Gallaher’s Green- Dare To Dream (Out 31/03/2023)
Gallaher’s Green are a four-piece UK rock band with a wide range of influences which include the Rolling Stones, Oasis, Foo Fighters, Guns N’ Roses and many more in between.
Lead singer and rhythm guitarist Jon Olphert from County Antrim, Northern Ireland and bass player Ian Gallagher from Oldham met whilst serving in the Royal Air Force in Iraq in 2008. The pair discovered a shared love of music and song writing and although playing in different bands, they stayed in touch and would often seek each other’s opinion on potential new original song ideas.
In 2017, whilst at a Guns N’ Roses concert in Dublin, the pair realised that they were both without bands for the first time and decided to form Gallaher’s Green. The band name came from an old brand of cigarettes called Gallaher’s De Luxe Green made by the Gallaher Tobacco Co in Northern Ireland. As a child Jon would hear local people refer to them as Gallaher’s Green and the name resonated with him.
Even when serving in different parts of the world the pair would send original song ideas to each other and continued to build their catalogue of songs. Once they had written and crafted the nucleus of the songs that would become their debut album ‘Lucky 13’ they began the hunt for new band members. In 2019, the band’s advertisement for a lead guitarist was answered by Tom Stretton from West Yorkshire. From the first ever rehearsal in January 2020, the band worked tirelessly on crafting the 13 tracks which were recorded over five days, the old school way at Blueprint Studios, Salford in July 2020.
The resultant full-length album ‘Lucky 13’ encompassed the broad spectrum of influences which inspired them and was released on 12th February 2021. Independently released and without any PR support the album has grown organically and continues to attract a worldwide audience with listeners in countries including US, UK, Japan, Italy, South Africa, Mexico and throughout South America. To date it has received over 160k listens on Spotify alone. In early 2022, the band welcomed their new drummer, Tom Leather who hails from St Helens.
Gallaher’s Green never rested and as soon as social distancing restrictions at events were eased, they played as many shows as they could and introduced new material to the live set. The new songs were immediately well received by live crowds in venues throughout the northwest.
In April 2022, Gallaher’s Green recorded their full length follow up album ‘Dare To Dream’ at Voltalab studios, Rochdale. ‘Dare To Dream’ is scheduled for release on 31st March 2023.
The lead single is Dare To Dream
‘Catch The Sun’ (First single. Released on 15th July 2022): This single is about a young couple who are struggling to start a life and a family together and face all the obstacles that can sometimes destroy a relationship. The chorus and title are the lift where the couple’s dreams are expressed in the metaphor of a Californian beach where all the trials and worries of their past cleansed by the summer sun and washed away by the crashing waves of the Pacific Ocean.
‘The Way We Used To Be’ (Second single. Released 26th August 2022): The line ”the way we used to be” is a partner reflecting on a relationship that is in its final death throes and is about to end. The partner reminisces about how happy the early years of the relationship had been but, also how unhappy and stressful the final years had become. The line ”lies that brought the end of you and me” is very poignant as the involvement of certain friends and family members spreading rumour and conjecture, actually assist in destroying any remaining trust within the relationship. The lyric ”the eyes that always saw the real me” is a reflection on how it becomes virtually impossible to hide your emotions from a partner who knows you intimately and at that stage they can no longer avoid the elephant in the room.
‘Memphis’ (Third single. Released 7th October 2022): The song was inspired when a close friend shared his experiences after being very seriously injured after stepping on an improvised explosive device (IED) whilst serving as a military working dog handler with his dog Memphis in Afghanistan in 2011. The friend had recalled the moment he stepped on the IED, his treatment on the battlefield, to the helicopter rescue where his uniform was ripped off by medics and receiving two injections of morphine, to when he had to have his lower leg amputated and finally being forced to leave the military. This song is dedicated to all of the wounded veterans who feel that they no longer have a voice and are forgotten. This song was released as a charity single in aide of the RAF Benevolent Fund, the charity which helped our injured friend and successfully raised over £1k.
‘Here With Me’ (Fourth single. Released 25th November 2022): This song is a follow on from the first single ‘Cut Right In To Me’ on ‘Lucky 13’ when the intense relationship has ended. The main protagonist reflects on the relationship and the adage ”I was warned, and I should have known”. The lyrics ”breathe in, breathe out again, I will be free” are a mantra that the main protagonist adopts and uses to help them stop dwelling on the past and that they will eventually be free from the pain that they are experiencing.
