Summary

This week in 2015, we’re excited to sit down with Lee Gallagher from the band Lee Gallagher and the Hallelujah. Their self-titled debut album just dropped in January, and it’s already turning heads. Originally from the Midwest, Lee brings his indie rock roots and blends them with the psychedelic folk vibes of the San Francisco Bay Area. The result is a sound that feels fresh, emotional, and totally his own.

In our chat, Lee shares the unexpected story behind how the band came together, with musicians from all over bringing their unique styles to the mix. We also dive into the creative process behind the new album, which combines raw, live instrumentation with deeply personal songwriting.

Come along as we explore Lee’s musical journey, the making of the record, and the rich, inspiring music scene that fuels it all.

What We Wrote in 2015

Lee Gallagher inhales the Bay area of California, making it part of who he is musically. After a few years in the area, Gallagher appreciates its history and vibe even more than when he was a Midwestern kid seeking something other than cornfields. He is not jaded about his roots, though, rather, he takes the indie roots rock foundation and filters it through his newer psychedelic surroundings. With two recent albums that deserve a listen, Lee Gallagher shares his appreciation for his new home region and musicians.

Show Notes

• We sat down with Lee Gallagher, front man of Lee Gallagher and the Hallelujah, to talk about his journey as a musician and how the band came to be.
• Originally from Cincinnati, Lee shares how he and his bandmates, hailing from Indiana, Ohio, and Louisiana, all ended up in the artistic hub of San Francisco, where their musical paths crossed.
• The band’s self-titled debut album came together organically, blending indie rock with psychedelic folk to create a sound that’s both nostalgic and new.
• Lee opens up about his songwriting process and how deeply rooted his music is in American music history, pulling influence from the past while still pushing forward.
• Live performance plays a big role in the band’s identity. As they started playing together, their chemistry sparked something unique, a raw, energetic sound that really connects with audiences.
• We talk about the vibe in the studio while recording the album at Light Rail Studios, where collaboration and spontaneity helped shape the final sound.
• Lee highlights the importance of authenticity in their work and how the band’s dynamic fosters creativity and mutual inspiration.
• The conversation wraps with stories from the road and excitement for their upcoming tour, which will feature a visually immersive experience thanks to a collaboration with a well-known liquid light show artist.
• Overall, this episode offers a deeper look into Lee Gallagher’s artistic vision and the collaborative spirit that fuels the band, a reminder of how creativity thrives when people come together with a shared passion.

Links

• Lee Gallagher
• Lee Gallagher on Bandcamp
• You may also like our podcast with Cale Tyson
• Sloane Spencer now hosts a Gen X sleep podcast, Sleep with Rock Stars
• After you buy music or see a show with these musicians, feel free to toss a few in our Tip Jar

Chapters

• 00:00 - Introduction to Lee Gallagher and His Music
• 02:05 - The Formation of the Band
• 04:21 - The Journey of Making Our Record
• 11:14 - The Influence of Place on Music
• 11:15 - The Indie Rock Scene in Ohio
• 14:30 - The Mad Alchemist and His Liquid Light Shows

Takeaways

• Lee Gallagher talks about how the band’s sound naturally came together, a mix of indie rock and psychedelic folk, shaped by each member’s different background and musical roots.
• The debut album is more than just a collection of songs. It’s a snapshot of their journey as a band and the creative energy that brought them together.
• Live shows are a huge part of what makes this band tick. Lee shares how performing live brings out a unique connection between the band and the audience.
• When it came to recording at Light Rail Studios, the process was fast, raw, and totally in the moment, which really helped capture the spirit of their sound.
• The band’s name, Lee Gallagher and the Hallelujah, nods to gospel influences and their goal of creating music that’s full of feeling and soul.
• Looking ahead, they’re gearing up for a tour that’s not just about the music. They’re adding a visual edge with a liquid light show to create an even more immersive experience for fans.

