There could be a nuclear holocaust between now and then, I donвЂ™t fucking know. Whenever I think like that, I try to draw myself back into whatвЂ™s happening now вЂ“ I try to look around and appreciate the moment, rather than try and think about whatвЂ™s going to happen five years from now. I hope this is my life for a long time, but itвЂ™s interesting to look into the future like that. ItвЂ™s something IвЂ™ve never considered until recently, but IвЂ™ve been thinking about it recently, and itвЂ™s odd. вЂњI canвЂ™t even picture the sad, balding, out-of-shape version of me trying to do that, or imagine the way it would sound. вЂњThe idea of me being 50-years-old and playing a song like Sink Or Swim just seems ridiculous, you know?вЂќ he says. The Gaslight Anthem are a tight group of friends as well as a band, although when I ask Horowitz if he sees them still playing together as old men, heвЂ™s unsure. If we can do something weвЂ™re proud of and that we love, then all the other shit doesnвЂ™t matter.вЂќ вЂњThere are so many voices coming at us from so many places these days, itвЂ™s hard to shut them out, but when we write, we have to try and look inwards. The only thing that rock has that other kinds of music donвЂ™t is that passion and energy and fire вЂ“ once you start thinking about writing hits, about writing music to please people other than you, youвЂ™re getting away from the things that first made you vital and interesting as musicians. вЂњTo do otherwise would be the death of us as a band. вЂњWe try to ignore all those things when we write songs,вЂќ he says. While itвЂ™s true that The Gaslight Anthem are playing longer shows to bigger crowds these days, the band are determined not to let success interfere with their core values. My girlfriend is right into natural eating and all that, and IвЂ™m on board with it, but itвЂ™s a big lifestyle change, especially from what IвЂ™m used to.вЂќ вЂњYeah,вЂќ he laughs, вЂњI know what you mean. I tell him about how, when I was 16, I used to be able to eat an entire deep dish pizza in one sitting, but the thought of that now makes me physically ill. I wish I could go back to being a kid, when I could just drink a litre of Mountain Dew and it was no big thing, but I have other things to consider now.вЂќ вЂњI have to really think about what IвЂ™m feeding myself, how IвЂ™m taking care of myself,вЂќ he says. I spend some time commiserating with Horowitz on the subject of getting older, and the things you have to consider that you never did as a carefree teen. I need to make sure I run and get a good sweat in a couple of times a week, and make sure I play drums pretty often, or else the first week of the tour, I just feel slammed.вЂќ If thereвЂ™s one thing IвЂ™ve learned, being home in-between tours, itвЂ™s that I have to stay in shape. In my life, IвЂ™d never played more than half an hour, and honestly, itвЂ™s hard. вЂњItвЂ™s funny, when half of these songs were written, I couldnвЂ™t even conceive playing a two-hour set. вЂњIt fucking kills me man, especially these days!вЂќ he says.

Their live show requires a lot of stamina вЂ“ for Horowitz, playing a Gaslight gig is the equivalent of a good, sweaty session at the gym. The Gaslight Anthem came out of the punk scene, and their music contains boundless energy. Brian always touches his lyrics with a sense of hope, with a sense that you can always go forward, regardless of how shitty things are.вЂќ вЂњSometimes Brian writes a line where he really captures something, where I feel like somebody else understands вЂ“ somebody else has seen something IвЂ™m going through. When we hear his lyrics for the first time, itвЂ™s no different from when fans of the band hear them вЂ“ IвЂ™m a fan of Gaslight Anthem!вЂќ Fans often speak about how GaslightвЂ™s songs help them through troubled times, and Horowitz couldnвЂ™t be more proud.

вЂњIвЂ™m a decent writer, but I fucking suck at lyrics,вЂќ he says with a laugh. The bandвЂ™s singer, Brian Fallon, is also its lyricist, and Horowitz is always moved when he hears the words for the first time. I guess we just convey it all in the music.вЂќ I mean, I canвЂ™t speak for the other guys in the band and how theyвЂ™re feeling at any one time, but the four of us donвЂ™t go into the studio and have open, emotional discussions about whatвЂ™s happening in our lives. вЂњWe all struggle with our demons in the band,вЂќ he says, вЂњbut thereвЂ™s nobody in the world who doesnвЂ™t struggle with things.

The gaslight anthem