The New Jersey punk band The Gaslight Anthem is about to release its third album, American Slang. Singer Brian Fallon describes the group's sound as music for the working class, with soul.
"[It's] different from a Motown sound or a Memphis sound, where traditional soul music is," Fallon tells All Things Considered host Melissa Block. "Instead of talking about love, we were talking about getting by."
Fallon calls his fellow New Jersey rocker Bruce Springsteen one of his biggest influences -- he even makes direct references to The Boss in his songs. He says Springsteen showed him that he could come from nothing and make a career of music.
In "Old Haunts," there are hints of Springsteen, but Fallon says he was going for an Otis Redding or Joe Strummer sound.
"I'm glad the people hear different things that I don't, or else it would stagnate where I left off," Fallon says. "There would be no need for anyone else's interpretation, which is not good for music."
Growing up, the singer listened to a variety of rock 'n' roll bands. However, he says it wasn't until he heard Bob Dylan that he realized he could speak from the heart and call it music.
The Gaslight Anthem started out as kids playing as fast as they could, trying to make a place for themselves in the music industry. Now, the band has grown up, and its members look at the world in a different way. They say they're looking to take care of their families and make music that'll still be worth hearing 20 years from now.
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