Ben Gallaher‘s debut album, Country in the House, is out now. The 15-track album includes 13 songs Gallaher wrote, teaming up with hit songwriters like Neil Thrasher, Billy Montana, Tim James, Shane Minor and more. It also includes two outside songs, both “Lovin’ You Gets in the Way,” which was written by Jason Aldean, Lee Miller and Thrasher, and the romantic “Love You Like America,” written by Ross Copperman, Tom Douglas, Jaren Johnston and Josh Osborne.

“We picked from several hundred songs I’ve written over the past several years, and some outside songs,  to come up with these 15,” Gallaher tells Everything Nash. “Some people hear music and some people feel it. And for me, my hope is that people do both with this record. My hope is that I take listeners on a three-and-a-half-minute journey with each song, and that they latch onto a lyric or a melody, or a guitar solo and feel it. I feel like there’s a song on there for everybody.”

As his first full-length album, the Pennsylvania native wanted to make sure everything was right, not only with the songs, but with the sounds and entire listening experience.

“The hardest part about making the record was narrowing down the songs, ’cause you get attached to them. I’ve been playing these songs live, some of them for a couple of years,” Gallaher acknowledges. “We put a lot of work into this record, not only writing the songs, and then we cut a couple of outside songs, but I played all of the lead guitar on it. And for me, I’ve always looked at a guitar solo or a guitar riff as an extension of the lyric. There are no words of course, but it can still stir up emotion. And I love that that’s another whole process of writing some of the guitar parts, and I love digging in there in the studio, and trying to marry the lyric and the melody, and the feel of the guitar solo, and the tone.”

Gallaher has already put out two EPs, but Country in the House marks his first full-length project. It was a responsibility that he didn’t take lightly.

“It’s a big deal.,” concedes the singer. “These songs are my stories, but they’re also our stories. Some of these songs are big-time personal to me. And then as a songwriter, you write songs that I may not necessarily be going through that at the exact moment, but somebody is, and that’s what country music is. It’s relatable, and that’s always been in my mind when writing songs. And playing them live is such a huge thing for me, to see the reaction and connect with people firsthand, from the front row to the back row. When you can see it connecting, that’s the power of music, especially country, because country music has always been driven by the lyric. It’s always centered around the lyric.”

While some artists might dream of platinum album sales and chart-topping singles, Gallaher’s goal with Country in the House is much more simple, and much more personal.

I just want to get the music out to the people, and go play them live, and connect with people through songs,” Gallaher admits. “That’s all I’ve ever really wanted to do, is connect with somebody through music. And then in playing them live, delivering them in the way that they can feel it. And sometimes that’s a solo acoustic in a theater where you can hear a pin drop, and sometimes it’s a loud full band that is rowdy and throwing down. But the songs are the songs. So, my main goal with this record is just to connect with people through three and a half minutes each.”

Country in the House includes the previously-released “Still a Few Cowboys Left,” “Country Boy” and “Every Small Town.”  “Lovin’ You Gets in the Way” will be Gallaher’s next single. See a track list for Country in the House below, and purchase the album at  BenGallaher.com.

Country in the House Track List:

1. Country in the House (Ben Gallaher, Tony Martin, Neil Thrasher)
2. Get On One (Ben Gallaher, Joey Hyde, Mike Walker)
3. Still a Few Cowboys Left (Ben Gallaher, Tony Martin, Neil Thrasher)
4. Every Small Town (Ben Gallaher, Ash Bowers, Jim Collins)
5. Til It’s Yours (Ben Gallaher, Billy Montana, Jared Mullins)
6. Roots Grow Down (Ben Gallaher, Josh Dunne, Curt Gibbs, Billy Montana)
7. Country, Boy (Ben Gallaher, Carlton Anderson, Jacob Powell)
8. Lovin’ You Gets in the Way (Jason Aldean, Lee Miller, Neil Thrasher)
9. Damn This Truck (Ben Gallaher, Neil Thrasher, Kelley Lovelace)
10. Anything But You (Ben Gallaher, Tim James, Anthony Smith)
11. Never Get Old (Ben Gallaher, Derrick Southerland, Andrew Jacob Pruis)
12. Have You Ever (Ben Gallaher, Kelley Lovelace, Neil Thrasher)
13. Town Ain’t Dry (Ben Gallaher, Mark Irwin, Shane Minor)
14. Love You Like America (Ross Copperman, Tom Douglas, Jaren Johnston, Josh Osborne)
15. Quote the Bible (Ben Gallaher, Carlton Anderson, Zarni De Vette)