most of the songs are super-short, leaving the listener feeling like he just got out of the rumble seat: breathless and ready for more.



Gallagher's singing has that boozy, loose quality that’s somewhere between pugnacious swagger and wounded heartbreak. To put it another way, listening to this disc feels like the aural equivalent of a bloke having a row with his girlfriend, then blowing off steam by throwing on his leather jacket, riding down to the pub at 100 mph, and getting into a friendly punchup with his mates. Later, he buys them all a round while he gets misty and tells them a thing or two about life.



If the pub metaphor isn't cutting it for you, here's a partial list of the influences that crop up on HDS: The Buzzcocks, David Bowie, Mott the Hoople, The Kinks, The Ramones, The Beatles, Bauhaus, The Clash and The Damned. Gallagher draws upon these artists (and many more) to create a unique sound that feels like the best parts of classic rock, 70's glam rock, britpop and punk distilled down to their rawest, most potent elements.



That said, the finest moments on HDS are probably the more subdued ones. Don't get me wrong, the faster songs are absolutely smashing, but things REALLY kick into high-gear (ironically) when Gallagher slows things down for tracks like "The Brightest Star" and "Helicopter, Dolphin, Submarine." On the prayer-like "Star", Gallagher, over music reminiscent of Rod Stewart's early-70's/acoustic phase, looks to the night sky and dreams of an ex-lover. It's definitely one of the album's highlights, and the solemnity of the track is made even more poignant by its stark contrast with the off-the-rails rock that comes before it.



Even better than "Star", though, is the title track, which mines similar lyrical territory. "Helicopter, Dolphin, Submarine" starts off with a languid intro that channels the Manic Street Preachers at their most dreamy, then moves into an aching verse melody with some lovely falsetto notes. Finally, the chorus hits and electric guitars flood the scene as Gallagher sings accusingly, "You don't need me, and you probably never did."



Cleverly, the percussion evokes memories of the Beach Boys, which matches the "west coast" imagery perfectly. Overall, the song has a rather spacious, cinematic feel; you can almost see the sun setting on the pacific coast along with the protagonist's love affair.



Above all else, I need to point out that this album is extremely hooky; Gallagher is an excellent songwriter with a keen sense of melody. As a result, you'll probably be crooning these tunes for days on end. Of course, this does have potential drawbacks; it's bad enough to be walking around singing "Weirdo, weirdo," at the top of your lungs ("Another Craze"), but you're really taking your life into your own hands if you get "Something Else" stuck in your noggin. That's because the catchiest lyric from this ditty is, "Go f*ck yourself," which I, unfortunately, have been singing on the crowded streets of New York for five days straight. It's amazing I haven't been killed yet.


However, listening to an album as good as "Helicopter, Dolphin, Submarine" makes me think it might be worth the risk.


**** (four out of five stars)


Notable Tracks: "Helicopter, Dolphin, Submarine"; "Brightest Star"; "Something Else"; "Another Craze"; "The Rocks" - night owlz

Singer-songwriters have an advantage
over those who do not write their
own material. They can turn in a track
with their own stamp on it without
a second thought — and Andy J
Gallagher can certainly do that...

ANDY J GALLAGHER APPEARS TO TAILOR HIS SONGS to suit himself, writing for his own particular style and for the admirers he knows will undoubtedly appreciate his work. When first seen at intimate music venues in the punky-pop band The Shopkeeper Appeared and with plays on Radio One and a gig supporting Radiohead, fame looked assured.

A clever singer-songwriter with an emotive voice, Andy has always been hungry and passionate for new creative experiences. He headed out for steamy Asia and, having played in Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia, he ended up in New York working with America's own Morrissey — Ronnie Scott (formerly with The Truth).

Back in the UK he faced crucial changes to his personal life that prompted an outpouring of lyrical emotion — his most inspired writing to date. When songwriter and guitarist Roman Jugg of seminal punk band The Damned heard Andy Gallagher's demos he insisted on producing the astounding EP, Crocodiles And Prostitutes.