Mentioned in this Episode

• Lee Gallagher and the Hallelujah
• Crawl Space Press
• Light Rail Studios
• Crazy Horse
• Grateful Dead
• Sheryl Crow
• Eric Burdon
• Victoria Williams
• Neil Young
• Humble Pie
• Living Color
• Doobie Brothers
• Temples
• Chuck Prophet
• Heartless Bastards
• Wussy
• Guided by Voices
• Drivin n Cryin

Recommended If You Like

Lee Gallagher, Hallelujah band, Country Fried Rock podcast, indie rock music, psychedelic folk sound, San Francisco music scene, midwestern songwriters, new album release, vinyl records, music interviews, live music performances, band formation stories, musician collaborations, recording studio experiences, music production insights, Americana music, gospel influences in rock, music festival performances, artist promotion strategies, musical inspirations.

Transcript

Speaker A

00:00:00.160 - 00:01:19.200

This week on Country Fried Rock, I talk with Lee Gallagher of Lee Gallagher and the Hallelujah. Their self titled kind of debut record just came out in January.

This midwestern songwriter formed his band in the bay area of San Francisco, merging his indie rock roots with the psychedelic folky vibe of the area. It's a great record and a fun conversation with Lee Gallagher today on Country Fried Rock. We really appreciate your support for country Fried Rock.

Every so often we offer a limited edition T shirt only, on sale for three weeks. And when they're gone, they're gone forever. Our brand new design is a spark plug with a very small Country Fried rock logo.

On sale now for three weeks only@teespring.com Country FriedRock 4 it's the limited edition T shirt number four designed by Skillet Gilmour, noted musician and designer with Crawl Space Press. They're super soft with women's kids v neck hoodie, long sleeve and they're all on sale right now for three weeks only.

Teespring.com Country Fried Rock 4 Get yours before it's gone forever. My guest today on Country Fried Rock is Lee Gallagher with a brand new self titled record, Lee Gallagher and the Hallelujah. Welcome.

Speaker B

00:01:19.200 - 00:01:20.480

Thank you. Thanks for having me.

Speaker A

00:01:20.720 - 00:01:23.850

So how'd y' all end up out in California, kind of?

Speaker B

00:01:23.850 - 00:02:05.850

Well, I think all of us fell into the dream of California, I guess. I don't know. I wasn't begging to leave. I'm from Cincinnati. Cincinnati has a great music scene, great history.

You know, I've met all sorts of people there. Pootsie Collins lives there. I met his brother Catfish, or he died, which is cool. Just lots of cool stuff.

But I don't know, we just, we all kind of met out here. We're all from Indiana and Ohio and Louisiana. We came together kind of by accident. I met Kirby, who plays the piano playing in the street.

I walked past him and he had an upright piano out in the street and he was playing with a drummer.

And I kind of just had to stop and turn around and I got up the courage, kind of asked what they were doing and yeah, and then we kind of hooked up and then everybody kind of fell in.

Speaker A

00:02:05.930 - 00:02:09.289

When did it kind of gel and become like, hey, I think we're a band?

Speaker B

00:02:10.010 - 00:03:14.190

Well, I drove over to meet with Kirby. First of all, I love the piano and it's very rare to find somebody who really plays the piano.

A lot of times you see people kind of standing behind a keyboard holding down cords, but this guy can play. And so I was excited to Meet him. And I drove her to his house.

He lives in El Cerrito, over in the East Bay, which the only thing I knew about El Cerrito is our holy records, blues folk based record labels based out of there. And that's where John Fogarty's from. That's the only thing I knew. So I went over there and it was cool to drive around there. And I went to his house.

He has an upright piano in his house. And I kind of just sat down and played some old blues songs. And that was it. And then we got Jacob Landry, who plays the guitar from Louisiana.

I kind of. I met him on Craigslist. That was the only Craigslist involved in the thing.

Pretty much Craigslist for me is all I did is like, list like 10 cool, cool bands. And he replied, you know, I put Graham Parsons, the band, Neil Young, Humble Pie, that kind of stuff.

So he came over and then we just kind of all fell in and started playing.

Speaker A

00:03:14.350 - 00:03:20.730

As y' all got together and started playing, were you just jamming from the offse on your own stuff? How did that develop?

Speaker B

00:03:21.530 - 00:04:42.470

Well, the funny thing was, when I moved here, I tried to force myself to learn how to record myself, which I was never really interested in. A lot of people were doing that kind of home recording, bedroom stuff. And I'm just so untechnical trying to do that.