‘Where Do I Begin?’ (Fifth single and the opening track on the album. Released 6th January 2023): When we shared the first rough demo of the track with colleagues, friends, and family, it repeatedly attracted the same feedback: ”This song motivates me to train harder!”, ”I play this when I’m in the gym!” and with one person saying ”This is a banger, it should be in a Nike advert!” The chorus refrain of “Where do I begin” is very apt when someone is attempting to motivate themselves to start going back to the gym, especially as part of a new year’s resolution.
‘Young Man’s Game’ (Sixth single. Released 17th February 2023): This is our opinion on the dire state that the music industry is in right now. There are the established rock bands which we love like GnR, The Foos and Liam at the top playing arenas but, the labels are ignoring the next wave of hard rock bands. Instead, the labels and commercial radio push bands with young lads singing inane songs about twitter with zero distortion coming from their jingly jangley stratocasters. The lyric ”I listen to your music it’s driving me insane, everybody saying it’s a young man’s game” directly addresses this. Where are the bands like us with life experience and stories to tell with snarling loud angry Gibson Les Pauls hanging down low? What do bands have to do to ”make it” in today’s scene? The lyric ”it’s time to hit your knees girl but you ain’t gonna pray” is probably the most important line in the song as it is a blatant dig at male misogyny in the music industry.
‘Heal This Pain’ This song was inspired by a close friend when they were offloading about the many struggles in their life including the death of their father, a life changing medical condition that they had recently been diagnosed with and difficulties in their marriage. The lyrics ”I don’t want to feel this pain anymore” was a literal cry for help as the individual believed that perhaps life would be better for their loved ones if they weren’t alive anymore. The empathetic friend who is listening as the close friend offloads is desperately trying to offer reassurance, prevent a catastrophe and in some way attempt to ‘heal’ their friend.
‘Where You Goin’ This song is the precursor to ‘Catch The Sun’ and shows the young couple at their lowest point when they were living in sub-standard accommodation and struggling financially to make ends meet. This song captures the exact moment when one of the partners expresses their intention to leave with their only child. The partner appears to be cold and emotionless even when the other partner begs them to stay and not to take away their child.
‘Best Part of Me’ This was inspired by and dedicated to Jon’s teenage daughter and was written as a song to hopefully give her some strength as she faces all the challenges that life may throw at her. You know, basically all of the horrible teenage stuff that young people have to go through and circumnavigate.
‘Lost Your Way’ This was the first song that Ian and Jon wrote together and was written about two different incidents, one being an altercation between two long-time friends where trust was betrayed. The other incident was a major argument between a couple, (a forerunner to ‘The Way We Used To Be’). It didn’t make it onto ‘Lucky 13’ because the existing drummer at the time couldn’t quite master the drum pattern which is integral to the song.
‘Find Your Way (Back To Me)’ A little slice of Americana if you will and the only fully acoustic track without drums on the album. This song just appeared one Sunday morning out of the ether when Jon and Ian were nursing their hangovers and playing acoustic guitars. The song was built around the lyric ”There’s poison water in the wishing well” which is an ominous prediction that not everything is as peaceful as it would appear on the surface. ”It’s in D minor which is the saddest of all keys!” (Apologies for the Spinal Tap reference there) 😊😊😊
‘Dare To Dream’ (Title track and last song on the album). Verse 1 was written about Jon’s son and verse 2 about Ian’s nephew, who sadly lost his mother four years ago. It’s a salute to both boys and a celebration of their young lives and a positive message about the bright future that lies ahead of them.
The Team
Recorded, engineered and produced by Jamie Alsop at Voltalab studios in Rochdale between 23rd – 30th April 2022.
Jon Olphert: Lead vocals & Rhythm guitar (Acoustic guitar on Find You Way (Back To Me)).
Tom Stretton: Lead Guitar (Acoustic guitar on Heal This pain and backing vocals on Memphis).
Ian Gallagher: Bass Guitar (Piano on the track Dare To Dream).
Tom Leather: Drums.
Michael Walsh: Backing vocals.
Gallaher’s Green – Young Man’s Game
Gallaher’s Green – Where Do I Begin
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Band/Artist location – Manchester, England
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