“You know you have arrived at an especially blessed and spiritual rock and roll place.”

— AMERICANA HIGHWAYS

Ohio born singer- songwriter Lee Gallagher has been walking an increasingly narrow tightrope over the swirling LSD dosed waters of early 70s acoustic folk rock a la Workingman’s Dead and the brutal guitar assault and swagger of fellow Fillmore alumni Humble Pie and Led Zeppelin.  Marrying such diverse sounds is no easy feat especially in a live setting but Gallagher’s haunted, trembling voice can turn on a dime and take your head off like a guillotine, riding a wave of scorching guitar solos and fuzzed out organ vamps.

It’s no surprise that Gallagher ended up in the hallowed ground of San Francisco, CA and fronting a band he dubbed “The Hallelujah”.  After arriving in California and making frequent pilgrimages to the equally heady village of Joshua Tree, the keeper of Gram Parsons ghost, Gallagher hooked up with kindred spirit, acclaimed singer-songwriter and arguably the founder of “freak folk”,  Victoria Williams among other desert dwellers and recorded the stunning debut EP Valley of a Dying Breed. In the wake of Valley Gallagher was itching for a rock and roll band to satisfy the ever present bursts of energy and soul that was materializing in his most recent batch of songs.  The match was lit when he met fellow Midwesterner,  keyboardist Kirby Hammel busking on Fisherman’s Wharf.  The Hallelujah was born and soon rose to the top of the San Francisco music scene.  Their debut record was recorded through Jerry Garcia’s old tape machine at Light Rail Studios and garnered praise from Relix, Shindig!, and Classic Rock magazines.  The band toured extensively across the US in support of the album with quintessential San Francisco dancehall visuals from the Mad Alchemy Liquid Light Show in tow.  This all culminated with what Gallagher calls a career highlight, opening a sold out show for the late great Leon Russell just months before he suddenly passed away.

The sophomore full length release L.A. Yesterday was recorded at the vintage 70s studio, Palomino Sound in Los Angeles.  Along with long time musical partners Kirby Hammel on keyboards and Jimmy Dewald on bass, Jason Soda (Everest, Gospelbeach, Jacob Dylan), who owns and operates Palomino was brought on board to engineer, produce, and play lead guitar, and LA veteran Will Scott (Gospelbeach, Pink Mountaintops) handled the drum duties.  The result was a shift in direction for Gallagher, a lush set of songs with layered acoustics, slide guitar, 12 strings, mandolins, mellotron, and female backing singers.  The album features some serious guitar work from Soda and was the perfect compliment to Hammel’s blissed out organ and piano.  The critically acclaimed album was released in July 2020, receiving praise from Shindig! , No Depression, Americana Highways, and many others.  No live shows were played in support of the album due to arrival of the great unknown - a worldwide shutdown due to a global pandemic.

After moving to Nashville to be closer to family, Gallagher wanted to capitalize on his blossoming musical partnership with Jason Soda and not squander the opportunity to create something new while the world was standing still, so he holed up in an Airbnb in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles armed with an acoustic guitar and notebooks of song fragments and headed back to work.  This time the “Hallelujah”  was composed of all LA musicians, with Soda returning on production/engineering duties and lead guitar, and Will Scott returning on the drums.  New additions were Steven Mertens (Moldy Peaches) on bass and Jonny Niemann (Gospelbeach) on keyboards.  The result was another evolution and Gallagher’s recent release The Falcon Ate the Flower.  The layered acoustics and background singers of L.A. Yesterday were replaced by a stripped down, completely live band wading through sun kissed, rippling waters with heavy undercurrents.  With the addition of the legendary Scarlet Rivera, whose violin was the centerpiece of Bob Dylan’s 1976 masterpiece Desire and the supporting tour dubbed the Rolling Thunder Revue, the songs take on an almost ancient, mystic quality.  The Falcon Ate the Flower will be released on November 3rd, 2023 via Clean Livin’ Records.

PRAISE FOR L.A. YESTERDAY

“Gallagher’s vocal power may remind you of the late Steve Marriot or a young Robert Plant.”

— RELIX MAGAZINE

“The mix of spacey blues-rock and those Laurel Canyon influences, combined with Gallagher’s incredible voice, put the LP in constant rotation”

— NO DEPRESSION

“A nod to a throwback era where sounds from the twin West Coast metropolises twisted the axis of rock n’ roll on its head.”

— THREE CHORDS AND THE TRUTH

“Layered and energetic execution of Americana and classic rock that’s just as memorable as names like Plant and Petty. 8/10”

— TAKE EFFECT

“Album of the year. Not a bad track, not a bum note, not a duff lyric. Just amazing. 10/10”

— HOBO ON THE TRACKS