I met Ben Gallaher at CRS in 2023. I thought I had already featured him as a Music Spotlight artist, but I soon realized I had not.
Ben Gallaher is a triple-threat singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, signed to Stone Country Records. He started playing guitar when he was six.
He recalled, "My folks got me a toy guitar, and I took to it. They noticed that and got me a real guitar in a smaller size."
After a handful of lessons, this now master guitarist was primarily self-taught.
He continued, "It sounds crazy to say, but the truth was that I knew right then and there that that's what I was supposed to do. And I've never had a plan B."
Gallaher grew up on '90s country like Brooks & Dunn, Tim McGraw, and Black Hawk. He didn't get into rock and roll until high school.
By the time Gallaher was 19, he had moved to Nashville, where he attended Belmont. His goal was to get a band, get on the road, and play. He and a few other guys would play anywhere that would have them all while attending college.
Gallaher stood out in a town full of guitarists playing riffs and solos that were every bit as melodic as his songs.
He stated, "Just because a guitar part doesn't have a lyric, doesn't mean it can't make you feel something."
As a songwriter, he emphasized the intro guitar riff because that is the first thing the listener hears. "If they don't like how it starts, you'll never get them to the end of the chorus where the hook is. The guitar is an extension of what I do. One of my favorite things about making music is writing those parts, going into the studio, and laying them down," he confirmed.
In 2023, Gallaher released his debut album, Country In The House, which contained the hit singles "Still A Few Cowboys Left" and "Lovin' You Gets in The Way." Also in 2023, Gallaher's online fan base has exploded in the past 18 months, with his viral guitar riff "Stomp" generating over 36 million organic social views. The riff has inspired over 10,000 fan-created videos, earned praise from guitar heroes, including Peter Frampton, and helped Gallaher amass nearly 400,000 social media followers.
When Stomp went viral, there was no song, just a riff. So, Gallaher and a couple of other songwriters put lyrics to music, and in 2024, the song "Stomp" was born.
He explained, "That song changed a lot of things for me. It reminded me that a 20-second clip of just music can impact many people if it makes them feel something."
Stone Country Records' triple-threat singer, songwriter, and guitarist has released a five-track EP, Bullet, across all digital and streaming platforms. The title track, "Bullet," is an epic rock ballad about being willing to lay down your life for someone you love. "I wrote it for my wife," said Gallaher, "but now we have a baby boy, and so it takes on a whole new meaning."
The first song they released was Bryan Adams' cover, "Cut Like A Knife." And while Gallaher's voice doesn't have quite the same rasp as Adams's, he plays every guitar part of the track. He put his stamp on this iconic song. The music video features sprint cars from the World of Outlaws national dirt-track racing series. It may be better than the original.
Also released before the EP came out was the tune "Kinda Can't Say No," a lust song to an irresistible woman, a man can't walk away from, even if he knows he should. The mid-tempo track was produced by Neil Thrasher and Patrick Thrasher and written by Neil Thrasher alongside fellow No. 1 country songwriters Lee Thomas Miller (Jamey Johnson's "In Color") and Wendell Mobley (Kenny Chesney's "There Goes My Life").
While Gallaher has little trouble coming up with the lyrics to describe a woman he can't do without (his wife), he sometimes struggles with the guitar parts because he is a perfectionist when it comes to the melody and intro.
Thrasher advised him, "Man, don't think. Just play." And the next take ended up being the intro.
"Dirt Ones" is a road trip anthem that reminds you that part of your life path will be the road less traveled—a dirt road often. Gallaher inserted, "It's about being where you're at, but also being able to cut loose. I think we all feel like, especially me, we get so caught up in life that we forget to take the dirt road, take the long way, not just literally but metaphorically.
They say that everything that doesn't kill you makes you stronger, but as Gallaher reminded me, "Sometimes you get really close to that killing me part." "Mistakes" is a song that addresses this issue. "Sometimes you're walking a fine line, but this song is about getting knocked down and getting back up again."
The Bullet EP has a song for everybody - from love to loss, heartbreak, lessons learned, and hope. It is a preview of a forthcoming album to be released later this year. Because Gallaher is exceptionally talented and meticulous, his music is the standard to aspire to if you are a country rocker. Stone Cold Records is correct; Gallaher is a triple-threat singer, songwriter, and guitarist. I could hear that voice and listen to those riffs all day long.
For more information on Ben Gallaher, including spring and summer tour dates as they are announced, follow his website, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, X, Threads, YouTube, and all streaming platforms.
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Bethany Bowman is a freelance entertainment writer. You can follow her blog, Instagram, and X.
Bullet Official Track Listing
1. Bullet (Ben Gallaher / Chris August / Kelley Lovelace / Neil Thrasher)
2. Kinda Can't Say No (Lee Thomas Miller / Wendell Mobley / Neil Thrasher)
3. Dirt Ones (Tony Martin / Neil Thrasher)
4. Mistakes (Ben Gallaher / Tony Martin / Neil Thrasher)
5. Cuts Like a Knife (Bryan Adams / Jim Vallance)
