Malcolm Galloway

Hats off for solo work

Malcolm Galloway is half of the duo that forms Hats off gentleman It's Adequate. Tho other half is Mark Gatland.

But Malcolm is also a solo artist. On this site you find reviews of the last HOGIA album and Malcolms latest solo album. 

Two new records. With Hats off Gentlemen and you solo. And I love both of them ! If you had to describe bothalbum in three words, what would they be and why?

Thanks :-) Summing up in three words is quite tricky. For the solo album I'd say instrumental, minimalist/post-minimalist, and burbly. For the Hats Off album I'd probably say varied, dark, and defiant.

What was the biggest source of inspiration for each specific album? Was there a particular moment, a book, or an event that sparked it? I ask this because the lyrics of Parallel Lives are on a way higher intellectual level than most musicians produce.

The lyrics for our songs are very important to me. For the title track of the album, the specific moment the idea for the lyric came to me was when I was looking out of the window late at night. I saw someone walking on their own in the street, and scattered windows in nearby blocks of flats with lights on. We each tend to feel the worries and concerns of our lives at the centre of our respective worlds. I had this sense of people with different concerns dominating in their own minds, living parallel lives. This developed into the broader sense of people becoming disconnected from each other, and in some ways disconnected from different parts of our own selves.
We didn't initially set out to write an album with a theme, but as it took shape, it became clear to us that issues relating to mental health, masking, and what we are left with when our societal role changes, were common themes. 'Smile, Smile, Smile' and 'The Mandatory Prize' were inspired by stories by Philip K Dick, and 'Eversion' was inspired by a book by Alastair Reynolds.

My solo instrumental/minimalist/post-minimalist albums don't have any lyrics. Sometimes tracks are inspired by patterns in nature and science. On this album ('Stare') the pieces were fairly musically abstract, rather than being inspired by a specific image or story. Usually these pieces are structured around the interplay of relatively simple thematic elements, which when combined produce more complex emergent patterns. There are also some shorter tracks on this album that aren't explicitly minimalist. I wrote 'Ostinato For Electric Guitar and Laptop' as something I could potentially play live. For that track I wanted to try having the melodic material of the solo part being very restricted, with the soloist able to vary how the individual notes are accented and phrased, but with little variation in the notes themselves (other than in one brief section). 

How does the writing process usually go for Hats off Gentleman and for you personally?

Generally for the Hats Off tracks I draft an outline of a potential song, or sometimes just an idea for part of a song, and send it to Mark (Gatland - bass player/multi-instrumentalist/co-producer and other half of Hats Off Gentlemen It's Adequate). 

We will then discuss which ideas we found most interesting, and Mark will send over suggestions of various additions. He will usually send me a bass guitar part, and often also several options of synth and additional guitar parts. 

I'll then select from these elements to work into the song draft. I sometimes add a very rough guide vocal to give an idea of how I anticipate the vocal melody fitting (this will get replaced later). I often add guitar or synth solos around this time. We bounce the draft song between us, and the song gradually evolves until it is at a stage when it is ready for us to add vocals. For this, generally Mark and I meet in person, and we record the vocals. I much prefer working with Mark to record the vocals, rather than doing these on my own. We also at this stage sometimes add additional percussion, drum parts, and/or guitars. Mark then compiles the vocal recording and sends it to me to incorporate into the draft song. 

We work very iteratively - I'll work on the mix, or we'll work together on shaping details of the track, then render the song and we'll listen, discuss what changes we might want to make, go back to the project, adjust, and re-render. At a later stage, I'll master the track, which often highlights subtle details we'll want to adjust. 

We go round and round until we are both happy with the finished track. We are generally doing this for several songs simultaneously, and try to make sure the tracks sound right not just for the song in isolation, but also in the context of the album.
I generally find the vocals the most challenging part of the track to work on as a producer. In some ways my solo instrumental albums are technically easier from a production perspective as they don't involve my voice. I like the collaborative aspect of the Hats Off writing and recording process.

You play guitar and keyboards: What is your absolute favorite instrument to play, and is there a special story behind it?

In the photo above I'm playing my PRS, which is a joy to play. That is a photo Mark took when I was warming up just before we played at the Summer's End festival in Chepstow. 