Crocodiles And Prostitutes has a cool line-up that includes the cute and catchy debut single, Something Else, which gives Andy the opportunity to air his talents with his great vocals — you could happily dance the night away to tracks like this and, judging by his 'track record' so far, we will be hearing a lot more of Andy J Gallagher.

There is also a swinging, head-banging track with a gushing musical accompaniment called The Men In Suits; the oddly-titled Rope Swings Eternal, which shows the strength of Andy's voice and is a very likeable track and C, which is more melodic and folk-ish with lovely strains and great lyrics.

Something Else is the lead-off single from Andy's new album — Helicopter Dolphin Submarine (out February 9) and accompanied by an extremely unique and boundary-pushing video — that marks the introduction of a fine lyrical mastermind

• Super-talented UK singer-songwriter Andy J Gallagher's debut single Something Else is out now (released 24 November, 2008, on Waga Waga Records). The EP Crocodiles And Prostitutes is also out now (released 24 November, 2008).

Crocodiles And Prostitutes Tracklisting

1 Something Else | 2 The Men In Suits | 3 Rope Swings Eternal | 4 C

"Finally someone worthy of a Buzzcocks comparison, really good songs" — Steve Diggle (The Buzzcocks)

"Lyrical Genius" — Roman Jugg (The Damned)

"Refreshingly different" — Annie Nightingale

"A clever singer-songwriter with an emotive voice... and, judging by his 'track record' so far, we will be hearing a lot more of Andy J Gallagher" — Maggie Woods, MotorBar - motorbar

THIS is punk in every way you can imagine. Smoky guitar riffs, emotionless vocals, no distortion and a repetitive, almost monotonous drumbeat make for a sound that instantly brings to mind such groups as the Buzzcocks and Morrisey.

Laden with edgy, raw energy and peopled with characters such as the prostitute who is ‘dragging her satin covered cheeks across the velvet upholstery,’ Gallagher perfectly captures the zeitgeist of the desperate, frequently coke-fuelled urbanite in a dying world. Gallagher does not just write songs about current social issues but plays on the fears of a listener and creates songs that are both frightening but intensely emotional.

andy gallagher


From ‘Something Else’ through to second track ’The Men In Suits,’ he maintains a frenzy of high tempo, top quality punk rock. The attitude-filled chorus that dominates ‘Something Else’ pulls you right back through time to when the Sex Pistols outraged thousands as he barks out ‘Go f**k yourself!”

There is time to slow down for the close of the EP as ‘Rope Swings Eternal’ takes on a more sombre sound whereas final track ‘C’ is a softer, slower, more emotional track altogether. It is little wonder that Gallagher has already been taken under the wing of The Damned star Roman Jugg, whose influence is ever-present.

If this helping is anything to go by, Gallagher is bringing back a nostalgic punk sound that will have radicals smiling for years to come. The only problem is that it is over too soon - bring on a full length album! Released: Out Now!

For Fans of: The Damned, The Buzzcocks, Morrisey
- Mybrum tv

If you're one of the many who've completely given up on rock and roll, truly convinced that the days of aggressive but melodic songcraft are well behind us, then I strongly recommend you check out Andy J. Gallagher.

Weaned on a well-balanced diet of 70's glam and punk rock, Mr. Gallagher, armed only with his new CD, "Helicopter, Dolphin, Submarine," (out now on Waga Waga Records) seems hell-bent on rescuing the masses from whatever boring band your hipster friends are all raving about this month.

Tune Tipster was fortunate enough to land this short Q&A with the up and coming rocker, who graciously allowed us to pick his brain about songwriting, recording, and how David Bowie keeps nicking all the best ideas.

TT: Hello sir! Very nice to speak to you. We've been listening to your music for months and enjoying it immensely.