So I had all these songs and I wrote a bunch of new songs. I was kind of doing it in my bedroom. And I would go down to the desert down in Joshua Tree.

And I met a friend of mine was recording some of my stuff in his house. And. And he would bring friends over. And the people down in Joshua Tree who kind of ended up playing on my record were people I was huge fans of.

Victoria Williams. I don't know if you ever listen to her. Yeah, she sang on this thing that I did.

And this guy, Waller Ingram, who played Sheryl Crow, he's been touring with Eric Burdon. He comes and plays a lot up in the Bay Area. But I had all these amazing musicians playing on the record.

And I had this record out and I didn't really know how to. But I lived up in San Francisco and so I needed a band. I had this record, which hopefully people get to hear that one too.

Because it kind of got pushed under the rug. I got this new thing going, but I just kind of was wanting a band to play the songs live. And so.

But once we got into that, then all these new songs came and we kind of had our own Identity.

So we started playing live, and we kind of really caught on in San Francisco doing something that it seems like nobody else is doing, which is kind of cool. We didn't really mean to do anything that nobody's doing. It just kind of happened. So, yeah, we went into the studio and put out a record.

We recorded it about nine days. It took us nine days to do the whole record, so.

Speaker A

00:04:42.470 - 00:04:42.990

Hey, y'.

Speaker B

00:04:42.990 - 00:04:43.070

All.

Speaker A

00:04:43.070 - 00:04:57.170

This is Sloan Spencer, the host of Country Fried Rock. We've had an incredible year with more people finding us on the radio and our podcast than we ever imagined. Thank you all so much.

Careful what you wish for, you just might get it.

Speaker B

00:04:57.330 - 00:04:59.970

Hey, this is Lee Gallagher on Country Fried Rock.

Speaker A

00:05:00.210 - 00:05:01.730

And where did you go to record that?

Speaker B

00:05:01.970 - 00:05:27.110

It's a place called Light Rail Studios. It's in San Francisco. It's actually. We have a rehearsal space there and the studio is attached.

And we actually wandered down the hall and there's a studio there, and the guys who own it are great. Crazy Horse would record there. Betty Kanter, who used to do. She started recording the Grateful Dead live.

So all the live stuff, they had the Betty's tapes, the Betty's boards, they called them. So she was in there doing some stuff for Chris Robinson.

Speaker A

00:05:27.110 - 00:05:27.710

Oh, my gosh.

Speaker B

00:05:27.870 - 00:05:49.070

Him live. And so, you know, it's just very. You know, San Francisco is a small town. The people you run across are just crazy.

And so I felt really at home in that place. And so we just kind of had these songs. We went in and played all night, really just did our thing.

And the record that we put out is essentially all the drums and the bass and the live stuff is that one night. And then we kind of just build on that.

Speaker A

00:05:49.610 - 00:05:53.450

Wow, that's great. Did you have anyone operating in a producer role or were you all doing that yourselves?

Speaker B

00:05:53.610 - 00:06:05.210

It was kind of self produced. We didn't. Nick, who owns the studio, was really into what we were doing. It's a very unproduced record.

But he did some great stuff as far as the engineering and stuff that he did is pretty cool.

Speaker A

00:06:05.450 - 00:06:07.210

What was the name of that other record?

Speaker B

00:06:07.690 - 00:06:37.830

It was called Valley of a Dying Breed. Didn't get to do the proper publicity and everything for it. But there's some good songs.

There's some good songs with me and Vic singing on, and it's more kind of acoustic y. Heavier stuff too. But this, when we did this record, it turned. Turned out to be more psychedelic and more heavy, and it just kind of happened.

I didn't really. I always kind of compare us to Crazy Horse meets the Heartbreakers.

You know, Tom Petty always talks about how he has, like, the best rock and roll band ever. And that's why he never gets new people to play with, because he's like, why would I?

Speaker A

00:06:38.070 - 00:06:43.430

So tell me a little bit about the visual of the album cover and the artwork that goes with all of that.

Speaker B

00:06:44.070 - 00:07:47.740

Well, that was kind of funny.

Doing art, I guess I'm kind of hard to work with and kind of opinionated, but being somebody who can't really do anything, like, I know what I want, I guess, but I can't really do it. And so I guess I can frustrate people with. So anyway, it was just actually that photograph. It's my face.

