Galore - Dirt (2025) Hi-Res

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.

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.