You can thank Bruce that we’re back together!
After a recording hiatus of nine years, US rock bandTheGaslight Anthem returned in late 2023 with History Books. The band’s Irish fans were delighted when they then announced a Dublin date on their first European tour since 2015. The demand was such that they added a second night at the 3Olympia Theatre later this month.
Before their extended break, singles such as 45 and Hold You
Up had given them their first American chart success. The 2010 album American Slang saw them break into the Top 20, while 2012’s Handwritten and Get Hurt from 2014 – the last before their layoff – were even more successful, hitting No.3 and No.4 respectively. But despite all that forward momentum, drummer Benny Horowitz says the hiatus was a necessity.
‘What the f ***? Bruce Springsteen is on a Gaslight song, wow’
‘If we had just continued grinding in the moment we were in, I don’t think good things would have come out of it personally or musically,’ he says. ‘There was no one in the band saying, “No, we got to push through, we got to keep going”. When the idea started percolating everybody started to feel the same way.’
Taking such a long break was risky. Though well received,
History Books only entered the US charts at No.194. Benny feels that is more to do with how commercial success is measured than a dramatic decrease in their popularity. ‘I hate “old manning” this stuff but it is remarkable how different the music industry has become in the last 10 years,’ he says. ‘Previously, we would always be focused on first-week sales. I couldn’t tell you what History Books has sold. It’s a brave new world – I’ve just decided to go with it.’
History Books also features the vocals of their fellow New Jerseyan Bruce Springsteen. Gaslight ’s sound has evolved from one indebted to punk and grunge to one that often draws comparisons with The Boss. The band have embraced such comparisons and supported Springsteen on tour dates and he has made guest appearances onstage with them. Indeed Springsteen and lead singer Brian Fallon have struck up a friendship over the years.
‘I think some of the conversations Brian had with Bruce fuelled him getting Gaslight back together,’ Benny states. ‘Then when we talked about recording an album, Bruce asked him to write a duet for them. Of course
Brian said, “Uh, okay,” like he’s definitely not going to say no. We finished the song [the album’s title track] and sent it to him and then it took quite a while for him to get time to lock it down. He actually recorded his part in Dublin. We couldn’t all be there in the studio; he had started another of his epic Bruce Springsteen tours. That guy... I don’t know… He must be made of machine parts!
‘One day I’m driving like a week or two after and playing that song in my car and I just felt like, “What the f***? Bruce Springsteen is on a Gaslight song, wow!” We didn’t aim for the big, anthemic song and have Bruce busting out on it. I like that it’s a slower song and he comes in and it’s kind of murky, it’s cool. Maybe we even got a different Bruce Springsteen out of him because of it.’ The Gaslight Anthem play the 3Olympia on March 29 and 30.