Josh Gilligan’s wise, full-hearted debut opens where most albums might end: with an epiphany. “It takes a lot to be anything at all,” he sings on the chorus of “Anything,” over a bed of sympathetic piano chords and a shuffling rhythm section. The sentiment sounds straightforward, but the Nashville singer-songwriter finds new implications every time he sings that line: Simply existing in the world requires strength, endurance, determination, even courage. This is not the album’s cathartic climax or the culmination of his process of self-discovery. Rather, it’s Gilligan’s opening salvo. That idea is the starting point for this somber, yet hopeful collection of songs.
Party of One (due out January 24th, 2025 via Easy Does It Records) collects the wisdom Gilligan gleaned from a long period of deep sadness, self-doubt, and confusion. There are songs about separation, internal conflicts, creative disappointments, all of which added up to a pervasive melancholy in his late 20s and early 30s. He’d spent nearly a decade gigging around Nashville, balancing other jobs adjacent to the music industry with his own musical pursuits.
It took a lot of bravery—and a departure from his normal writing process—for Gilligan to put some of these darker themes to music, but it has paid off with an album that discusses serious subject matter with a gentle humor and a warm generosity, that takes no chord or phrase for granted. It is bleak, but only so it can be even more optimistic.
To convey such heavy ideas, Gilligan drew from the ‘70s pop and soft rock of his childhood, creating a sound that resonates with personal references: the graceful melodicism of Paul Simon, the restless experimentation of Todd Rundgren, the emotional directness of James Taylor.
About half of Party of One is, well, a party of one: Gilligan alone in the studio with his malaise, playing all the instruments and assembling them into full, intimate songs. The other half features a backing band comprised of drummer Soren Burkum and two members of the Nashville instrumental group Disappearing Teeth Trick, guitarist Chris Peranich and bassist Ian Shaw.
Today Glide is excited to premiere the standout track “Anything,” a dreamy work of indie rock that showcases Gilligan’s talent for writing infectious songs that connect in an emotional way. The key here is simplicity, with Gilligan laying down airy, folk-tinged vocals over a soundtrack of quietly driving guitars, a basic drum beat, and a slow build. The song’s overall uplifting message is one that resonates in these troubling times and speaks to Gilligan’s knack for crafting subtly powerful lyrics.
Of the track, Josh says, “I started writing “Anything” to a friend who was going through some pretty dark times. It’s a song that acknowledges the bravery it takes to keep on going, no matter what kind of life you lead. It’s not written to give advice or prescribe anything, but just to extend some calm love and feel the weight and the joy of life together. It’s also the first tune coming out that I live tracked together with the band!”
LISTEN:
