The last two years took a toll on singer-songwriter and actor John Gallagher Jr.

For any middle-aged multi-hyphenate straining to claim a corner stall in music’s ever-evolving marketplace, it’s clearer than ever that you have to go for broke if you want anyone to slow down and take note of what you have to offer. And so, with The Big 4-0 in the headlights and a few decades of scattered showbiz success in the rearview, John vowed to go big rather than go home. He threw every cell of himself (and every cent in his wallet) into two long-gestating passion projects, one being the achingly autobiographical jangle-folk breakup record Goodbye or Something, and the other, the epic roots-rock musical Swept Away featuring the songs of acclaimed Americana act The Avett Brothers in which Gallagher starred. After an eight-year journey through workshops, COVID delays and sold out regional theater productions, the show was finally set to open on Broadway in November 2024, just a few months after the release of John’s cathartic and confessional third LP. The timing was perfect, the pieces were falling into place and the stage was set for a knockout one-two artistic punch. John steeled himself for a high-profile year of creative expression and personal reinvention. But by the end of December, despite opening to rave reviews, Swept Away swiftly closed due to poor ticket sales and Goodbye or Something was lightyears away from anybody’s buzzy Year End list. John had swung for the fences and struck out.

Fearing a total career collapse, John retreated to his Brooklyn, NY apartment and survived the harsh winter by bingeing bourbon, both seasons of Severance and surrendering to a series of reassuring pep talks from his saint of a girlfriend. After several months spent in wound-licking hibernation, John eventually tip-toed back out amongst the living to assess the damage and clear the debris. He started small with a few live shows, some as a solo act and some backed by his hard-hitting band, the Summer Flame. Lo and behold, audiences showed up to listen and sing along. It turned out all was not lost and it was only a matter of time before John found the fun in making music again. What’s more was that this new music he was making felt far too electric, immediate and relatable to withhold from the eager ears of his limited but loyal listeners. The next step seemed obvious: it was time to go back into the studio.

With a burst of try, try again doggedness comes John’s new EP, Almost Ok, his second release on the New Hope, PA-based indie label Grand Phony Music. If their last outing together, Goodbye or Something, was an ambitious bridge spanning the storm surge of Gallagher’s then-wrecked romantic life, Almost Ok is an understated set of stepping stones across a rushing river to safe passage. “I was going through a seismic life shift on my last record and hoped its release would make a proportionate splash. Ultimately it barely caused a ripple,” Gallagher recalls. “Combine that letdown with the heartbreak of Swept Away closing so suddenly and I was forced to relearn an age-old lesson about the perils of great expectations. Dreaming big can be dangerous. This time around I needed to scale it all back. Just play a few songs with my band and not overthink it.”

Initially imagined as a 7-inch made up of the mellow Jeff Tweedy-twinged nostalgic daydream “Lido Lane” and Laurel Canyon-lacquered road anthem/love letter “Mitsuko,” the first few sessions at Studio G in Brooklyn, NY coalesced with such invigorating and validating ease, it was clear that this record wanted to be bigger than just two songs. So the band reconvened a few months later for another round of recording overseen by the producing pair of Oscar Albis Rodriguez and Zach Jones, who also serve as crackerjack lead guitarist and diesel-driving drummer/vocalist, respectively. Fellow Grand Phony artist Hannah Winkler added her effortless keys and vocals to the tracks and the steady, sturdy Tim Lappin provided bass. Each member an accomplished singer-songwriter in their own right. The ensemble had cut their teeth playing together live for two years but Almost Ok would be the first attempt to capture their sound on record. The resulting tracks convey the same playful dynamism they bring to the stage.

The power-pop tragicomic album opener “Tough Spit” conjures a mid-80s Elvis Costello and the Attractions as it paints a playfully paranoid picture of the current state of America’s sociopolitical mediascape. “I was gonna go to the store / But I don’t really wanna get shot,” Gallagher sings over thumping toms and palm-muted guitars, “Besides there isn’t that much more I could buy that wouldn’t speed up the Doomsday Clock.”

The second track “Never Leave” shifts gears as it lulls listeners into an acoustic finger-picked rumination on a bittersweet rum- and remorse- soaked family trip to the Jersey Shore reminiscent of Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit’s rich ballads. “New Jersey transit is a great place to be sad,” John laments in the lyrics, “You can stare out the window wracked with guilt and feeling bad about the time you raised your voice and were mean for no reason to your dad.” 

“All This Changing” namechecks the EP title directly as Gallagher’s mournful tenor weathers a deep depression before hinting at a peaceful parting of the clouds. “Baby, appreciate you waiting / And wading with me through all this changing,” John professes in the final chorus, “And one day the sun will shine and I’ll say / Hey how about that / I’m feeling almost ok.”

Perhaps more so than on his previous three records, John proves here that he is just as comfortable mining a softer, quiet introspection as he is plugging in and powering through. “There’s a reason I always come back to artists like Bruce Springsteen, Paul Westerberg, Tom Petty and Neil Young,” John muses. “I’ve always been drawn to rock and roll frontmen who are not so secretly sensitive singer-songwriters at their core. My parents weaned me on folk music after all. I guess I still like to split the difference.”

While some records are proclamations, the five songs of Almost Ok arrive more like a postcard from a state of being. A brief communique by someone who is on the mend. Like most EPs, this one is over too soon but for those left wanting more, good news is on the way. John already has the makings for several follow-ups, and this latest release comes with an uptick in chances to catch him live. 2026 sees John hitting the road with more frequency both as an acoustic solo act and with his trusty band in tow. “I’ve been writing songs and playing live for twenty seven years but my acting career caught on early and took off. My music has mostly been a DIY side project. I’m trying to make up for that now.” John reflects. “Whether it’s five people listening or five hundred, I still have the hunger to share this music while I can with whomever shows up to hear it.”

Much like enduring heartbreak and professional setbacks, releasing new, original music as an independent artist can be a vulnerable, sometimes painful exploit, rigged with sky-high fantasies and cavernous actualities. Once on the other side of saying your piece and baring your soul, it’s all too tempting to swear you’ll never put yourself through the wringer again. But with lyrics so immediate and poignant sung with such assured earnestness, delivered atop a glut of rollicking live-wire buoyancy, it makes perfect sense why John Gallagher Jr. is putting himself back out there.

Photos by Regina Strayhorn