With a songwriting style rooted in emotional honesty and quiet introspection, Kendall Gallo creates music that lingers in the space between certainty and doubt. Her latest single, The Wrong Right, explores the moment of realisation when something that once felt aligned begins to feel fundamentally misaligned, tracing the tension between external stability and internal truth.
LOCK caught up with Kendall Gallo to discuss creative intuition, trusting first instincts, and why some of the most meaningful songs emerge when control is finally let go.
1. “The Wrong Right” is about realizing that the life you’ve built no longer feels true to who you are. Was there a specific moment that sparked that realization for you, or did it happen gradually over time?
There actually was one pretty defining moment a few years back that completely shifted the trajectory of my life. I don’t know that it directly sparked this song, but it definitely changed the lens through which I see the world, and this song is one of the many things that came out of that.
I’ve found that when we’re in moments of pain, there’s a radical honesty about them that we don’t normally access in day-to-day life. They have a way of reconnecting you to yourself and bringing a kind of clarity that can sometimes be hard to find.
It’s almost like the same themes tend to come back up throughout life, but each time they’re on a deeper level than they were before. I’ve since realized that life is kind of an ever-evolving process, and this song is just one of those many moments of realization.
2. You wrote most of the song in a single evening and deliberately kept many of the original lyrics and imperfections. What made you trust those first instincts instead of rewriting them later?
I think sometimes the perfect way to say something isn’t actually the best way to say it. At least for the kind of writing I’m drawn to, I tend to lean more toward humanity than perfection.
I’ve noticed that some of my favorite lyrics are the ones that aren’t necessarily the most expected. They might not be the most polished lines on paper, but they communicate exactly what I was trying to say in a way that feels true to my voice. Those are often the lyrics I end up keeping.
Of course, there are always a couple of lines in every song that I’ll come back to later and think, “Maybe I could’ve said that differently.” But I think that’s true of any creative project. There are always parts of a song you absolutely adore and parts you just can’t quite get right. At some point, you have to surrender to the song and let it be a human expression. Those little imperfections become part of its identity.
3. You’ve described your music as asking questions rather than offering answers. Do you ever begin writing knowing what you want to say, or do you use songwriting to figure out what you’re actually feeling?
This is actually kind of a loaded question for me because it feels like recently I’ve unlocked a completely new flow to my writing.
For the longest time, I’d sit down with a pretty clear idea of what I wanted to say, or even what I wanted the song to sound like. Sometimes that still happens, and every project is different, but lately I’ve found myself letting go of that control. It almost feels like I’m more of a passenger than a driver. I’m still facilitating the song, but I’m not trying to control every aspect of where it’s going.
Instead, I just let it unfold. It almost feels like I’m discovering the song at the same time I’m writing it, which has been a really beautiful shift. Ironically, some of the deepest songs I’ve written have come from moments where I didn’t have the slightest idea what I was going to write about when I started.
It’s funny, the less I try to control the process, the more honest and cathartic the songs tend to become.
4. The song evolved after your first studio session, with the outro taking shape during the drive home. Do your best ideas tend to arrive once you’ve stepped away from the studio?
It’s actually not so much about being away from the studio as it is about being in motion. I’ve found that changing environments can be really important creatively. There’s something about moving from one place to another that naturally shifts my perspective and brings me into a more present state, and that’s often when ideas seem to find me. Honestly, some of my favorite writing has happened in the car.
I’ve also realized I do some of my best writing when I’m on my own. I love collaborating, but there’s something irreplaceable about having the space to be completely yourself. When no one else is in the room, I’m much more willing to wade through the messiness of the process—sometimes even the cringe of it all. I think that’s where some of my best ideas come from.
5. The title The Wrong Right suggests that something can look right on the surface while feeling completely wrong inside. Do you think learning to trust that inner feeling is something that gets easier with time, or is it something you’re still navigating yourself?
I don’t actually think connecting to that inner feeling has ever been the hardest part for me. More often than not, I know when something feels right and when it doesn’t. The harder part is deciding to follow it, especially when it asks you to let go of something that’s familiar or move in a direction that feels uncertain.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become much more rooted in myself, so it’s easier to recognize that quiet inner knowing. But I think part of being human is getting attached to routines, environments, and ways of thinking that feel comfortable. Sometimes what’s comfortable isn’t necessarily what’s aligned with who you are. For me, the real challenge has always been having the courage to follow that inner knowing anyway.
6. What’s coming next for you?
I’m currently working on a couple of singles that will be released later this year, and I’m in the process of conceptualizing a future album that will tie everything together. I’m also really looking forward to getting out there and playing more live shows, and cultivating performances that feel like their own experience—a unique detour from the original recordings.
Beyond that, everything else is kind of unfolding in real time. I definitely have goals and anchor points that I’m working toward, but I’m excited to let myself be surprised and leave room for the unexpected. Right now, it feels most important to keep putting myself out there, sharing the work, and seeing what opportunities and collaborations naturally find me.