Everybody's like, oh, you need to be on the COVID And I was like, okay. So then I just had a bunch of pictures taken in a drunken night one night. But those are the ones that I kind of liked.

And so I was like, can you just kind of make this into some kind of image? And so this guy, he was actually in Cincinnati, friend of a friend. You know, he was a graphic guy. And he knew that. He sent that right away.

I just said, can you do something like this? And he sent it right away. I was like, yep, that's it. Done. So I'm a big fan of birds. When I first moved here, we went up to.

There's the greatest concentration of bald eagles in North America at the border of Oregon and California, right around this time of year. So when I first moved here, I drove up there. It's in the middle of nowhere, but there's just like, bald eagles, like pigeons.

They were doing a very country thing down there. They were baptizing my little nephew in the swimming pool. And a bald eagle flew over down there in Kentucky.

And they said it was me in spirit being there.

Speaker A

00:07:48.300 - 00:07:52.980

Explain to me how you became Lee Gallagher and the Hallelujah and you're spelled with the J A H, not the.

Speaker B

00:07:52.980 - 00:08:47.360

I A. I've always had an affinity towards gospel music.

And what we were trying to do is if you ever listen to anybody who's really, really singing, they're usually singing gospel music and just singing their heart out and losing themselves. And so coming up with a band's hard. And I just had that solo record out, so I kind of had that my name on it already.

But I really am a band type person. I love being in bands. I love the music that a certain group of people make together in the interplay and all that kind of stuff.

So it was a lot about Victoria Too. Down in the desert. She would go in the desert. The sunsets are spectacular. The sky is purple and pink and crazy.

And she would just come out and say, hallelujah. It's a hallelujah sunset. You all seen this? So it was just something simple, but something kind of cool that I was like, why not?

But I wanted to call them something. I wanted to have the band called something, not just call it Lee Gallagher.

Speaker A

00:08:47.440 - 00:08:51.440

So for a band that's fairly new, what's working for you all?

Speaker B

00:08:51.760 - 00:09:36.490

I think what's working for us is just when we go play, there's just an energy that, I don't know, we kind of tap into when we play, and it's really coming across, and people are getting into it and happening really fast.

We've had a lot of good opportunities, like, right away, like, to open for the Doobie Brothers at Shoreline Amphitheater down in Mountain View, which is like, I know it, because that's where Neil Young holds the bridge benefit. You know, it's a big Grateful Dead. Like, you know, you go into the venue and there's just a huge steal your face symbol over the thing.

So it had a really cool vibe, and the Doobie Brothers are great, so we got to play with them and just different stuff. We got to open for Living Color, which is cool.

Those guys really loved us, and just different stuff is happening, like, really fast, and we're lucky to get on the ball and put a record out that's coinciding with the energy that's happening with our live shows.

Speaker A

00:09:36.490 - 00:09:58.690

Hey, y'. All, this is Sloane Spencer, the host of Country Fried Rock. Those of y' all who listen on our podcasts, it's a quick hit of just the conversation.

If you want the full radio program with all the songs that we talk about, ask for it on your local radio station, joining 20 other stations across the country. Get the goods@countryfriendrock.org Hey, y', all, it's Lee Gallagher.

Speaker B

00:09:58.930 - 00:10:09.380

G A L L A G H E R In case you were confused. If you want to know more about our debut album, check it out@leegallagramusic.com what.

Speaker A

00:10:09.380 - 00:10:10.620

Do you all listen to currently?

Speaker B

00:10:11.260 - 00:11:13.970

All sorts of different stuff. I mean, Kirby, our piano players, more...

This week on Country Fried Rock, I talk with Lee Gallagher of Lee Gallagher and the Hallelujah.

Their self titled kind of debut record just came out in January.

This midwestern songwriter formed his band in the bay area of San Francisco, merging his indie rock roots with the psychedelic folky vibe of the area.

It's a great record and a fun conversation with Lee Gallagher today on Country Fried Rock.

We really appreciate your support for country Fried Rock.

Every so often we offer a limited edition T shirt only, on sale for three weeks.

And when they're gone, they're gone forever.

