Lucy Fitzgerald 
Anyone who’s spent time on the UK country circuit over the last thirty years has probably crossed paths with Jeff Gallant. He’s been a fixture of the touring and line dance scene since forming Jeff Gallant & The Norfolk Cowboys back in 2001, and he’s kept busy ever since with The Jeff Gallant Band and a steady run of solo gigs in clubs, village halls, festivals and corporate events across the country. What he hasn’t done until now is put out a full record of his own songs. His back catalog has been cover albums with the odd original slipped in, so “Nashville Bound”, out 7th August 2026, is a genuinely big deal for him. This is sixteen tracks written between the early 90s and now, and Gallant handled all of it himself, vocals, drums, bass, keys, synths, rhythm guitar, plus the recording, mixing, producing and mastering at his own Gallant Recording Services. That’s a lot of work for one guy. He brought in Jim Martin for pedal steel, fiddle and lead guitar, Julie Dawn on harmony vocals, and Titch Reeder shows up for the record’s only fiddle solo on the closer, “How’s Life Been Treating You”.
The songs cover a lot of ground, from the title track and the tender “A Place in Your Heart” to breakup numbers like “Already Gone” and “Leaving You Behind Me”, and gentler ones like “Listen to My Heart” and “This One’s for You”. “Paradise”, his one co-write with old friend James Colby-Dudman, brings a reggae-tinged twist that sets it apart from everything else on the record. Honestly, it’s the two personal cuts, “Hello Old Friend” and “I’ll Call Her (The Phone Booth Song)”, that got me, they’re the kind that sit with you long after the album’s finished. You can hear the Merle Haggard and George Jones in his phrasing, but there’s a Brad Paisley polish and even a bit of Bon Jovi swagger on the rockier moments. Given how much ground this album covers, don’t be surprised if it reaches folk and singer-songwriter fans just as much as the traditional country crowd Gallant’s built his name with.
Do yourself a favour and get “Nashville Bound” into your regular rotation, then go find Jeff on Instagram, Twitter/X and Facebook (@jeffgallantband) to keep up with him, because a debut album of original material after thirty years on the road deserves an audience. Stream it on Spotify or Apple Music, add your favourites to your playlists, and pass it along to anyone you know who loves proper country songwriting.
Listening to songs so you don’t have to! Just kidding :D, you totally should. Music blogger by day, nurse by night
