Digital Leather is the musical project led by multi-instrumentalist Shawn Foree. It is recognized for having characteristics of

electropunk Electronic rock is a music genre that involves a combination of rock music and electronic music, featuring instruments typically found within both genres. It originates from the late 1960s, when rock bands began incorporating electronic instrume ...

, new wave,

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' (G ...

lo-fi Lo-fi (also typeset as lofi or low-fi; short for low fidelity) is a music or production quality in which elements usually regarded as imperfections in the context of a recording or performance are present, sometimes as a deliberate choice. The ...

, and psychedelic music.

History

Originally from

Yuma, Arizona Yuma ( coc, Yuum) is a city in and the county seat of Yuma County, Arizona, United States. The city's population was 93,064 at the 2010 census, up from the 2000 census population of 77,515. Yuma is the principal city of the Yuma, Arizona, M ...

, Foree began calling his project "Digital Leather" when he moved to Tucson, where he studied American literature at the

University of Arizona The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it was the first university in the Arizona Territory. ...

. He used student loan money to buy equipment. He managed to release his first three albums after recording them in his bedroom on labels such as

Tic Tac Totally Tic Tac Totally was an independent record label run by Matt Clark in Chicago, Illinois. He also runs the "Dumb Audio" zine. Since forming in 2006 Tic Tac Totally has released over 50 records. The label has released LPs and 7"s by punk and garage ...

Jay Reatard James Lee Lindsey Jr. (May 1, 1980 – January 13, 2010), known professionally as Jay Reatard, was an American musician from Memphis, Tennessee. He was signed to Matador Records. He released recordings as a solo artist and as a member of the Re ...

's Shattered Records imprint, and FDH Records. He supported this "bedroom project" with several nationwide and European tours. '' Sorcerer'', released on

Goner Records Goner Records is an independent record label and record store co-owned by Eric Friedl of The Oblivians and Zac Ives and based in Memphis, Tennessee. It is known for releasing albums by punk, garage rock, and more recently post-punk and synth-orien ...

in 2008, is a half-live, half-studio record. In 2009, friend and fellow musician

took over managing duties for the band. Around this time Foree began working on a collection of songs in a fully operational studio. Released in September 2009 by

Fat Possum Records Fat Possum Records is an American independent record label based in Water Valley and Oxford, Mississippi. At first Fat Possum focused almost entirely on recording previously unknown Mississippi blues artists (typically from Oxford or Holly Spri ...

, ''Warm Brother'' garnered positive reviews. Pitchfork, for example, referred to Foree as sui generis, calling the album a "charming curio." Reportedly, the label did not initially support the album’s artwork, which features a shirtless man with the album name taped across his chest. In 2013,

Todd Fink Todd Fink (born Todd Baechle – pronounced "BECK-lee" – on March 3, 1974, in Omaha, Nebraska) is the lead singer of the band The Faint. He attended Omaha's Westside High School. Career Fink was also one of four members of the band Commande ...

The Faint The Faint is an American indie rock band. Formed in Omaha, Nebraska, the band consists of Todd Fink, Graham Ulicny, Dapose and Clark Baechle. The Faint was originally known as Norman Bailer and included Conor Oberst (of Bright Eyes, with who ...

joined Digital Leather as a full-time keyboardist and additional recording engineer. They spent the next year and a half playing shows around Omaha and preparing a full-length record with the live band recording its own parts (as opposed to Foree recording all the parts himself as was done on previous output). During this time Foree managed to also write and record a split LP with Madison, WI's The Hussy for Southpaw Records. In 2014, the collaboration between Shawn Foree and The Hussy became the catalyst for Foree and The Hussy's Bobby Hussy to create their synth driven minimal wave duo TIT. The band then began writing and recording their debut self-titled EP 12" over the course five days while Hussy was visiting Foree's home in Omaha. FDH and Volar Records co-released the 12" in late-2014. TIT played their first show in Omaha at O'Leaver's on January 22, 2015 with

as an additional keyboardist and Noah Kohll as the drummer. Digital Leather's 9th LP, "All Faded" was recorded by Todd Fink and

Clark Baechle Clark Alan Baechle (born April 21, 1981) is an American founding member of the Omaha-based electronic rock band The Faint, along with his brother, Todd Fink. Although he is primarily known for playing drums, he also sings backing vocals and ...

between 2013 and 2015. ''All Faded'' was released by FDH Records in November 2015. A new album, ''Pink Thunder,'' was released June 30, 2017.

Selected discography

Albums

* Digital Leather (2003) King Of The Monsters * Monologue (2006) Shattered * Hard At Work (2007)

* Blow Machine (2007) FDH Records * Sorcerer (2008)

* Warm Brother (2009)

Fat Possum In nutrition, biology, and chemistry, fat usually means any ester of fatty acids, or a mixture of such compounds, most commonly those that occur in living beings or in food. The term often refers specifically to triglycerides (triple es ...

* Infinite Sun (2011) Volar * Sponge (2012) Crash Symbols * Yes Please, Thank You (2012) Southpaw * Modern Problems (2012) FDH Records * Split LP w/ The Hussy (2014) Southpaw * All Faded (2015) FDH Records * Whack Jam (2015) Kind Turkey Records * Pink Thunder (2017) FDH Records * Headache Heaven (2018) No Coast Records * FEEET (2019) Stencil Trash * New Wave Gold (2020) No Coast Records * Tales From The King (2022)

Vermin Vermin (colloquially varmint(s) or varmit(s)) are pests or nuisance animals that spread diseases or destroy crops or livestock. Since the term is defined in relation to human activities, which species are included vary by region and enterpri ...

Singles

* Simulator (2005) Plastic Idol * Split w/ Angry Angles (2006) Shattered * She Had A Cameltoe (2007) Goner * Closed My Eyes (2007) Disordered (Italy), P Trash (Germany), FDH (USA) * Suckface (2007) Red Lounge (Germany) * The Assault (2008) Red Lounge (Germany) * Hurts so Bad, demo version (2009) Squoodge (Austria/Germany) * Power Surge (2009) FDH * Lousy Manipulator (2009) Neat Neat Neat * Sponge (2011) Ghost Highway

Other Projects

* Mere Mortals (2012) Self-released * Diode (2014) Crash Symbols * TIT (2014) FDH / Volar * Dome Valley (2014) Castle Bravo * Black Bug (2015) Avant!

Featured

Lost Sounds Lost Sounds was a rock band from Memphis, Tennessee. Starting in March 1999, the band was made up of Rich Crook on drums, Patrick Jordan on bass, Jay Reatard on synth, guitar and vocals, and Alicja Trout on synth, guitar and vocals. The band, ori ...

– Future Touch (2004) In The Red * Tokyo Electron – S/T (2005) Shattered * Cutters – 7" (2005) Sunburst * Terror Visions – World of Shit (2007) FDH * Devon Disaster – Make Things Bleed (2008) Red Lounge * Destruction Unit / Black Sunday – Split LP (2008) FDH * Earthmen & Strangers – S/T (2009) FDH * Mere Mortals - Purple Fire (2012) Self Released *

- Doom Abuse (2014) * The Hussy – Volar EP 7" (2015) Volar

References

{{Authority control Fat Possum Records artists