{{Short description|Shawn Foree musical project}} {{Notability|Music|date=July 2021}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Digital Leather | image = | caption = | image_size = | origin = Yuma, Arizona, U.S. | genre = {{hlist|Indie rock|garage rock|garage punk|psychedelic rock|noise rock|electronic rock|electropunk|synthpunk|new wave|lo-fi}} | years_active = 2002–present | label = {{hlist|No Coast Records|King of the Monsters|Shattered|Tic Tac Totally|FDH|Goner Records|Fat Possum|Volar|Crash Cymbals|Southpaw|Kind Turkey Records|Plastic Idol|Disordered|P Trash|Red Lounge|Squooge|Neat Neat Neat|Ghost Highway|Castle Bravo|Avant!|In the Red|Sunburst}} | associated_acts = {{hlist|Jay Reatard|The Faint|The Hussy|TIT|Noah Kohll|Clark Baechle|Bobby Hussy|Angry Angles|Lost Sounds|Destruction Unit|Black Sunday|Diode|Dome Valley|Black Bug |Billy Druid|}} | website = | current_members = {{hlist|Shawn Foree|Todd Fink}} | past_members = {{hlist|Jay Reatard (deceased)|Bobby Hussy| Chris Squire|}} }} '''Digital Leather''' is the musical project led by multi-instrumentalist Shawn Foree. It is recognized for having characteristics of electropunk, new wave, pop, lo-fi, and psychedelic music.<ref name="avclub1">{{cite web|url=http://www.avclub.com/milwaukee/events/digital-leather-the-mistreaters-cococoma-the-hex-d,137156/ |title=Digital Leather, The Mistreaters, CoCoComa, The Hex Dispensers, and Drugs Dragons | Music | Events | The A.V. Club Milwaukee |publisher=Avclub.com |access-date=2011-01-31 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629151827/http://www.avclub.com/milwaukee/events/digital-leather-the-mistreaters-cococoma-the-hex-d,137156/ |archive-date=2011-06-29 }}</ref>
== History == Originally from Yuma, Arizona, Foree began calling his project "Digital Leather" when he moved to Tucson, where he studied American literature at the University of Arizona.<ref name="tucsonweekly1">{{cite web|last=Swedlund |first=Eric |url=http://www.tucsonweekly.com/tucson/rise-of-the-synth/Content?oid=1985666 |title=Rise of the Synth | Music Feature |publisher=Tucson Weekly |access-date=2011-01-31}}</ref> He used student loan money to buy equipment.<ref>{{cite web|last=Deming |first=Mark |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/digital-leather-p784082/biography |title=Digital Leather |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=2011-01-31}}</ref> He managed to release his first three albums after recording them in his bedroom on labels such as Tic Tac Totally, Jay Reatard's Shattered Records imprint, and FDH Records.<ref name="mlive1">{{cite web|url=http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2009/11/welcome_to_the_warped_world_of.html |title=Welcome to the warped world of Digital Leather |publisher=MLive.com |date=2009-11-12 |access-date=2011-01-31}}</ref> He supported this "bedroom project"<ref name="avclub1" /> with several nationwide and European tours.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2010/02/new_digital_lea.html |title=new Digital Leather video & 2010 tour dates (SXSW) |publisher=Brooklynvegan.com |date=2010-02-04 |access-date=2011-01-31}}</ref> ''Sorcerer'', released on Goner Records in 2008, is a half-live, half-studio record.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.seattleweekly.com/slideshow/this-weeks-recommended-shows-jay-z-grizzly-bear-sunny-day-real-estate-28576686/5/ |title=This Week's Recommended Shows: Jay Z, Grizzly Bear, Sunny Day Real Estate – Seattle – Slideshows |publisher=Seattleweekly.com |access-date=2011-01-31 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121008115454/http://www.seattleweekly.com/slideshow/this-weeks-recommended-shows-jay-z-grizzly-bear-sunny-day-real-estate-28576686/5/ |archive-date=2012-10-08 }}</ref>
In 2009, friend and fellow musician Jay Reatard took over managing duties for the band.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newyorker.com/arts/events/nightlife/2009/09/21/090921goni_GOAT_nightlife |title=Night Life |work=The New Yorker |date=2009-01-07 |access-date=2011-01-31}}</ref> Around this time Foree began working on a collection of songs in a fully operational studio.<ref name="tucsonweekly1" /> Released in September 2009 by Fat Possum Records, ''Warm Brother'' garnered positive reviews. Pitchfork, for example, referred to Foree as sui generis, calling the album a "charming curio."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/artists/28211-digital-leather/ |title=Digital Leather |publisher=Pitchfork |access-date=2011-01-31}}</ref> Reportedly, the label did not initially support the album's artwork, which features a shirtless man with the album name taped across his chest.<ref name="mlive1" />
In 2013, Todd Fink of The Faint joined Digital Leather as a full-time keyboardist and additional recording engineer. "All Faded" was recorded by Todd Fink and Clark Baechle of The Faint between 2013 and 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cmj.com/track-premiere-digital-leather/ |title=Track Premiere Digital Leather |publisher=cmj.com |date=2015-05-20 |access-date=2016-10-15}}</ref> ''All Faded'' was released by FDH Records in November 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/stream-digital-leathers-new-album-all-faded/ |title=Stream Digital Leathers New Album All Faded |publisher=noisey.vice.com |date=2015-06-16 |access-date=2016-10-15}}</ref>
In a 2020 article, American Songwriter described Foree as "a serious solo, DIY musician."<ref>{{cite web|url= https://americansongwriter.com/digital-leather-shares-what-could-be-its-last-album-new-wave-gold|title=Digital Leather Shares What Could Be Its Last Album 'New Wave Gold'|publisher=americansongwriter.com|date=2020-09-20}}</ref>
==Selected discography==
===Albums=== * Digital Leather (2003) King Of The Monsters * Monologue (2006) Shattered * Hard At Work (2007) Tic Tac Totally * Blow Machine (2007) FDH Records * Sorcerer (2008) Goner Records * Warm Brother (2009) Fat Possum * 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
===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 – 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 * The Faint - Doom Abuse (2014) * The Hussy – Volar EP 7" (2015) Volar
== References == {{reflist}}
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Category:Musicians from Arizona Category:Musical groups from Arizona Category:2002 establishments in Arizona Category:Fat Possum Records artists