The Gaslight Anthem Frontman Brian Fallon Has Stepped Away from His

INTERVIEW BRIAN FALLON 18 ACOUSTIC MAGAZINE SUMMER 2016 018-020_Brian Fallon_Rev3_NR.indd 18 26/07/2016 13:57 BRIAN FALLON INTERVIEW BRIAN FALLON The Gaslight Anthem frontman Brian Fallon has stepped away from his punk-rock band to tap into his folk roots and take his acoustic playing to new heights on debut solo album Painkillers WORDS: SEAN REID henever a band goes on perspective on his work. “I’ve never really Fallon credits Tim Fogarty, who worked at hiatus, it seems inevitable had a partner before,” explains Fallon, “It was a local music shop, as the person who got him that the frontman embarks cool get outside influences. When you play by into playing the guitar and for keeping his Won a solo venture. And, after yourself you run into the same old tricks, and nascent interest burning. a detour with blues-rock outfit the Horrible sometimes you need someone else to show “Tim started me on my way of learning Crowes, Brian Fallon, who made his name with you something different so you can learn and songs,” he says. “He never started me with the hugely successful rock outfit the Gaslight expand. It was an experiment to see what else I theory or anything like that, I’d learn all of that Anthem, has done just that. can learn and it worked out pretty well.” information through learning songs. He would His debut solo album, Painkillers, sees Fallon Fallon’s introduction to the guitar came figure out the songs I wanted to learn and then revisit his youth, when he lived off a musical through his mother Debbie, who played in teach them back to me. That really kept me diet of Springsteen, Dylan and Petty, and interested in playing guitar, rather then saying, abandoning the punk rock sound that powered “you have to learn ‘Happy Birthday’”, which the Gaslight Anthem, instead opting for a “When you play is the way to kill somebody’s desire to play an warm, folk-driven approach. instrument instantly.” “That was the first music I played when I by yourself Despite the success he’s achieved in recent was younger,” says Fallon as he chats to us years, Fallon’s eagerness to learn remains before his show in Nottingham that evening. “I sometimes you intact, and those early lessons still act as a wasn’t really into any rock’n’roll music. I liked template for his practice. mostly folk music.” need someone “I realised that when I was going to do some Painkillers has allowed Fallon to go back to shows by myself, I better not just strum a his roots, which he’s combined with years else to show guitar,” Fallon tells us. “I figured it was the right worth of knowledge as a touring musician. “I time to learn how to finger pick properly, so felt now was the time to record and release you something I started teaching myself. I would sit in front a solo record: I was old enough to have the of the TV and continuously practise day in, experience to write a singer-songwriter record different so you day out. I’m getting the hang of it now, but I’m like the records I had in my era,” explains the never satisfied with my own ability.” New Jersey native. “The whole thing about can expand” That desire to constantly improve led Fallon doing a record by yourself is just trying to to reach out to some new-found friends strip down as far as you can. Essentially that is on Twitter, including American singer- what I have always done, even in the Gaslight folk bands in the 60s. “I think she had an songwriters Ryan Bingham and Jason Isbell. Anthem. Any song I have written has always Ovation or a nylon string, something like “That’s the thing, you become friends with been about the story and the melody.” that,” says Fallon. “I don’t really remember people on Twitter, so I figured I would ask them Having spent time at home writing my first guitars, though – they were probably about it. And then they actually responded and the record, Fallon decided bring in new something cheap. But I did get a Martin, a told me some people to check out; John Prine, collaborators, including super-producer Butch friend of mine sold me a D-18 for $200. I just Steve Earle, and Justin Townes Earle. So that Walker, who counts rock acts like Weezer, All played that thing to death for years until it helped, because there’s a lot of information Time Low and Fall Out Boy on his production broke, which wasn’t that long ago. It broke on out there, and when you’re trying to learn CV alongside pop royalty Taylor Swift and Katy a flight. The headstock snapped off and it was something specific that can be discouraging. Perry. It allowed Brian to take in a different never quite right after that.” I ended up picking two songs: ‘Don’t Think SUMMER 2016 ACOUSTIC MAGAZINE 19 018-020_Brian Fallon_Rev3_NR.indd 19 26/07/2016 13:57 INTERVIEW BRIAN FALLON Twice It’s All Right’ by Bob Dylan, because play like him. That is the thing that I think that has some incredible finger picking on “If you’ve got people forget. that record; and ‘Never Going Back Again’ “I don’t think there is anything wrong with by Fleetwood Mac, which is a difficult tune. I Jimi Hendrix’s vintage guitars, they sound great, but I’m not play them every day now. I’m sure the guys into it. I actually have a vintage guitar right in the band are tired of hearing them over effects, you’re now at home, an old Gibson 355 from the and over again, but that’s what I’ve got to do.” 1960s. I don’t think it sounds better than a Fallon has headed out on tour with two not going to custom shop Telecaster. It sounds different, Martin guitars, a D-41 and a D-28, and there’s sure, but not when you’re playing in a band. a simple reason for his loyalty to the brand: “I sound like Jimi There are no cork sniffers in the audience use them because they seem to always work,” going “oh, is that a 1955 model?” No one can he says. “I’ve had a lot of problems with other Hendrix unless hear the difference except for you, and is that guitars, but I don’t have a lot of problems worth $20,000? That’s a year of college if with Martins! I can just plug the D-41 into a you can play you’ve got kids.” simple DI and it sounds amazing. The sound Despite being a self-confessed ‘guitar guys have told me it’s the best sounding like him” nerd’ – and someone who went to school to acoustic they’ve ever heard. That’s the one I study audio electronics – Fallon, as Painkillers write on, too. I’m not a collector, though, so I You may think that Fallon, with his strong proves, remains committed to putting the don’t have tons of guitars.” focus on the tradition of songwriting, would song above gear, effects and studio tricks. There’s an equally simple – and refreshing have surrounded himself with vintage gear “I like guitars and I like talking about – approach to his signal chain. “I don’t really from that golden era for the recording of guitars, but every time I get told to try the play with any effects. I think the best effect Painkillers, but, once again, he takes a more newest effects pedal or whatever I get home you can have is to play better. There are pragmatic approach to his gear choices. and think ‘if I just play the guitar right or some guys making soundscapes, which I “I don’t go for the whole vintage thing,” he better, I’ll be fine.’ So I’ve just devoted myself think is cool, but I’m more interested in admits. “I’ve had vintage guitars and yeah, to try and learn to play better. That’s what’s learning traditional ways of playing. I think they sound good, but so does this new one. It more important.” n I might be one of the last people who still really is about how well you play it. If you’ve Brian’s debut solo album Painkillers is out believes that a person and a guitar can stop got Jimi Hendrix’s effects, you’re not going now on Virgin EMI. He plays Reading and a room.” to sound like Jimi Hendrix unless you can Leeds festivals in August. 20 ACOUSTIC MAGAZINE SUMMER 2016 018-020_Brian Fallon_Rev3_NR.indd 20 26/07/2016 13:57.

Load more