Our brand new design is a spark plug with a very small Country Fried rock logo.

On sale now for three weeks only@teespring.com Country FriedRock 4 it's the limited edition T shirt number four designed by Skillet Gilmour, noted musician and designer with Crawl Space Press.

They're super soft with women's kids v neck hoodie, long sleeve and they're all on sale right now for three weeks only.

Teespring.com Country Fried Rock 4 Get yours before it's gone forever.

My guest today on Country Fried Rock is Lee Gallagher with a brand new self titled record, Lee Gallagher and the Hallelujah.

Welcome.

Thank you.

Thanks for having me.

So how'd y' all end up out in California, kind of?

Well, I think all of us fell into the dream of California, I guess.

I don't know.

I wasn't begging to leave.

I'm from Cincinnati.

Cincinnati has a great music scene, great history.

You know, I've met all sorts of people there.

Pootsie Collins lives there.

I met his brother Catfish, or he died, which is cool.

Just lots of cool stuff.

But I don't know, we just, we all kind of met out here.

We're all from Indiana and Ohio and Louisiana.

We came together kind of by accident.

I met Kirby, who plays the piano playing in the street.

I walked past him and he had an upright piano out in the street and he was playing with a drummer.

And I kind of just had to stop and turn around and I got up the courage, kind of asked what they were doing and yeah, and then we kind of hooked up and then everybody kind of fell in.

When did it kind of gel and become like, hey, I think we're a band?

Well, I drove over to meet with Kirby.

First of all, I love the piano and it's very rare to find somebody who really plays the piano.

A lot of times you see people kind of standing behind a keyboard holding down cords, but this guy can play.

And so I was excited to Meet him.

And I drove her to his house.

He lives in El Cerrito, over in the East Bay, which the only thing I knew about El Cerrito is our holy records, blues folk based record labels based out of there.

And that's where John Fogarty's from.

That's the only thing I knew.

So I went over there and it was cool to drive around there.

And I went to his house.

He has an upright piano in his house.

And I kind of just sat down and played some old blues songs.

And that was it.

And then we got Jacob Landry, who plays the guitar from Louisiana.

I kind of.

I met him on Craigslist.

That was the only Craigslist involved in the thing.

Pretty much Craigslist for me is all I did is like, list like 10 cool, cool bands.

And he replied, you know, I put Graham Parsons, the band, Neil Young, Humble Pie, that kind of stuff.

So he came over and then we just kind of all fell in and started playing.

As y' all got together and started playing, were you just jamming from the offse on your own stuff?

How did that develop?

Well, the funny thing was, when I moved here, I tried to force myself to learn how to record myself, which I was never really interested in.

A lot of people were doing that kind of home recording, bedroom stuff.

And I'm just so untechnical trying to do that.

So I had all these songs and I wrote a bunch of new songs.

I was kind of doing it in my bedroom.

And I would go down to the desert down in Joshua Tree.

And I met a friend of mine was recording some of my stuff in his house.

And.

And he would bring friends over.

And the people down in Joshua Tree who kind of ended up playing on my record were people I was huge fans of.

Victoria Williams.

I don't know if you ever listen to her.

Yeah, she sang on this thing that I did.

And this guy, Waller Ingram, who played Sheryl Crow, he's been touring with Eric Burdon.

He comes and plays a lot up in the Bay Area.

But I had all these amazing musicians playing on the record.

And I had this record out and I didn't really know how to.

But I lived up in San Francisco and so I needed a band.

I had this record, which hopefully people get to hear that one too.

Because it kind of got pushed under the rug.

I got this new thing going, but I just kind of was wanting a band to play the songs live.

And so.

But once we got into that, then all these new songs came and we kind of had our own Identity.

So we started playing live, and we kind of really caught on in San Francisco doing something that it seems like nobody else is doing, which is kind of cool.

We didn't really mean to do anything that nobody's doing.

It just kind of happened.

So, yeah, we went into the studio and put out a record.

We recorded it about nine days.

It took us nine days to do the whole record, so.

Hey, y'.

All.

This is Sloan Spencer, the host of Country Fried Rock.

We've had an incredible year with more people finding us on the radio and our podcast than we ever imagined.

Thank you all so much.

