Hailing from a small town in Pennsylvania, Ben Gallaher is a self-taught musician with a strong reverence for guitar masters. He moved to Nashville at 19 and never looked back. Ben fuses 90’s country with rock and roll and his raspy vocal combined with exceptional guitar skills has led to opening for artists such as Blake Shelton, 3 Doors Down, Hank Williams Jr and Lynyrd Skynyrd. He’s winding down his year with two very different projects: a guitar instrumental rendition of the 1914 classic, Carol of the Bells as well as his own cover of Bryan Adams 1983 hit, Cuts Like a Knife. Nikki caught up with Ben to chat about both projects…
Hey, Nikki, how are you?
Hey, Ben, I'm good, thank you. How are you? I’m good too. Hey, thanks for taking the time here.
It’s my pleasure – I’ve been looking forward to the chat with ya because you've got a couple of really, really different and really exciting projects that you've released recently that I want to talk to you about, but before we do, could you talk a little bit about how you came to find your way into country music, because you're a self-taught musician, is that right? That's right. Yes, I started playing guitar when I was six. My folks got me a guitar and honestly, it was a God thing, like I just from then on, I felt like this is, you know, playing country music, playing guitar and singing country music was what I was supposed to do. So, from a very young age, I knew that Nashville was going to be the place, so I moved at 19, fast forward to now, and I’ve been on the road ever since. But you know, I just always thought that I felt like I knew that there was nothing else I was going to do except for this. And I had a couple lessons early on, and then, but mainly, mostly self-taught, like when I was very, very young, I had a couple lessons, and then I just kind of took it from there. And then here we are.
And speaking of where you are, starting with your Christmas single – Carol of the Strings - which is a guitar instrumental of Carol of the Bells, which is from 1914 – I mean, it’s older than my grandfather and I mainly know it from Home Alone. Right. But I know it enough to know it’s a classic and such an iconic composition and piece of music. How was it that you came to release your own rendition of this? I’ve always loved Carol of the Bells. I just - musically, it has such a vibe - it's kind of eerie. It's, you know, got the mystery kind of thing, just the melody and the note choices, it's really an unbelievable piece of music. And it's one of my favourites. I've always wondered, man, I've never heard an acoustic guitar version of that but it would sound really cool with an acoustic, so I had put on my Instagram, I think, last year, a version of just like a small clip of it, and a lot of fans reacted to it. And then come this year, I was like, ‘hey, maybe we should do an acoustic, solo acoustic, one guitar instrumental of Carol the Bells, and then call it Carol of the strings?’ And then I'll change some arrangement stuff of it and write some of my own parts and weave them into the main theme, the main melody that everybody you know, that's so recognizable. So I'm really excited about that song, just because I think it is unique. It's kind of my spin on a classic with, you know, some hybrid guitar picking in there with just solo acoustics. So, I'm excited that it's out for this Christmas season, and looking forward to having people hear it.
I mean, absolutely, I've had it on repeat a couple of times, because I just found it so interesting and so different, because it’s still only like mid November. But like, we've had Christmas releases coming thick and fast for the last few weeks, but this really stands out amongst, you know, quite a crowded release market as something that’s really different, really original. I know you arranged it, performed it, even produced it yourself, right? Thank you. I appreciate that. That means a lot coming from y'all. I remember, you know, I remember sitting down and trying to figure out … I had, there were several different versions.And I think I wrote the whole thing in eight hours. Not the, obviously, not the bit that everybody knows - I didn't write that. But there's, there's so many different arrangement pieces and structure in that in Carol of the Strings. And as a player, a composer, a writer, you can put them in different places. And it took me a second just to figure out where each section is going to live, and then how to get to that section from the last section, and then back to the melody that everybody knows. So it took me a second, and it was about eight hours. And then the next day, I went in the studio and ran it down - I think it was like maybe six or seven times - and we picked the best one, and that was that.
