Gallaher's Green - Lucky 13 (Remastered) (2024)

Recorded at Blueprint Studios, Salford in July 2020 and released on 12th February 2021. Remixed, remastered and produced by Jamie Alsop at Voltalab studios, Rochdale between 2023-2024 and re-released on 25th October 2024.

Gallaher’s Green take a step back to revisit their debut album Lucky 13 which got somewhat subsumed in those difficult lockdown days which prevailed at the time of its release back in 2021. And there is no doubt that the effort to rework, remaster and re-imagine their original recordings has breathed new life into their very own brand of anthemic indie-rock with a collection of personal songs which have such power and intensity, but which also expose a great deal of raw emotion.

Gallaher’s Green were a band forged out of the lasting friendship between their two primary songwriters, bassist Ian Gallagher and singer and rhythm guitarist Jon Olphert. As full-time members of the RAF they often found themselves serving in opposite parts of the globe, but having already shared their passion for Guns N’Roses, they found a way of sending each other mixes and ideas even before Covid made that a “normal” working practice. This long distance friendship fostered a whole batch of songs which would form the starting point for the band as soon as time and prevailing lockdown restrictions allowed them the opportunity to get into a studio.

That time finally arrived in July 2020 once the rules surrounding the first lockdown were finally relaxed and they became the first band to re-enter Blueprint Studios in Salford. 13 of that original batch of songs finally made it onto their debut album appropriately titled Lucky 13 which was finally released on 12 February 2021. However, whilst this was a pivotal moment in the band’s history, it’s clear that both Ian and Jon were never totally happy with certain aspects of the album which got somewhat subsumed in the difficult times that were prevailing in the ongoing pandemic. But, once they had released their second album, Dare To Dream, in March 2023 having really honed their approach to recording and their sound, this seemed to be a catalyst to revisit their debut album.

Having worked with producer Jamie Alsop at Voltalab Studios, Rochdale on Dare to Dream and achieving a more varied and expansive sound, they approached Jamie with a view to remixing and remastering Lucky 13 to finally achieve the sound and feel they had been searching for, with certain elements also being re-recorded. This process finally started in May 2024 culminating in the version of the album which has now been released. And aside from original lead guitarist Tom Stretton still featuring on the album, this process has allowed the current members of the band to all put their stamp on this new version of the album.

Black Beast serves as a powerhouse opening to the album with its searing guitar runs and storming rhythm section. It’s also a song with a powerful message as it addresses the inner demons of those with severe anxiety and depression, with an uplifting and anthemic chorus line which offers a real determination to defeat this ‘black beast’ and “show my inner me.” This emotive feels continues through Cut Right Into Me, a passionate ballad which focuses on rejection, betrayal and unrequited love. The warm and expressive vocals convey a real sense of heartbreak within a song which forms the first part of a trilogy which continues through Here With Me on Dare To Dream and will conclude with Eyes All Over Me which will feature on their next album.

Feel So Real rises and falls in cathartic fashion as a paean to lost loved ones. The dynamic guitar solos and it’s rousing and infectious choruses bely the story within, but clearly in such a way as to celebrate the lives of those who we have loved and not merely mourn their passing. Just A Dream follows a similar path set against a driving indie-rock’n’roll background with its inspiration coming from vivid dreams of a lost childhood friend. However, this time the vocals are imbued more with a sense of despair and anguish as the recognition sets in that the friend now only lives in dreams.

To Be With You sidesteps very neatly into a jaunty Americana style beat as their penchant for countrified rock shifts the narrative towards relationship breakdown and infidelity. But then Prodigal Son takes us right back into the darkened world of addiction and serious mental health issues ignited by the loss of a family member. It’s a truly heartwarming ballad which conveys all the love offered by a family to their loved one as they try to bring them through these dark times, with the subtle backing vocal from Courtney Duncan adding further to emotive feel of the song.

Courtney also features in a similar way on The Light Inside Of Me with her backing vocals having an almost angelic quality throughout this beautiful acoustically led love song. However, it’s evident through the barnstorming rocker that is Bad For My Soul that this relationship was always doomed to fail with vocals which convey the pain and anguish that was clearly been felt as it all fell apart, with the only option being to walk away.

The bands true rock’n’roll credentials are also in full flow through the driving energy of Ballad Of The One-Eyed Bastard as it navigates its way through the dark path of repentance, and the two-chord thrash of Satellite whose hard-edged rhythms and impassioned vocals find a way to break free and take control of a life once controlled and manipulated by others. Not My Day To Die is another powerful and angry rocker about a character seeking retribution for being wrongly accused of a crime. Interestingly the band submitted this song to MGM for consideration as the theme tune to the James Bond film ‘No Time To Die’ but were politely told that unsigned bands submissions would not be considered.

Until I See You Again once again exposes the more tender side of the band as this melancholy and heart-wrenching ballad explores the subject of grief through the loss of a friend. And this theme also runs through the albums closing song, The Price, dealing once again with the loss of a friend. With its largely acoustic backdrop, the song opens with the very emotive question “I don’t know if you remember, we were friends not long ago?” before reflecting on plans that can no longer happen and times which bring to mind a strong sense of regret. As the band finally kicks in, it brings a real cathartic ending to the album before it finally closes out to the sound of seagulls on a distant shore, evoking a real feeling of loneliness.

This reworking of Lucky 13 reminds us once again what a talented and versatile band Gallaher’s Green are, with a collection of songs which has such power and intensity, but which also expose such raw emotion. It certainly breathes new life and energy into what is clearly a very personal album which reflects the reality of life and the difficult times that we will all encounter, particularly when grief knocks on our door. It’s a real emotional roller-coaster with warm and inspiring vocals which are always sympathetic to the narrative and a guitar driven sound which encompass the full range of emotions.

With the current line-up of Gallaher’s Green now comprising Ian and Jon alongside Tom Leather on drums, new lead guitarist Jamie Lamont and new keyboardist Rich Rainbow, the band re-entered Voltalab studios in November 2024 to record their third studio album. So with all the band’s current focus on this, it is definitely something to look forward to in 2025 for the next chapter in Gallaher’s Green’s story.