A: Cool, cool. Thanks for your support.

TT: The first thing I'd like to ask, does songwriting come easy to you, or is it hard work?

Andy: Songwriting, it comes easy to you at times, other times I just can't do it. I seem to go in 3 song spurts; in two days I sat down and wrote "The Rocks," "Faster and Faster," and "Another Craze."

TT: And what's the quickest you've ever written a song?

Andy: The quickest songs I've ever written are "Helicopter, Dolphin, Submarine" and "Faster and Faster." They both took roughly ten minutes. For "Helicopter, Dolphin, Submarine," I maybe actually had to add lyrics later on - I was singing the same verse twice - but the song was pretty much in place and I just added the lyrics later on.

TT: What was the particular inspiration for the title track, "Helicopter, Dolphin, Submarine"?

Andy: I wrote "Helicopter, Dolphin, Submarine" at a flat in the west end of London. I was fairly drunk one night, strumming around on an acoustic guitar and I had this melody in my head and I couldn't remember if it was a Radiohead melody or not...and I decided it wasn't so I wrote a song around it! That was that; it just went together simply.

TT: That is annoying when you think you've written someone else's song.

Andy: I've done that millions of times. Anything Ray Davies writes, I've written four times.

TT: (Laughs) You always think, "OH I've GOT IT! I've got the biggest song of all time!" and then you think, "Oh...Ray beat me to it."

Andy: By about 40 years or so... it's kind of
annoying!

TT: Bastard!

Andy: (Laughs) Indeed. David Bowie normally beats me. Another one of my best ideas turned out to be a section of a Bowie song from "Hunky Dory" or something... They get kind of ingrained, don't they?

TT: Which brings me to the next thing I was going to ask: If you were pushed into a corner and had to pick one songwriting hero who would it be?

Andy: I really, really, REALLY like - from your neck of the woods - the Ramones. They're probably my all time favorite band. Dee Dee Ramone was obviously the main songwriter, and Joey wrote some as well. My favorite ARTIST is David Bowie, but I also like Lou Reed, from the Velvet Underground through to maybe the Berlin album... Favorite all-time songwriter if I had to name one... (pauses) David Bowie.

TT: I can definitely hear how you mix those influences. There's an intellectual leaning to the lyrics, but you still have the primal quality of someone like the Ramones...

Andy: When I originally wrote "Faster and Faster" it was a lot slower... It was going to be the main track from MY "Low" (David Bowie) album. So I gave it to my drummer, and by the time he was done revving it up, there was no chance it was gonna be on "Low." It was gonna be on "Rocket to Russia" (Ramones) instead!



TT: I would imagine the arrangements change a lot from when you start to the finished product. You worked with Roman Jugg (former guitarist/keyboardist of the Damned) for this album, were there any situations where he wanted to change the arrangement of a song, or...?

A: When you let someone like Roman produce you, you've got to let him produce you. Whatever they say they want to do, however much you think, "That's gonna ruin my song!" you have to let them try and do it. And I think Roman has some real flashes of genius in terms of the structures. For example, in "Something Else" there was a whole load of choruses going on at the end. And he said, "Look, you need to get rid of those, 'cause it's going on too long." He took 'em out, and just threw in a key change... originally the outro was in b minor and he changed it to e minor and then cut about a minute off the song. I think that arrangement just made the song work. Also, Roman co-wrote "The Men in Suits." The little "A" bit, the lead guitar bit, was just a whole key change... that's his. He wrote that. And while that doesn't make the song necessarily, it really lifts the song at a crucial moment. Some of the stuff Roman told me… Roman's a very, very clever man. You don't spend 10 years in the Damned and not learn anything, do you?

TT: I would think not. Were there any other songs you had to streamline for the album?

