Acclaimed singer-songwriter and celebrated actor John Gallagher Jr. will release his third album, the confessional, cathartic and emotionally charged Goodbye or Something on June 28 via Grand Phony Music

Gallagher’s most personal and profound LP to date, Goodbye or Something is a heart-wrenching and sometimes humorous reflection on lost love and the power of music, familial bonds and a good meal to see us through. Taking inspiration from Prine, Costello, Springsteen, Westerberg and Schlesinger, Gallagher’s music is raw, honest, and heartfelt. Composed entirely by Gallagher, the eleven original tracks that make up the album were recorded at Studio G in Brooklyn, NY and features Gallagher on vocals and guitar along with Zach Jones (drums, percussion), Oscar Albis Rodriguez (guitars, piano, keys), Chris Cubeta (harmonium), Hannah Winkler (vocals), and Todd Caldwell (Hammond B3). 

A noted actor, Gallagher has starred in numerous hit film, television and stage productions including HBO’s The Newsroom, indie-drama Short Term 12, thriller 10 Cloverfield Lane, and horror film Hush. He won a Tony Award for his performance in Duncan Sheik’s hit musical Spring Awakening, portrayed the Jesus of Suburbia in the Broadway adaptation of Green Day’s Grammy-winning rock opera American Idiot, and most recently stars in Swept Away - a new musical featuring songs by The Avett Brothers. But when it comes to his own music, that’s a bit more personal. 

While Gallagher has always leaned into the profundity of private life in his songwriting, this new batch of tunes are in a different class from his previous work: raw and relentless in their pursuit of difficult truths. Plain and simple in their recounting of the facts that make up the fabric of a traumatic romantic disentanglement.

Born in the Small Wonder of Wilmington, Delaware to folk musicians, John wrote his first song at the ripe age of 5. In the years between he has played in a half-dozen bands ranging from roots rock to pop punk. He gigs most often as a solo performer, wielding his Gibson J-45 and red lightning bolt strap. 

“Write what you know - I don’t go for that,” John sarcastically joked while sharing his latest crop of songs at Rockwood Music Hall - the venue on NYCs Lower East Side that has hosted him since 2006 and released his debut album Six Day Hurricane (2016). The wry humor is par for the course at a Gallagher gig. Produced by guitarist Thad DeBrock, that first LP drew comparisons to the jangly Laurel Canyon guitars of The Byrds and the lean bar band dynamics of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Following the release, John hit the road as an opening act for Anaïs Mitchell and Aaron Lee Tasjan. 

2021 saw the online self-release of 8th and Jane, a short but sweet 8-song sophomore effort. It’s a fast and fierce postcard jammed with power pop rock and roll numbers, smoothed out by several soul-searching acoustic ballads. An almost tragicomic blend of the rootsy bravado and vulnerable heart-on-sleeve reflection that has become a staple of his music.

Two and a half years after Gallagher began writing it, Goodbye or Something is, at long last, set to be released on June 28th. A special record release show has been confirmed for June 27th at Brooklyn Made in New York with special guests Bandits on the Run. Tickets on sale here. Look for Gallagher playing songs from the album on the road in additional cities this summer.