The Gaslight Anthem

Emerging from New Brunswick’s thriving punk community in New Jersey, The Gaslight Anthem forged a singular sound that fused Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Wilson Pickett, and assorted Motown acts with the raw, visceral intensity of Hot Water Music, Against Me!, and the Clash. Led by Brian Fallon, the group debuted in 2007 and has both preserved and enlarged the Jersey Shore tradition across acclaimed releases such as Sink or Swim, The '59 Sound, and American Slang; the last of these tempered earlier punk urgency in favor of the earthy bravado associated with the Rolling Stones and Derek & the Dominos. After entering hiatus in 2015—during which Fallon pursued a thriving solo path—the band reassembled in 2018 for several shows marking the fifteenth anniversary of their career-defining 2008 album The '59 Sound, then returned to full-time activity in 2022 and issued their sixth studio album, History Books, the next year.

Composed of vocalist/guitarist Brian Fallon, bassist Alex Levine, drummer Benny Horowitz, and guitarist Alex Rosamilia, the quartet cultivated a local following after forming in 2005; their soul-steeped punk rock drew broader notice with the arrival of their debut full-length, Sink or Swim. Issued in May 2007 on the regional imprint XOXO Records, the record earned praise from punk zines and blogs. That momentum secured support slots alongside Against Me! and the Draft, resulting in more than 200 performances by year’s end.

Between road commitments the musicians found time to cut the four-song EP Señor and the Queen in Austin; it surfaced in early 2008, the same period an invitation arrived to join California’s Side One Dummy roster. After signing, they delivered their sophomore album The '59 Sound later that year. Its gritty, energetic approach drew from Social Distortion’s melodic punk and Bruce Springsteen’s heartland rock, attracting listeners across the United States—where eMusic named it the top album of 2008—as well as Europe, where Springsteen guested during the group’s 2009 Glastonbury Festival set. Post-performance sales of The '59 Sound rose two hundred percent, prompting demand for new material.

The band closed the year with appearances at Lollapalooza, Pinkpop, Reading, and Leeds before re-entering the studio in early 2010. Reuniting with producer Ted Hutt, they shaped their third album, American Slang. In 2011 they announced their departure from Side One Dummy for Mercury Records and began work on their first Mercury release, Handwritten, which appeared in 2012. Departing from prior heartland-rock leanings, the musicians incorporated power-pop and seventies-rock textures on their fifth album, Get Hurt, released in 2014.

An indefinite hiatus was declared in 2015, the year Fallon also issued his debut solo album Painkillers. The Gaslight Anthem reconvened in 2018 for concerts supporting The '59 Sound Sessions, a nine-track collection of rare and previously unreleased recordings made in the months preceding the sessions for 2008’s The '59 Sound. Full-time reunion was confirmed in 2022, leading to tour plans and the recording of a sixth album. Its lead single, “Positive Charge,” emerged in early 2023; History Books followed later that year and included a guest vocal from Bruce Springsteen on the expansive title track.