I mean, that's pretty impressive. Eight hours. I was going to ask you, like, how was it striking that balance between staying true to the iconic parts of the song that everybody knows, but also making it your own? Which, for me, I think you’ve walked that line really well of paying tribute to the original, but you've also made it feel really contemporary and put your own spin on it. Like, how was it finding that balance, especially if it came together in eight hours? That's a that's a great question, because here's the thing, when you do a cover or a you know, arrangement of something that everybody already knows. You gotta be really careful, because you can't, you know you can't take so much liberty that you strip away what makes that song so special, right? Like you can't, you can't completely go in the left field. I mean, I guess you can, but it's such an iconic song, I would feel like that would not be so much of a tribute as just totally trying to do your own thing. So yeah, there, definitely a line where, you know, weave in kind of your own spin, and as long as it's in that vein, but then also keep what makes that original piece so special, and I think also with acoustic guitar playing, I can make it kind of my own spin, just by the way that I'm playing it – I think other guitar players would probably agree with this - you can take the same notes in the same part, but two guitar players would play it a little bit different because it's in their fingers, it's a feeling in their hands. So I did take some liberty with how I was picking some of those parts to try to make it a little bit unique, but still pay tribute to a classic.
I think you've done that in a really cool way. You've made it something that a lot of people today probably don’t really think about as much, or maybe hadn’t thought of that song for years, and then you’ve reminded them that it’s actually an awesome composition. And you’ve made it relevant for today and for streaming and all that. Thank you, and hey, maybe if there's a new Home Alone, they can use this version.
Manifest that. I appreciate it. I'm glad you dig it. Seriously, that's awesome.
I do. Like I said, I've heard a lot of Christmas singles that've come out in the last sort of three, four weeks, but it really stands out as different and, like, a really interesting choice. You've said it's a song that you've always loved. Did you always plan to release a Christmas song? Has that always been a goal? No, I honestly, I never thought about doing a Christmas song. And the other acts on my label were all doing a Christmas song, and I just thought it would be cool to just do something different. And I have, truth be told, I have thought before, like, Man, this would sound really cool on acoustic. And then that's when I first posted that clip last year, and it did pretty good. And I was like, maybe I'll do an instrumental of that, but just have, I could have gone in at full band and done electric guitars, and that's all great, like, I love to rock out, no doubt. But there's something I think that's special about stripping it way down with one guy, one guitar, and running it the whole way through. And I think there's something unique about that.
No, absolutely, I agree. Do you have any other favourite Christmas songs, like, what would be on your Christmas playlist? You know? What I love is, especially as a guitar player, is Transient Orchestra. Yeah, I've seen them a couple times live, but they have a couple Christmas albums that are just, I mean, they're just unbelievable musicians. I mean, those guys are absolutely next level. But I love the classics. I mean, I guess Carol the Bells would definitely be my number one. But some people say it's still too early for Christmas music. But I think that's, I think that page is turning right about now, yeah.
Absolutely not too early. Like, I think, it's still too early for Christmas decorations, but Christmas music is acceptable all year round for me, like, I'll listen to it in the middle of summer, if it's a good song, it’s a good song all year round, I love it. Speaking of good songs and you said earlier that you like to rock, which leads me really, really well into your other recent project: you've covered Brian Adams ‘Cuts Like a Knife.’ That's right.
So, you like to rock, and your voice really lends itself to that sort of rock / country kind of vibe. Is Brian Adams someone that you've grown up listening to, or is it just a song that you particularly love? How did that come about? Yeah, so I grew up on 90s country, and then didn't get into rock and roll until a little later, but those were, that's where my influences live. They’re a cross between that 90s country and rock and roll. And we were going in the studio, and my producers - Neil Thrasher and Patrick Thrasher - Neil had said, ‘Hey, I got an idea. Just trust me on this. And he said, you know, Cuts Like a Knife by Brian Adams?’ And I was like, ‘of course.’ He said, ‘I’m just, I'm hearing this thing. What if we went in there and cut it, did a version of that, and you sang it in the original key?’ And I said, No! Brian gets up there pretty high. He's, personally, I think he's one of the best singers that there's ever been. I mean, he's, he's really fantastic. And I was like, Man, I don't know if I can get up there. And Neil said, ‘No, I'm telling you, you can. We're going to explore this higher end of your register.’ So anyways, we went in and cut it, and I was blown away with how it came out. And same thing with like Carol of the Strings is like that. Our version of Cuts Like a Knife is not very different from the original, and that's on purpose. We wanted to have a tribute, and it's almost a tip of the hat to a timeless era of music that was so good. I mean, that song came out in the 80s, but it's a tribute to Brian Adams and that whole sound. So we were, I was super excited about how that came out, and we got a lot of good feedback and traction from it. So it's been good.
