Two Gallants (band) the pair decided to just make music together, plugging Stephens' guitar into Vogel's bass amp in order to play bass lines with melodies. The name Two Gallants was chosen after a short story of the same name from James Joyce's "Dubliners", as both were reading the book at the time and the name "seemed obvious". With Stephens on guitar, harmonica, and lead vocals and Vogel on drums and vocals, Two Gallants began playing house shows around the Bay area and busking outside BART subway stations, particularly the stop at 16th and Mission. Two Gallants released their debut album, "The Throes",
Two Gallants (band) flipped several times, pinning Stephens' shoulder against the roof of the van and severally dislocating it. Stephens was unable to even hold a guitar for several months afterward, and the band was finally able to reunite in early 2012. After almost a five-year break between albums, Two Gallants released their fourth album, "The Bloom and the Blight", on September 4, 2012 on ATO Records. Produced by John Congleton, "The Bloom and the Blight" is notably much heavier, with a more pronounced loud/soft dynamic than their previous work. The album received a score of 71 out of 100 on Metacritic for