Tom Gallo | |
|---|---|
| Genres | indie-R&B, [1] folk, ambient |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, singer-songwriter, composer |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, piano, guitar, percussion, sampler, drum machine |
| Years active | 2013–present |
| Labels | Record Collection |
Tom Gallo is an American singer-songwriter and composer. He has been featured in Billboard Magazine, Paper Magazine and on NPR's popular music show All Songs Considered , where his music was described as "spare and minimal, emotional and atmospheric". [2]
Gallo's college band was chosen by Kanye West and spoken-word artist Malik Yusef to be featured on an album of theirs alongside John Legend, and Common. The album was released, but quickly pulled out of stores over copyright issues. [3] Gallo quit music. Then, on a whim, bought some cheap gear and spent a weekend recording his own music for the first time. He sent the music to Sigur Rós producer Alex Somers, who invited him to Iceland to work in his private studio. [4] These obscure recordings, performed primarily with prepared pianos, field recordings, and spoons played on soup bowls, turned into Gallo's debut EP Continuation Day and landed him a record deal with Malibu, California based Record Collection and a publishing deal with Warp. [5]
In the spring of 2018, Gallo recorded his debut full length album, alone at home with a nylon string guitar and a cheap microphone. This music was heard by Grammy award winner Tchad Blake who offered to mix the album. [6]
“Tell Me The Ghost", the title track, features soft guitar riffs and Gallo's whispery vocals, accompanied by a music video described by Billboard Magazine as "mesmerizing". [7] While the track was the last one written for the album, Gallo felt it was a perfect summary of the entire LP. The black-and-white video, was shot in a house where blues icon Lead Belly lived towards the end of his career, in Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles. [8]
In December 2019, Moses Sumney released a single co-written by Gallo entitled "Polly" , [9] which will appear on Sumney's second album, græ . The song received "Best New Track" [10] by Pitchfork and gathered over a million streams worldwide in less than two weeks.
In October 2021, Gallo's song "Tell Me the Ghost" appeared in the John Ridley film Needle in a Timestack starring Leslie Odom Jr, Cynthia Erivo, Orlando Bloom, and Freida Pinto.
In February 2022, the first single, "The Drumming", from Gallo's upcoming second album, was dubbed a "New Song You Need To Hear Now" by Paper Magazine calling it a "a chic and atmospheric piece of indie-R&B that sets a serene, enveloping tone for his forthcoming album." [11]