The musician was born in London, where his father was stationed working for the Sudanese embassy, and lived there until the family emigrated to the U.S. in 1989. Shortly thereafter, the Sudanese government was overthrown in a coup - "[My father] lost his job, and a bunch of his friends started disappearing and were captured or killed," said Gallab - and the family applied for and received stateside asylum.
"My parents had to start all over, so I spent my life traveling [the U.S.] and going from one place to the next," said Gallab, 30, by phone from his home in New York.
This cross-cultural drift informs much of the musician's jaw-dropping fourth album, "Mean Love," a genre-blurring effort that incorporates elements of Afro-pop, dub, country-western, avant-R&B and more.
How did moving around so much at an early age shape the meaning of the word "home" for you?
I really don't know what place to call home or how to experience the idea of home the same way as my friends in the United States or in the Sudan. [Ed. note: Gallab lived in his father's homeland three months out of the year until he turned 18.] I think it allowed me to grow up quickly and to experience the world with an open mind. Now I'm not fazed by much. I tour and go to new places and I'm really happy and excited; I'm not scared. I've learned I have to keep searching and find wisdom wherever life might take me.
Is that an attitude that bleeds over into your music?
Absolutely. We live at an amazing time because the Internet lets you experience everything that's happening all over the world. There's no reason not to take advantage of that resource - especially with music. In my parents' day, you couldn't just go online and look up a band on Wikipedia and see its entire history and how it started and influences. There's some amazing things that exist right now, and it's really informed how I make music.
Are there any styles of music you wouldn't feel comfortable exploring?
I don't know, to be honest. I never thought I'd incorporate country-western music, but it found its way in and I've come to really like it. Maybe on the next album I'll figure out a way to incorporate polka [Laughs].
With this record you wanted to make something more personal, right?
That was the aim. I wanted to sing a bit more, and you obviously need something to sing about. Talking about past experiences and the feelings they conjured up seemed fitting for the kind of music I was trying to make. I wanted to use this record as a sort of therapy to think about and deal with the things I've set on the back burner for a long time.
On "How We Be," you sing about showing your age. What are some of the ways age has started to reveal itself?
Ha. I think one way I'm showing my age is just how concise and how focused I've become when writing my music. When I started it was such a vague and ambiguous headspace I was in, so I would throw the kitchen sink at everything.
Are you comfortable with aging? Or do you have a touch of Peter Pan syndrome?
No [Laughs]. A lot of people around me are [worried about aging], but I'm excited. When I was younger I felt so insecure about everything, but now I have a better understanding of who I am.
Does making music that doesn't adhere to a label come with its own set of challenges?
You know, I never think about it that way. You have to write what you know and whenever I sit down to write music, I never consider if it fits into any label. I give it to the world and let people appreciate it for what it is.
How would you describe your sound in five words or less?
It's universal, feel-good music. Ultimately I'd like to play a Sinkane show where there are people in the audience from all walks of life and everyone can enjoy the music and see a part of themselves in the songs.
Andy Downing is a RedEye special contributor. @redeyechimusic @andydowning33
Sinkane, 8 p.m. Oct. 12 at Schubas. $12-$15.