Rising Hartlepool singer-songwriter Michael Gallagher merges indie, pop and rock, openly and honestly writing about ‘real people and real life’, according to his Spotify profile. Let’s chat with him ahead of his set at Neighbourhood Festival this October…
How did you get into music?
“I started playing in bands in school when I was about 13. My Nana give me a box of Rolling Stones and Bowie CD’s a couple of years later and I remember being hooked ever since!”
Who are your main influences and how have they shaped the music you write today?
“Its hard to pinpoint it on a certain artist that influences my sound but I would say older artists like The Stones & The Beatles and then bands like The Strokes, The Vaccines & Kings of Leon from more recent times. I have a wide range in interests and inspiration though and I like to try and bring that out in my music.”
What’s the best gig you’ve played so far and why?
“My favourite gig that I’ve played is a sold out hometown show in front of 400+ people. A close second to that would be Isle of Wight festival as it was the first major festival I had played and at the time it was a surreal experience sharing a bill with some iconic names.”
What does your song writing process look like?
“Prior to Covid, all songs would be written solely on the acoustic guitar in my bathroom! However during the pandemic I managed to set up a little home recording studio, so I now write most of my songs that way and demo them before sharing them with the band. It’s been pretty cool and probably allowed me to experiment a bit more with different sounds and allows me to be a bit more creative in the first instance of the writing process.”
You’ve recently been added to the Neighbourhood line-up. Are you excited to play? Is there anyone else you’re looking forward to see play?
“I am really excited to play! I remember going to the first one as a punter when I was a teenager which was in 2016 I think. It was my first experience of this type of festival so will be really special to get to perform there as I know first hand it’s a mega day of new and established music to take in. Who am I looking forward to see? Too many sick artists on the line up to choose from but would be great to catch any of Dylan, STONE, The Royston Club and of course The Snuts.”
What is your experience of playing in Manchester, have you played there often before?
“Yeah – I’ve performed a couple of times in Manchester, last year at a headline show at Off The Square then more recently at Deaf Institute. Both were quality gigs, so really looking forward to getting back down and playing in front a ‘Manc’ audience again! Hopefully will be another headline gig following Neighbourhood in Manchester to talk about very soon…”
Whats next for you? Anything exciting in the pipeline?
“Yes, plenty of exciting things happening behind the scenes at the minute, which I can’t wait to be able to share with everyone shortly! All I can say for now is to expect plenty of new music and maybe a few live dates…”
Listen to Michael Gallagher here and grab tickets below for Neighbourhood Festival: