Brian Fallon's work with The Gaslight Anthem has long been linked to the sacred spirit of Bruce Springsteen, and their mutual admiration between the New Jersey rockers has now reached the ultimate crossover; Fallon wrote a song for them to both sing on after Springsteen requested it.
“When Bruce Springsteen said I should write a duet for us, I think my head exploded," says Fallon introducing the new song and second single from the band's comeback album. “It will never get old to me that one of the greatest songwriters in the world, and one of my hero’s voices, will forever be captured in a song I wrote at a small wooden desk, in October, in New Jersey.”
Back in 2020, in an interview about his third solo album Local Honey, Fallon told us about the influence of Springsteen on his approach as an artist.
"I admire the people that are out right now but I don’t what to be like them," he said. "I want to do my own thing. The guys I’m influenced by too, like Tom Waits and Bruce Springsteen, they’ve always been part of it but a little left of centre.
"Even Bruce’s acoustic records, they’re not traditional Americana records and especially Tom. They’re a part of it and they embrace it. I embrace Americana and that’s one of the music I listen to the most but I’m not trying to shoehorn in there."
Having the band come this far and be able to still find inspiration and connection in our music is a treasure
The Gaslight Anthem's last album was nine years ago with Get Hurt, and they went on a hiatus after touring the following year. Fallon went on to record three well-received solo albums, but after a some sporadic 10th anniversary tours for their breakthrough '59 Sound album in 2018, they announced their return proper last year. It finds a rejuvenated band and a songwriter with a keen appreciation for their fanbase.
“When you have a band reach any level of success or popularity, that’s a gift,” Fallon added. “It’s truly a miracle to be able to do your art for a living. Having the band come this far and be able to still find inspiration and connection in our music is a treasure. We’re thrilled to be back, and we thank our fans for allowing us time to regroup.”
And those fans should find plenty to enjoy on History Books.
“None of us wanted to make a very somber or serious record showing how much we’ve matured,” Fallon said. “We’ve all changed and grown and learned so much, but the overall mood was a feeling of excitement to be back together and making music that means something to us.”