I don't think I have a favourite instrument as such, it is more what suits the context of the gig or song. Playing guitar solos live is fun - there is something inherently physically connecting about bending up to a note on an electric guitar with some reverb and delay. I also like playing keyboard or piano live, but I can't carry a decent keyboard, so that depends on whether a venue has a piano or keyboard available to use. 

Going back to the very beginning: what or who made you pick up an instrument?

My original instrument was the tuba, the very large brass instrument. I don't remember why that one particularly appealed to me at the time. Unfortunately that is too heavy for me to play in gigs any more, but it was the instrument that I learned classically and I think gave me a good foundation for my later music-making. Keyboard and guitar are instruments that I'm self-taught on. Singing lead vocals is something that came later for me. I was writing songs but didn't have anyone to sing them, so started performing my own music.

Many musicians combine their passion with other jobs or studies. What does your daily life look like when you are NOT working on music?

I used to be a neuropathologist, but had to retire prematurely due to Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which causes chronic pain and fatigue among other things. My day-to-day life is often dominated by health related issues. I have to spend a lot of my time lying down, but also have to balance that with needing to keep up some physical activity/physio for my health. Which bits of me are working varies from day to day, and sometimes from hour to hour, so it is generally a question of balancing activity with recovery. Fortunately, I'm able to compose lying down with a laptop.

The health problems are as you understand unfortunately quite prominent in my day to day life. Performing is an important release for me though.

Now that the album is out, what are the immediate plans? Can we expect a tour or special release shows?

We're looking forward to perforing songs from the new album live.  I'm particularly keen to try 'Smile, Smile, Smile' and 'Just Another Thing'. We've already included the title track and 'My Blistering Mind' in some gigs, and they seem to be going down well.

On Wednesday 2 September 2026 we'll be supporting Alan Reed and the Daughters of Expediency at the 299 in London.

https://wegottickets.com/f/16198/

Then on Saturday 5 September 2026 we'll be performing at the Punks For Charity gala at Bush Hall (London)

https://bushhall.seetickets.com/event/punks-for-charity-presents-class-of-79/bush-hall/3625627

On 6 December 2026 we'll be co-hosting Prog The Forest with London Prog Gigs at the Fiddler's Elbow (London). That show also features The David Cross Band, John Mitchell, Dorie Jackson, Xani Kolac, Doris Brendel, and Vmbra.

https://wegottickets.com/f/23489/
On Sunday 31 Jan 2027 we'll be playing at Spriggan Fest in Reading, and on Friday 5 March 2027 we'll be at Fusion Festival in Stourport.

Where do you hope you and your music will be in five years? With Hats off and solo?

I've recently had a new diagnosis of a rare, progressive, and currently incurable retinal neurodegenerative disease, which is causing distortion of my central vision. It is making writing music harder work for me than it would otherwise be, but I am passionately determined to keep writing and performing. I don't take anything for granted, but I intend to still be making music in five years. This is our ninth Hats Off album and my eighth solo album. If I can keep releasing a HOGIA and a solo album every year and a half or so, I'll be happy with that. I'm aware that there is a vast amount of music available, and I'm very grateful to anyone who takes the time to listen to the music I'm involved with.

We're very fortunate that we have played at many of the major festivals in our genre in the UK. We love playing live, and are always happy to explore new opportunities. 

Which artist (living or resurrected) would you love to have a cup of tea with or dive into the studio with?

My fantasy gig would be supporting Marillion. 

What is the strangest or funniest thing you have ever experienced during a performance or in the studio? 

I have a tendency for bits of cartilage to unpredictably slip out of place and squash nerves. Many years ago we were playing a cover of 'Comfortably Numb' at a small local venue, and during the end solo, a bit of disc in my back slipped, and I suddenly couldn't stand. I was close to the back wall of the stage, and lent against that, and gradually slid down onto the floor. Fortunately, I managed to keep the solo going, and finished the song from the floor. It was conveniently the last song of the show.

Which hidden gem (a relatively unknown band, film, or book) do you think I need to discover?

We are fortunate to be living through a resurgence of progressive music at the moment, and there are many wonderful independent musicians in our genre. 

If you haven't yet seen EBB live, I'd highly recommend them. They have a flamboyantly theatrical stage show (as well as being great musicians).