On The Verge

Leroy Justice

New York, N.Y.
Fly-By-The-Seat-Of-Your-Soul Rock
www.leroyjustice.com

Leroy Justice borrowed its name from a friend’s father shortly after forming in the early ‘00s. Lead vocalist and guitar player Jason Gallagher explains, “We felt it was a good blend of soul and Americana, just like our music.” Did the actual Leroy Justice approve of the NYC-based ensemble appropriating his name? “He actually wears our T-shirt with his own name on it,” Gallagher reveals. Influenced by Sam Cooke, John Prine and “a healthy dose of rock classics,” Leroy Justice has developed a ferocious live show and released two strong studio albums over the past few years. “We have a lot of tight rock and alt-country type tunes that you can rock on your car stereo, but we also have this improvisational, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-soul feel that allows our shows to connect a lot more than a one-sided performance,” Gallagher says about what separates his band from the pack. The quintet’s 2009 sophomore effort, The Loho Sessions, earned the band its biggest critical acclaim so far, yet Gallagher believes, “If you haven’t seen us live, you really don’t know Leroy.”