Shortly after his son Jaxon Daniel was born,Josh Gallagherbegan to feel the weight of the reality of fatherhood … and it hitThe Voicefinalist like a ton of bricks.
“During the whole pregnancy, it felt very real, especially when he started kicking and you could see him rolling around in there,” recalls Gallagher, a country music storyteller at his core who has shared the stage with the likes of artists such as Randy Houser, Eric Paslay, Lee Ann Womack andCole Swindellin recent years. “But when I held him in my arms for the first time….”
Josh and Jax Gallagher.Lindsey Gallagher
Lindsey Gallagher
The singer/songwriter’s voice starts to waver a bit.
“I’m going to start crying a bit if I’m not careful,” he says quietly. “But yeah, it’s the very best feeling. There is nothing like it.”
Josh Gallagher.Kerrigan Barry
Kerrigan Barry
And it was this realization that Gallagher took into the writing room on the day he wrote his heartfelt new single “Father to Father” alongside fellow songwriters Mark Addison Chandler, John Marlin, and Nate Kenyon.
“Jax had just turned 6 months old,” remembers Gallagher of the song — premiering exclusively on PEOPLE — that not only touches on the reality of Gallagher becoming a father, but just how his dad, his grandfather and his God above are seemingly directing him along this life journey.
“Once we laid the blueprint for it, it kind of wrote itself to be honest,” continues Gallagher, who made history on season 11 ofNBC’sThe Voicewhen he became the first country artist coachAdam Levinehas ever led to the show’s finale. “We figured out what the songneededto be.”
Gallagher recently was able to perform “Father to Father” in front of his wife and child during a writer’s round in Nashville.
“[Jax] just sat there and watched me play every single song,” recalls Gallagher of the moment with his now 16-month-old thatThe Voicefan favorite ended up sharing on Instagram. “That kid loves music. Every time I sing, he starts to try and sing with me.”
And these are all moments that Gallagher says he’s trying to take in and appreciate the very best he can.
“Jax has grown up so fast,” says Gallagher, who recently snagged writing credits on Lewis andLee Brice’s new single “Product Of.”
“He’s officially a toddler now. It’s like, ‘Stop growing up so fast, dude! Will you just stay little and tiny and cute forever please?’ With every minute that passes, he gets older and we’re actually starting to realize some little things nobody really prepares you for. It’s kind of minuscule stuff, but it’s these small moments we don’t ever want to take for granted.”
source: people.com
