Dirt by Galore
Coming Out July 25 2025 on Speakeasy Studios SF
“Many bands preach the virtues of collaboration and cooperation, but few practice those dynamics as virtuously as the San Francisco four-piece outfit Galore.“ — SF Examiner
San Francisco-based Galore releases their second full length album, Dirt, on July 25, 2025, on Speakeasy Studios SF.
With multiple songwriters, sinuous harmonies, and rock riffs born out of an intensely communal creative process, Galore — bassist Ava Rosen, guitarist Griffin Jones, guitarist Ainsley Wagoner, and drummer Hannah Smith — embodies the spirit of a true musical collective.
The album’s theme is in its name: Dirt. In ten songs, Galore takes us back to the sandbox of creativity on an exploration of what makes us human through layers of jangly, off-kilter guitars, interwoven harmonies, and incredible pop sensibilities.
Three out of four members of Galore were born and raised in San Francisco and Oakland, and all of them cite the Bay’s storied music scene as inspiration. Local favorite Grass Widow’s influence looms large in lead-style bass lines and frequent harmonies on tracks like “Solastalgia” and “Dream Palace”, while tracks like “Bastard” and “Zinger” lean on the rowdy experimentation of early aughts femme punk band Hey Girl.
The first single and first song, “Field Trip,” points the way, embodying the collaborative songwriting and playfulness of Galore. Jones opens with stripped down vocals that invite the listener to “take a seat in the meantime,” sung over the light strums of a harpsichord. A driving beat cuts in, Rosen’s vocal takes over, and the track hightails it into a pop anthem for Bay Area summer. “Take me to the land / Take me to the dirt / Where the grass is long and weedy / Where it grows freely,” sings Rosen, opening the album with an exploration of the volatile connection our lives have with earth, creativity, and each other.
Says Rosen: “I was taking a herpetology class last spring, and had just learned that the word ‘amphibian’ translates to ‘double life’ because of their transformation from a water-based to a land-based existence. I relate to the idea of living a double life — maybe more than double — with my own transformations throughout the years, and with the double lives we all lead in late stage capitalism. Especially in a sometimes merciless city like San Francisco, we do what we have to do to survive. Then, we do what feeds our spirits — making music with people you love.”
Part of living in the city means getting out of it. As the single “Field Trip” took shape, the band went on a field trip of their own with new guitarist Ainsley Wagoner, a multi-instrumentalist and staple of San Francisco’s underground folk scene. Driving north to the Russian River, the four musicians found time together away from work and the chaos of San Francisco to shoot a music video and write songs. On their return to Jason Kick’s downtown Oakland studio, the band laid down “Field Trip.” Wagoner plucked a guitar solo and soaring, layered vocals that perfectly capture the magic of truly free time.
The second single, “Bastard,” is about, in so many words, being a fuck up. “We’ve all messed up. I try to grow and learn from my mistakes,” said Jones, the lead songwriter. “Getting older is crazy. You learn that life isn’t a joke. It feels more like a casino, fun but full of calculated risks.” With vocals hovering just short of a yowl, Jones sings of the slippery nature of time, a world where all doorways are smokey and all moves require sleight of hand — and holding on to yourself is a balancing act. “Sing one more song / To summon anything / Light a candle for all you know” sings Jones. Jones’ rhythm guitar drives the song with drummer Smith charging ahead, reminiscent of the groove of The Clean and the grit of The Breeders. The track ends with ecstatic gang vocals, all four bandmates yelling out the same question we all have when we look in the mirror: “Who’s there?”
The third single, “Pictures,” comes from a trip Rosen took. “I had just returned from Japan, where I saw some ancient ukiyo-e block prints. Ukiyo-e translates to “pictures of the floating world.” I had a series of mental and physical pictures of moments, scenes, and impressions from the trip that really moved me. The lyrics came from that. They’re sort of short broken phrases — similar to the ways I was able to communicate while there.” With Syd Barett-like chord progressions over a rhythm that recalls early Kleenex, the song is surreal, frisky and relentlessly catchy, with sound effects that hearken to the multilayered soundscapes of a Japanese city.
Dirt was produced by Galore, Jason Kick (most recently producer of Marinero, Abracadabra, Healing Potpourri), and Simi Sohota (Healing Potpourri). The album was recorded and mixed by Kick at Santo Studios and Tunnel Vision in Oakland, California, over the course of 2024. The band took their time to write songs, craft sonic moments, and produce an album that mixes Galore’s intensely catchy pop melodies with layers of Jones’ and Wagoner’s fuzzed and jangly guitars, warm wurlitzers, tongue-in-cheek sound effects and the steady rhythm section of Smith and Rosen. Dirt is an exquisitely crafted album and a step into new soundscapes for Galore. Their creative magic catches us on this powerful summer release, sure to be on repeat.
Dirt comes out July 25, 2025 on Speakeasy Studios SF, a burgeoning indie label owned and operated by Alicia Vanden Heuvel (The Aislers Set, Poundsign) in San Francisco’s Mission District.
Links:
Listen to Dirt by Galore (private)