A: The only song anything came off in terms of length was "Something Else." Everything else is as I write it. When I'm writing, I've got to say what I've got to say, and once I've said it, there's no point in saying anything else. The song's finished. If you look at "Faster and Faster" for example, it's one minute and 28 seconds, and yet, it's got 4 verses and a lead break. I mean, how much more can you cram into a song? I don't get all this... like Fleetwood Mac... going on for 25 minutes stuff. That's not for me for me. I'm probably not a competent enough musician to do that anyway.

TT: Well, I don't know about that! The last thing I want to ask you is, are you ever surprised by which songs connect with people? Was there ever one that you loved that didn't really resonate with people, or vice versa, something that you said, "Oh, this isn't the best thing I've ever written" and people went gaga over it?

A: Normally, MY favorite song is the last song I wrote. I play it for people and go, "I want you to hear this! I've just re-invented rock and roll!" And they listen and go, "No, that's rubbish, Andy. It's terrible! Get back to the drawing board!" (Laughs) When [I] VERY first hear them, [I] think, "That's amazing!" …There's such a long period between when you actually record the songs to when you actually get the physical CD that by the time you listen to them you're kind of underwhelmed. When you get the finished version, you're kind of not happy with it, because you had this idea in your head of how it's going to sound. But then you get the enthusiasm of people that are hearing them maybe for the first time, and people tell me how wonderful this song is or how cool that song is, rather than me telling THEM which is how it starts. When I write 'em, I tell everyone else how cool they are, and then six months down the road when they're finally ready people tell me how cool they are!

TT: After playing it so many times I would imagine it's hard to be objective about anything.

A: Yeah. My favorite song on the album changes from day to day. I don't listen to it every day, but whenever I listen, I've had a different favorite song. Probably the one song that is most surprising is "The Brightest Star." That's my drummer's favorite song, and I thought it was kind of weak, that one. As you know, my drummer's quite a powerful drummer...

TT: And that song is more ballad-like.

A: Yeah, and that's his favorite song! I kinda prefer the more uptempo ones.

TT: So what would your favorite be right now?

A: There's always two…"Faster and Faster" or "The Men in Suits."

TT: Nice. I see you're playing gigs through May, so hopefully some of our readers will get a chance to hear those tracks live. Well, we really appreciate you taking the time to talk to us, Andy, and best of luck with the album. Have a great night.

A: And you too mate. Thanks very much. - Tune Tipster

HAVING globe-trotted with his guitar for gigs, supported Radiohead and now been compared to the Buzzcocks, Andy J Gallagher’s debut EP is well worth a listen.
The Leigh-based vocalist releases Crocodiles and Prostitutes on Monday, November 24, including the single Something Else, a taster for his forthcoming album, Helicopter Dolphin Submarine.
Legendary Buzzcocks guitarist Steve Diggle has described Andy’s solo efforts as: “Finally someone worthy of a Buzzcocks comparison, writing and singing really good songs.” Gushing praise indeed for Andy, whose single is the collective fruits of decades toiling in the musical fields, raking through the gig circuit from the Pink Toothbrush, Rayleigh, to Newport, Wales, via Asia and the USA. “This is the culmination of a lifetime devoted to music,” says Andy. “I’ve been in different bands and writing songs for as long as I can remember. But this is doing it for real, which is a right buzz. “Back in the Nineties, I was in a band called the Shopkeeper Appeared and we played some great gigs and built up a strong fan base, but we went our separate ways for different reasons and I decided to head off with my suitcase and guitar. “I ended up flying out to Asia, looking for new inspirations for my music. “I played gigs just about everywhere over there, from Cambodia to Thailand, before making another stop in New York.
“It was there that I got together with Ronnie Scott, America’s answer to Morrissey, and really started to get fresh ideas together, which I came home to finish off.
“Crucial changes in my personal life prompted one or two different things and the end product is the EP and album, which is out next February.”
Produced by songwriter and guitarist of seminal punk outfit, the Damned, Roman Jugg, Crocodiles and Prostitutes is released by Waga Waga Records. - Echo News