Careful what you wish for, you just might get it.

Hey, this is Lee Gallagher on Country Fried Rock.

And where did you go to record that?

It's a place called Light Rail Studios.

It's in San Francisco.

It's actually.

We have a rehearsal space there and the studio is attached.

And we actually wandered down the hall and there's a studio there, and the guys who own it are great.

Crazy Horse would record there.

Betty Kanter, who used to do.

She started recording the Grateful Dead live.

So all the live stuff, they had the Betty's tapes, the Betty's boards, they called them.

So she was in there doing some stuff for Chris Robinson.

Oh, my gosh.

Him live.

And so, you know, it's just very.

You know, San Francisco is a small town.

The people you run across are just crazy.

And so I felt really at home in that place.

And so we just kind of had these songs.

We went in and played all night, really just did our thing.

And the record that we put out is essentially all the drums and the bass and the live stuff is that one night.

And then we kind of just build on that.

Wow, that's great.

Did you have anyone operating in a producer role or were you all doing that yourselves?

It was kind of self produced.

We didn't.

Nick, who owns the studio, was really into what we were doing.

It's a very unproduced record.

But he did some great stuff as far as the engineering and stuff that he did is pretty cool.

What was the name of that other record?

It was called Valley of a Dying Breed.

Didn't get to do the proper publicity and everything for it.

But there's some good songs.

There's some good songs with me and Vic singing on, and it's more kind of acoustic y.

Heavier stuff too.

But this, when we did this record, it turned.

Turned out to be more psychedelic and more heavy, and it just kind of happened.

I didn't really.

I always kind of compare us to Crazy Horse meets the Heartbreakers.

You know, Tom Petty always talks about how he has, like, the best rock and roll band ever.

And that's why he never gets new people to play with, because he's like, why would I?

So tell me a little bit about the visual of the album cover and the artwork that goes with all of that.

Well, that was kind of funny.

Doing art, I guess I'm kind of hard to work with and kind of opinionated, but being somebody who can't really do anything, like, I know what I want, I guess, but I can't really do it.

And so I guess I can frustrate people with.

So anyway, it was just actually that photograph.

It's my face.

Everybody's like, oh, you need to be on the COVID And I was like, okay.

So then I just had a bunch of pictures taken in a drunken night one night.

But those are the ones that I kind of liked.

And so I was like, can you just kind of make this into some kind of image?

And so this guy, he was actually in Cincinnati, friend of a friend.

You know, he was a graphic guy.

And he knew that.

He sent that right away.

I just said, can you do something like this?

And he sent it right away.

I was like, yep, that's it.

Done.

So I'm a big fan of birds.

When I first moved here, we went up to.

There's the greatest concentration of bald eagles in North America at the border of Oregon and California, right around this time of year.

So when I first moved here, I drove up there.

It's in the middle of nowhere, but there's just like, bald eagles, like pigeons.

They were doing a very country thing down there.

They were baptizing my little nephew in the swimming pool.

And a bald eagle flew over down there in Kentucky.

And they said it was me in spirit being there.

Explain to me how you became Lee Gallagher and the Hallelujah and you're spelled with the J A H, not the.

I A. I've always had an affinity towards gospel music.

And what we were trying to do is if you ever listen to anybody who's really, really singing, they're usually singing gospel music and just singing their heart out and losing themselves.

And so coming up with a band's hard.

And I just had that solo record out, so I kind of had that my name on it already.

But I really am a band type person.

I love being in bands.

I love the music that a certain group of people make together in the interplay and all that kind of stuff.

So it was a lot about Victoria Too.

Down in the desert.

She would go in the desert.

The sunsets are spectacular.

The sky is purple and pink and crazy.

And she would just come out and say, hallelujah.

It's a hallelujah sunset.

You all seen this?

So it was just something simple, but something kind of cool that I was like, why not?

But I wanted to call them something.

I wanted to have the band called something, not just call it Lee Gallagher.

So for a band that's fairly new, what's working for you all?

I think what's working for us is just when we go play, there's just an energy that, I don't know, we kind of tap into when we play, and it's really coming across, and people are getting into it and happening really fast.

