Gaslight Anthem Surprised By Their Success

New Brunswick, N.J.'s The Gaslight Anthem won over both fans and critics last year with the old-school punk and soul fusion the created for The '59 Sound, their sophomore album.

A year on, the band are hard at work and still on tour while simultaneously beginning work on their next album.

Guitarist Alex Rosamilia discussed the band's success and dropped some hints about the new album in an email interview.

CHARTattack: Have you started work on the new album? What's the sound shaping up to be? Similar to The '59 Sound?
Alex Rosamilia: We don't have enough material to really come to any conclusions as of yet. There is a pretty big disco/salsalito vibe on the songs we've got so far.

How does the songwriting process work for the band?
Depends on the song. Sometimes Brian'll [Fallon, singer/guitarist] have lyrics first, and sometimes we work on the music first.

You're working with Ted Hutt again. What did he bring to the table with the last album that made you want to work with him again?
It was just a good collaboration all around. Everything just worked really well with Ted.

Were all the band members involved in the New Jersey punk scene prior to forming the band?
We were all in touring bands in the hardcore/punk scene. Personally, I wasn't in anything worth mentioning...

How did the decision to fuse Jersey shore rock with punk happen? Was it a conscious one?
There wasn't one. I'm not sure I even know what "Jersey Shore Rock" is...

A lot of people were taken by surprise by the old school nature of the band's sound and lyrical content (referencing Miles Davis, Tom Petty). Was this a chosen aesthetic?
Any references are from songs or artists that we actually do listen to. They aren't picked for aesthetic purposes. They're picked for homage.

Do you see any other bands/musicians working in the same vein as your band? Any kindred souls?
There's a ton of bands busting their asses out there. Too many to name them all. The Loved Ones and Let Me Run come to mind, though.

Were you surprised at the immediate success of The '59 Sound?
Extremely. Still am, actually.

Did the success influence the way you approached the new album?
Just made me more nervous to put out something good.

Any album name or song titles you can give us?
Don't have any yet.

You've done a lot of interviews over the past year — what's the biggest misconception about the band?
I feel we've kept pretty true to ourselves.

Brian sang onstage with Bruce Springsteen, which I'm assuming is somewhat of a dream come true for the band. What goals or dreams have the group yet to fulfill?
Next on the list, Eric Clapton and Noel Fielding.

Have you had to set new bars for achievement?
I want to learn pedal steel.

Here are The Gaslight Anthem's tour dates:

Oct. 12 Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom w/ Murder By Death, Jesse Malin and Broadway Calls
Oct. 13 Toronto, ON @ Kool Haus w/ Murder By Death, Jesse Malin and Broadway Calls
Oct. 15 New York, NY @ Terminal 5 w/ Murder By Death, Jesse Malin and Broadway Calls
Oct. 16 Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Bowl  w/ Murder By Death, Jesse Malin and Broadway Calls
Oct. 17 Boston, MA @ House Of Blues w/ Murder By Death, Jesse Malin and Broadway Calls
Oct. 18-19 Philadephia, PA @ The Trocadero w/ Murder By Death, The Loved Ones and Broadway Calls
Oct. 21 Richmond, VA @ The National w/ Murder By Death, The Loved Ones and The Measure
Oct. 22 Washington, DC @ Nightclub 9:w/ Murder By Death, The Loved Ones and The Measure
Oct. 23 Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge w/ Murder By Death, The Loved Ones and The Measure
Oct. 24 Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade w/ Murder By Death, The Loved Ones and The Measure
Oct. 25 Charlotte, NC @ Tremont Music Hall w/ Murder By Death, The Loved Ones and The Measure
Oct. 26 Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall w/ Murder By Death, The Loved Ones and The Measure
Oct. 27 Chicago, IL @ House Of Blues w/ Murder By Death, The Loved Ones and The Measure
Oct. 28 Chicago, IL @ Double Door w/ Murder By Death, The Loved Ones and The Measure