Brian Fallon is stepping back into his solo work with the release of two new songs, “Not Bad For New Jersey” and “Better Before,” marking his first original solo material in more than five years. Released through his own label, Lesser Known Records, the tracks find the The Gaslight Anthem frontman leaning further into the heartland rock and power-pop influences that have long shaped his songwriting.

Produced by longtime collaborator Butch Walker at Walker’s studio outside Nashville, the two songs approach emotion from different angles while still feeling connected by Fallon’s worn-in honesty and storytelling. “Better Before,” co-written with Donovan Woods, centers on a relationship coming apart, carried by the kind of melancholy Fallon has become known for over.

 “Not Bad For New Jersey,” meanwhile, feels more personal and defiant. Built as a tribute to Fallon’s home state, the song reflects on survival, growing older and the experiences that shaped him both as a person and songwriter. “Not Bad for New Jersey’ is my way of celebrating what I do and where I’m from,” Fallon said in a statement. “I wrote that song looking back on my life the way you do after almost ending up in a crash.”

 The release comes after a busy stretch for Fallon following the 2023 return of the Gaslight Anthem with History Books, the band’s first album in nearly a decade. To celebrate the new songs, Fallon and his backing band The Painkillers will play a short run of intimate shows beginning June 14 at The Stone Pony. Even after nearly 30 years of making music, Fallon still sounds most comfortable writing about the things that made him who he is.