By Kevin Joy
Andy Gallagher worked as an oil-industry engineer but was strongly lured by the life of a musician. So the Ohio State University graduate left the daily grind in January, opting to write and perform indie-folk tunes. This weekend, he’ll take part in the inaugural Peachtoberfest party in a south-of-the-OSU-campus neighborhood unofficially re-christened the “Peach District” by artists, hipsters and blog types.
Gallagher, 25, recently talked about his mission:
Q How difficult was leaving a lucrative job to pursue music?
A Frankly, it was a decision I had been preparing myself for since my first year of college, so it wasn’t too hard. The free time I have is absolutely essential.
Q How did the band start?
A The band formed in February of 2007 when I wrote the song Such Uncomfortable Chairs — and the singer for the other band I was in at the time was too good a singer for the song. So I sang it.
Sometimes you’ve just got something to say.
Q How would you describe the Peach District?
A It’s nothing more than a group of people creating a community.
Taking matters into your own hands — street cleanups, supporting the businesses literally around the corner — provides both a genuine sense of community and a local, sustainable economic model.
Q Why should someone see a Trains Across the Sea show?
A Artists . . . need to eat, too. And if the only way to survive as an artist is to move to a coast, then we’ll keep losing the best of them and continue to think that local art is somehow inferior.
still at it