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“Hank Williams, Buddy Holly, Otis Redding, Janis, Jimi Hendrix, Elvis,” Robbie Robertson tells Martin Scorsese in The Last Waltz, listing off the casualties of rock n roll excess, before adding his own matter-of-fact reasoning. “It’s a goddamn impossible way of life.”
The new single from Cole Gallagher tells the story of his own experiences with that impossible way of life.
"'Traveling Man’s Blues' is a song I wrote that chronicled my journey across the country, making music every step of the way during the quarantine,” Gallagher explains. “There is certainly an element of loneliness within the song, however; I believe that the overarching theme of this song is one of hope and finding my place in the world.”
Produced by Vance Powell and featuring members of the 400 Unit, 'Traveling Man’s Blues' is a shuffling slice of Byrdsian country rock that sounds like Ry Cooder reimagining the theme from The Littlest Hobo as Cole Gallagher adds a fresh addition to any road song playlist.
The follow up to his debut EP, The Confluence, and previous singles, ‘Don’t You Know’ and ‘Lost Sounds,’ the new song comes with a fitting cross country video to go with it.
“A few years later I made the music video which tracks a similar journey,” he says about the video, which was shot over a total of three, three-day drives back and forth to and from California totalling over 6,000 miles travelled, capturing the vast expanses of the USA, highlighting desert gas stations, roadside attractions, cheap motels and natural landmarks.
“In some ways, it put a cap on the story as I moved from California to Nashville. It was an absolute blast to shoot this music video, and it gave me more artistic liberties and tools to express myself than any of my other projects because it was just me, the open road and a camera."
Watch the video for ‘Traveling Man’s Blues’ exclusively on Holler below.
'Traveling Man's Blues' by Cole Gallagher is out on 25th July on Raggy & Balls
