Cole Gallagher

Twenty-three-year-old Cole Gallagher is a true rock ‘n’ roll storyteller. His stirring and imaginative songs, propelled by his richly expressive voice and framed within the sound of finely crafted Americana, come at you with a vivid sense of narrative, but one that’s cloaked in mystery.

The approach is on full display on Gallagher’s debut EP, The Confluence, a bracing six-song set on which the South Pasadena resident establishes himself as a multi-faceted songwriter, singer and musician. Produced, engineered and mixed by multiple Grammy winner Vance Powell (whose credits include Phish, Chris Stapleton and Jack White, among others), the record brims with lovingly detailed arrangements and exuberant musicianship on which Gallagher lets listeners in on feelings and observations, both stormy and sentimental.

While the EP bristles with youthful energy, its songwriting reflects an artist who has spent many hours closely listening to the greats. “I’m very influenced by the big singer-songwriters from the
’60s onward – Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, John Fogerty, Tom Petty, Warren Zevon,” he says. “They were trying to make sense of the times they lived in, but when I heard them, I felt like they were speaking to me at that moment.”

On The Confluence, Gallagher makes every moment matter. There are hard-learned lessons and far-flung fantasies, songs of faith and dreams and the struggle for identity. “Making music is something I chose to do, but it’s also something I have to do,” he says. “I would be happy to play music for people every night. It doesn’t matter how many people are there or where we are. As long as I can try to make a connection with people, that’s all that matters.”

Instagram: @colegallaghermusic
Website: colegallagher.com