Our interview series Icebreaker features artists talking about things—some strange, some amusing, some meaningful—that just might reveal their true selves. This edition features the elastic-voiced R&B singer/songwriter Gallant, who recently released his debut album, Ology, and is on tour now.
What’s your favorite board game?
Settlers of Catan. If you try to play me, you’re going to get annihilated. I’ve logged a solid 300 games across the last two years, and I’ve only lost maybe 25 of those games. I would literally play a show then run directly to the bus and play Settlers of Catan with my drummer and some other people. One time, we invited a couple of fans to play—that’s my very wild and crazy tour.
What’s a band that you really love that people might not expect given the music you make?
I’m huge into Japanese culture, and there was a period of time a few years ago when I was listening to this really cheesy J-pop group Girl Next Door almost exclusively. Their album Next Future was so dense, so strange. I tried to play them for my friends a couple of times, then I just stopped. That’s private listening for me.
What TV shows have you binge watched recently?
“House of Cards” and “Veep.” I’m a CNN junkie too. I’m really focused on politics right now. I don’t watch sports; that’s my sports. Politics is like 50 percent policy and 50 percent entertainment—people are one way when the cameras are on them and another way behind closed doors. I’m sure that they’re exactly like the Selina Meyer character on “Veep,” which is kind of depressing, but it’s just how it is. But I think skeptical shows like that provide a level of perspective, and they don’t patronize to the audience, and that puts us in a great place in choosing our candidate.
How would you describe yourself as a dancer?
I’m not a dancer. At all. Any movement that comes out when I’m performing is a complete mistake. I get overwhelmed in the moment. And I’ve fallen so many times. At this show in Nashville, I jumped and completely fell right on my ass. Hard. At South By Southwest, I scraped up my knee pretty bad. At Coachella, I chipped my tooth on a mic when I was doing the “Purple Rain” tribute with Sufjan [Stevens]. On “Jimmy Fallon,” I lost my balance and got some pretty gnarly rug burn on my knee. I’m sure the list will keep growing.
Do you believe in ghosts?
No, it’s silly. Everyone knows there are no ghosts.
Do you gamble?
No, that’s silly too. You know what’s going to happen.
What is a moment from your life when you felt like a real idiot?
There is a long list. In high school, I asked like three different girls to prom and ended up just going by myself. I’ve never been a suave dude in that respect.
What’s the YouTube video you’ve watched more than any other?
There’s this one of this little dog, and his owner is like, “speak!” and the dog is just like, “FUCK!” I’ve probably watched that millions of times.
If you could be in any band ever, which one would you choose?
I would join the Impressions and be in the back with the maracas or something—just so I can study their vocal arrangements. Curtis Mayfield is a genius. He was definitely an inspiration on me vocally, but my falsetto came from me writing music solely as a means to try and learn more about myself. I was doing a lot of that in solitude, without anyone looking over my shoulder, so I would experiment with different ranges and not have to worry about someone being like, “That sounds stupid!”
What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?
Somebody once told me: “It’s not all that serious. Anything that happens, people get over, even if it’s the worst thing in the world. And once it’s over it’s over. Move on.” There’s a certain amount of appreciation and urgency to that, mixed with a very calm, even-headed approach to life that I admire. I mean, working is cool, but it’s nothing compared to having balance.