Expanding from a one-piece bedroom project to a 5-piece band, Shawn Foree (also formerly of the bands Destruction Unit and Lost Sounds), mastermind of Digital Leather has ambitiously created quite a fury of knock out songs on the new album, All Faded, scheduled to be released on South Philly’s own FDH Records on CD and digital on June 23 and on vinyl in the Fall. Catch Digital Leather, as they will headline Philly’s own Bourbon and Branch on Monday, June 1st doors at 7pm and show at 8pm where FDH Records’ label mates SGNLS and Janelle will be on the night’s line-up as openers. Throbbing Chakra (mem. of Lantern) is also on the bill.
Digital Leather’s new record, All Faded, has given a nice nod to some new-wave predecessors, a sound and feel of the late 70’s and early 80’s from the likes of early Devo, Gary Numan, and Joy Division but a decidedly future-present vibe, danceable beats and hypnotic synth lines, infectious choruses- sort of a counter response to the calm/ soft bits of electronica of the past 10 years. The band also features The Faint’s Todd Fink on synths and vocals; those synth leads are soaring, leaving you wanting more. It’s an uptempo in–your-face piece of work where rock and synths collide. This is the first Digital Leather full band release on FDH Records as opposed to a single person project.
Check out the first 2 songs from Digital Leather’s new album All Faded:
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I caught up with Shawn Foree from Digital Leather recently for a brief chat:
Jon from Philthy: Talk about your new album, All Faded? What was your inspiration for it?
Shawn of Digital Leather: It was mostly written while hungover, so I guess that’s probably the main inspiration. Feeling like shit.
Jon: What is it like to go from a one man-man bedroom project to a full-blown 5 piece -band?
Shawn: It’s fun to play with a band. Travel around. Like a big dysfunctional family. Actual that’s a stupid cliche. We are very functional.
Jon: How was the transition from Arizona to the Mid-West? Is there anything you miss? What do you like most about the change?
Shawn: Arizona is a flaming hot shit hole. I can’t stand the heat. The only things I miss about Arizona are my friends and decent Mexican food.
Jon: You will be at Bourbon and Branch in Philly on June 1. Describe your live show? What can we expect?
Our show will be loud and fast. We’ll have drunk a bunch of beer. It’ll be fun. We’re playing with a bunch of label mates (FDH Records) so that’s cool.
Jon: Any plans to see or do anything special while you are in Philly?
Shawn: When we get to a town, we usually don’t have time to do anything beside hang out in the neighborhood where the club is. If we can get some free shots, decent food and hang out with friends, then that’s usually the marker of a successful visit to a city.
Jon: What do you have planned for the remainder of 2015?
Shawn: After this tour, a short break. some shows with Desaparecidos and The Hussy in July. That’s what I have planned as of now. Anything can, and usually does happen.
To gear up for June 1st Bourbon and Branch show, here are bits from SGNLS and Janelle who are both on FDH Records label.
FDH Records describes SGNLS as a “West Philly Psych Synthpunk” who released the album “2” in 2014” “Love Goes Running” is a single from that release:
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Janelle is what FDH Records describes as “South Philly Shoegaze Indie Punk.” They released a tape on their all Philly tape label sub division “Suicide Bong Tapes” back in early 2014. They will be releasing a full length on FDH in 2016. Attached is a track, “Bed of Lies”, that was recently released on Philly tape comp which will also appear on the full length.
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