We've had a lot of good opportunities, like, right away, like, to open for the Doobie Brothers at Shoreline Amphitheater down in Mountain View, which is like, I know it, because that's where Neil Young holds the bridge benefit.

You know, it's a big Grateful Dead.

Like, you know, you go into the venue and there's just a huge steal your face symbol over the thing.

So it had a really cool vibe, and the Doobie Brothers are great, so we got to play with them and just different stuff.

We got to open for Living Color, which is cool.

Those guys really loved us, and just different stuff is happening, like, really fast, and we're lucky to get on the ball and put a record out that's coinciding with the energy that's happening with our live shows.

Hey, y'.

All, this is Sloane Spencer, the host of Country Fried Rock.

Those of y' all who listen on our podcasts, it's a quick hit of just the conversation.

If you want the full radio program with all the songs that we talk about, ask for it on your local radio station, joining 20 other stations across the country.

Get the goods@countryfriendrock.org Hey, y', all, it's Lee Gallagher.

G A L L A G H E R In case you were confused.

If you want to know more about our debut album, check it out@leegallagramusic.com what.

Do you all listen to currently?

All sorts of different stuff.

I mean, Kirby, our piano players, more super gospel, old blues Lightning Hopkins, Elmore James, all that kind of stuff.

Professor Longhair.

I don't listen to a lot of new stuff.

I have a lot of friends.

Like, a lot of the bands around here are doing great stuff.

There's a core.

I mean, there's bands like Hal and Rain.

There's bands like.

There's this girl, Jessica Pratt, who just moved down to la, but she's doing really cool stuff.

Lots of bands.

We had a big party at a release party and kind of had everybody come and sit in.

We had like 10 guest artists and we learned a bunch of songs and it was a very familiar, you know, the family learned songs and played together and it was.

It was really cool.

But it was a cool scene.

There's always.

San Francisco is getting a lot of press for being.

Forcing artists out.

I'm lucky to be under rent control and I have a place here.

And then I just saw Chuck Profitt last night.

He's another cool guy who's on the scene and I'm glad he's a San Franciscan and he's still staying here.

He's not leaving, he's not moving to LA or anything.

He's great.

There's always this hint of psychedelia and different stuff that comes in just from being in San Francisco.

Do you have particular places that you all have really liked playing, whether it's the venue itself or the town?

I mean, ever since I moved here, I mean, as soon as I stepped foot into the Fillmore here, I was like, church.

I'm a huge fan of music and music history and all that kind of stuff.

And you walk into a place where they greet you when you walk in, they say, welcome to the Fillmore.

There's a big bowl of apples they would give out, usually because people were taking a bunch of acid and not really drinking or doing anything.

So they would give.

Have some fruit.

And the pictures are there, you know, just like you go in there and you're like, wow, Jimi Hendrix stood on the stage or Jefferson Airplane or all this, the Dead.

And it's cool.

And I was at the Great American Music hall last night, which is another great venue.

It's an old.

It used to be a bordello, but it's just a very ornate, beautiful place.

And there's just lots of crazy stuff.

I would walk through this north beach, which is where City Lights Bookstore is.

And like, you know, that's where Kerouac and Dylan, you know, there's famous pictures of Dylan standing with Ginsburg there.

And I think they put out how when that came out.

And I would see Paul Kantner from the Jefferson Airplane sitting out at Cafe Trieste, where supposedly Coppola wrote the Godfather there.

And it's just, you know, it's just.

It's just crazy.

It's just cool place to be.

Being from Ohio you know.

Right.

Although Cincinnati is quite a cool place.

It's got quite a scene.

It does, and it's great.

And lots of cool stuff friends of mine and a band called Wussy have been doing.

They've had a great year.

Love them.

I've been trying to track them down, and they're on the road when I'm available, and vice versa.

They are fantastic.

Yeah, they're great.

They were just kind of coming together, right?

Well, they were together when I moved away, but I used to play with Ponies, Buck's old band.

But they're great.

I met Lisa before she even knew how to play guitar.

I think she was just a fast learner.

But then they got on.

She hung out with Chuck, who's a great songwriter, and they just took off.

This year has been their best year.

I think they're doing really good.

Make note.

We're trying to get them on the show, y'.

All.

Heartless bastards.

They're from Cincinnati.

