Gallus are back — louder, sharper and gloriously unhinged. Sick Bastards kicks the door open for their new album Life Is Bliss, a frantic blast of punk chaos, biting humour and Glasgow grit. We caught up with the band to talk self‑inflicted mayhem, disappearing communities and why doubling down on your mistakes can sometimes make the best art.
Your new single Sick Bastards is a chaotic, tongue-in-cheek anthem. What's the wildest real-life moment that inspired it?
Moment that inspired ‘Sick Bastards'? Let’s just say it involved “beer”.
Your new album Life Is Bliss digs into anxiety, disappearing communities and Glasgow changing fast. Which lyric or moment on the record hits closest to home for you?
The song ‘M8' really sums up what this album is about - not so much a lyric but a sample we have used at the end. Last year, The Glasgow Bell wrote a great article about the impact the construction of the M8 motorway had on Glaswegian communities. The piece centred around two best pals who were separated. Relocated to make way for the construction only to not meet again for 50 years. We got the audio from the interview with Robin Bans and his words close out the album.
The album artwork features that iconic Finnieston tree. What does that symbol mean to Gallus personally?
The tree is huge. In fact, it's bigger than that, it's large. Arguably the largest in the former region of Strathclyde.
Blair Crichton from Dead Pony produced and mixed the album. What's one thing Blair said or did in the studio that completely changed a track?
Funny story: he actually forgot to press record for the first 6 tracks we recorded! Turns out we were all just sitting there not recording any music! Doh!!!!
Be honest — who caused the most chaos during recording Life Is Bliss?
I’d have to say not a person but a business. During our 8 days with Blair, Chilos (an incredible eating spot) had recently opened over the road. That caused the most disruption, all we were thinking about was their great value platters and exceptional customer service!
Sick Bastards is frantic. How does it feel to unleash that one live?
Have you ever seen Oppenheimer? That bit where he realises what he's unleashed on the world? Nothing like that. Not even close.
Your biggest UK headline tour kicks off in October. What's one thing fans can expect that you've never done on stage before?
We’re doing research on how to bring the tree to life onstage, or maybe even multiple trees. We’re unsure about potential objections from local councils but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Regardless, just hammering out the new songs. We’ve been very excited to revitalise the set list for a while, so we’ll be frothing at the mouth to get familiar with the album in a live setting.
Eamon is experimenting with some really, really short shorts. It's pretty disgusting. it's just a denim belt to be honest.
Which city on the tour always brings the chaos - and why?
It's hard to look past Bishop Auckland. Ain't no party like a Bishop Auckland party!
Your cover of Letter From America by The Proclaimers blew up — 128k views and even a visit to the Scotland football squad. What was that day like?
Yeah, it was nice to meet them. There was a real buzz about Scotland's first World Cup in 28 years so it was good to bask in that for a short while before it inevitably went tits up.
What's the funniest or most ridiculous thing that's happened to Gallus in the last 12 months?
Last year we had a 24 hour round trip to Bordeaux. We ended up being flung about the back of a van with no windows wearing fire fighter helmets, trains where delayed due to tracks being on fire and Barry scaled a fire truck during our set. It was pretty out there. Also, getting 40 mins or so of sleep outside Biarritz Airport while a certain member of the band decided to belt out the greatest hits of Carly Simon was interesting. Also, during dinner before the show, Matt sat down with a fork to eat soup! Oh, how we laughed. Matt didn't see the funny side, however, and threatened to walk over the matter.
Huge thanks to Gallus for taking the time to dive into the chaos, humour and heart behind Life Is Bliss. It’s always a joy catching up with a band who refuse to play it safe and continue pushing their sound — and themselves — into sharper, stranger, more compelling territory. We wish them every success with the new album and the upcoming tour; if the new material is anything to go by, those shows are going to be absolute carnage in the best possible way.
You can find all the latest updates, music and tour info across their socials — and if they’re hitting a city near you, do yourself a favour and grab a ticket. Gallus are only getting louder.
Gallus are Barry Dolan – Vocals / Eamon Ewins – Guitar & BV's / Gianluca Bernacchi – Guitar / Matt McGoldrick – Bass / Paul Ewins – Drums
2026 TOUR DATES
30 Jul – Badehaus, Berlin, DE
7 Aug – Amplifire, Hamburg, DE
UK Headline Tour
2 Oct – The Art School, Glasgow
3 Oct – The Cluny, Newcastle
4 Oct – YES (Basement), Manchester
6 Oct – The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham
10 Oct – Voodoo Daddy's, Norwich
12 Oct – The Lower Third, London
13 Oct – The Hope & Ruin, Brighton
15 Oct – The Croft, Bristol
SECOND ALBUM ‘LIFE IS BLISS’ DUE 25 SEPTEMBER VIA MARSHALL RECORDS