Absolutely. I’ll admit, when I first started playing your version, I was like - because Keith Scott's, guitar solo on that is just as iconic as the song itself, in my book. That’s a fact.
Right? I love it – so, I was like is he gonna change that a lot? I actually really loved that you kept that intact. And again, like you said, no guitarist will play the same chords the exact same way, so there’s something of you in there but it feels like it's a good fusion between Keith Scott's original solo and then your take on it now, but I love that you did keep that intact. Because I grew up on rock music before country, like my mum was big on Brian Adams and Bon Jovi, from as far back as I remember, those records were playing in the house, and I love this song but hadn’t played it in years, and listening to your rendition reminded me again, like, just how good that that era of music was. Oh, so good, and it’s like, you're right, that solo is just as iconic, like Keith Scott's guitar solo. So me as a guitar player, sure, I could have went in there and, you know, re written and played anything, any type of solo and the same key. It would have been fine, right, but it wouldn't be fine, because you can't do that to such an iconic guitar solo. So I tried to match the tone, got as close as I could, and match that whole thing. But what a record the original was.
Absolutely, but you nailed it, I think. I really enjoyed it - you've done such a good job again of making it relevant now for younger people who maybe aren’t familiar with Brian Adams. It feels like, for people in their 30s and older, it’s an instantly recognizable song, but your rendition also has a contemporary vibe, like you can feel your touches on it, your spin on it too, which I think is really cool. I appreciate that. Yeah, I think that definitely people that grew up on that when they heard the cover. Because, I mean, not many people have done that cover, really. And I think when people heard it that grew up on it, it took them right back. And at the same time, the younger generation that hadn't heard of that song, they were introduced to it as well, so it's kind of cool to hit on both sides there.
Yeah, absolutely. And like you said, it was produced by Neil and Patrick Thrasher. I know you worked with them on your debut album, so it sounds like that's a really, really productive collaboration that you've got going on. Will you be working with them again down the road? Oh, yeah, we have something special. I think, for an artist to find the right producer - or producers, in my case - is key, because I think a great producer pulls the best out of an artist that maybe they didn't know they had in them. And that was the case for Cuts Like a Knife. I mean, I had never really explored that higher end of my register, getting up there vocally and they pushed me and got me to where I needed to be. And I think that's what a great producer does. So yeah, we have something special going, for sure. We've been in the studio, so we got some new stuff that's coming down the pipeline very soon. Nice. Is that a new album that you're looking to already, or is it some singles that you're looking at? To be determined.
Awesome, that’s great. Just to wrap up, how are you going to be spending Christmas? Are you going to be staying in Nashville, or you’re from Pennsylvania, right? Are you heading back there? Yeah, my wife and I are both originally from Pennsylvania, and we have a four-month-old, so it'll be his first Christmas. So we're looking forward to that, taking some time off the road and writing just a little bit during the holiday. So, yeah, we will go back to Pennsylvania for just a little bit, but mainly we'll be staying down here in Tennessee.
Well, I hope you have an awesome Christmas. It definitely sounds like it's going to be a busy one with a four-month-old. Yeah, no doubt I appreciate that. What about you?
Well, I don’t have a four-month-old, so it’ll definitely be quieter – just going back home and seeing my family, so it’ll be good. I gotta say though, it's pretty amazing that you've put these two projects out with a newborn. Like, do you sleep at all? Actually. Truth is, he sleeps pretty good. He's sleeping mostly through the night now; he wasn't at first, but we're four months in, and he's doing pretty good. So we'll see. But no, trying to find time to get in the studio to wrap up these songs, and it's been really good. So I’m feeling like 2025 is going to be a good one.
That’s awesome. Ben, thanks again for taking the time. I'm looking forward to whatever you do next, whatever you're working out with the guys in the studio, and I hope we get to chat to you again about that whenever you're ready to release it. For sure, we will keep you posted on that, once we finalize, you know, how many songs and when they're coming out, but sure appreciate you taking the time and I enjoyed chatting here. Likewise – it’s been fun. Speak to you soon. Sounds good. Thanks. Nikki.