They live in Austin now.

But another great band that I really look up to and respect Erica's songwriting and singing and all that stuff.

She's from Dayton, so Dayton's another big indie rock.

Dayton's like a. I don't want to call it a scumbag town.

It's just a cool little Ohio town.

Nothing's really going on.

But the Breeders are from there.

Guided by Voices.

A bunch of cool stuff.

So I'm your host, Sloane Spencer.

You can keep in touch with us on Facebook.

But I really like Twitter, where we are countryfriderock, ending with all R O K. And if you want to see pictures of my shoes, my dog and my lunch, stop by Instagram.

But whatever way you like to hang out, stop by and say, hey.

Hey.

This is Lee Gallagher of Lee Gallagher and the Hallelujah.

Our website is leegallagermusic.com Our new record just came out.

Please stop by.

You can get the vinyl, the CDs, or download it on itunes.

Our Country Fried Rock limited edition number 4T shirts are only available until March 16, and when they're gone, they're gone forever.

Order yours today AT T, sport.

As y' all are getting ready to kick off this run in March.

Do you have anybody going with you?

Are you opening for anybody?

Are you doing it yourselves?

What's up with that?

We're doing it ourselves.

We're playing a festival in Boise, Idaho, and then we're gonna go up to Portland and Seattle and come back down.

And then we hope to in late summer.

The plan is to tour with this guy who calls himself the Mad Alchemist doing liquid light shows in San Francisco.

And he's been around.

He was actually a photographer for Rocky erickson from the 13th floor elevators back in the day.

He's a really groovy, cool guy who is bringing back the analog liquid.

Like what you see on TV in the 60s, like the oil and the water and the color.

And it's really like an art form with the plates and moving the plates through projectors onto the screen.

Wow.

And he just did a big European run with this band called Temples, who were really taken off.

And he loves my band and so we've worked together before and it kind of works with the music.

And so we're going to go on a bigger run out to Chicago, New York, through the south, who knows?

But that's going to be like late July, early August, like a three week run.

Yeah, it's pretty cool.

He takes the whole thing.

It's really grown.

His light show has grown.

He's doing like eight projectors now and it's really intense.

Cool thing because they really.

Well, all lights do, but they really go with the music.

And what's happening to the music and.

From a technical standpoint, is he making the visual vibe happen as he's listening?

Yeah.

Wow, that's cool.

He mixes the colors and does all the oils, but then he has these plates and so.

And he has other guys and he really like listens to the music.

And of course it gets better as he gets more familiar with your music and stuff.

But he knows when stuff's gonna happen.

Stuff is swirling all around.

Like he can really transform any kind of venue into like you're in outer space, which is pretty cool, especially to bring it on the road and kinda go on a tour with that, because people don't get to see that kind of stuff.

There's only like a handful of people who do it in the world, so it's pretty cool.

So.

All right.

So you mentioned that y' all had some vinyl made in Nashville.

Tell me about that.

Well, I think there's only like three or four big vinyl places in the country and United is based out of Nashville and they're.

They're one that kind of just.

I don't know, I called them and they're kind of doing what I want to do, so it was a good place.

I have family down in Nashville, so, you know, I want to support those people.

Did y' all have to do any different mixing or mastering or anything for the vinyl?

You did master for vinyl.

That's another cool thing that I got to do since I live here, is this guy George Horn mastered our record and I got to go and sit there and watch him do it.

And this guy, if you like Wikipedia, George Horne, he has done everything.

Neil Young, the Dead, he did the Basement Tapes.

He was actually doing a Muddy Waters record when I walked in.

He's like, oh, let me finish this up and then I'll and he really has a cool, unique sound to what he does, and mastering is kind of mysterious to me, but he did it.

Cut the lacquer there.

It's actually like a physical machine that cuts this piece and then you mail it to Nashville and they make it.

Lee Gallagher I am looking forward to seeing hopefully catching a show for y' all on the road, but I know for sure that our listeners would love to see that light show.

Oh yeah.

Well, Sloan, thanks for having me.

And yeah, I hope to get out to the east coast and the south and all that stuff very soon.

Very cool.

Safe travels to y' all and congrats on the new record.

Thanks so much.

Thank you so much.

Bye bye.

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