Genuine Leather is the musical moniker of Austin-based musician Chris Galis and his latest release “Tear It Down” came out recently on the 9th of June, 2023. It is the third single off his upcoming EP “Genuine Pleasure”. Chris masterfully blends pop-synth sounds with his whimsical motifs to craft music that is lively in its atmosphere and dynamic in its soundscape. We were curious to understand the method behind his genius, which is why we reached out to him to get some insight into his craft.
Hi Chris, Let’s start off with how you got into music - what inspired you to start making songs? What were your influences and which ones, if any, have changed since you began?
1 -I was a late bloomer when it comes to musical maturity. In high school, I was into stuff like the Chili Peppers, Strokes, Outkast, Led Zeppelin. I recorded really dumb songs based on slap bass lines that I would make up. In college, I discovered bands like The Beatles, Radiohead, Wilco, Olivia Tremor Control, Pavement, and other “indie” acts that I just didn’t have exposure to growing up in the Dallas area, where it's all Clear Channel stations. So those were my early influences, the music that made me want to write “good” songs. A decade or so later, I’ve started to look at people like Prince, David Bowie, Kevin Parker (Tame Impala) as folks who have some “magic” and how I can tap into that on my own stuff.
Where do you live, where are you from and would you say that either of these places have somehow shaped the music you create?
I currently live in Austin, TX and am originally from the Dallas area. I wouldn’t say my city has been a huge influence on my music per se. I don’t think I inhabit the space that a lot of people would consider “Austin music.” But being from a major radio market and growing up in the suburbs, I just wasn’t exposed to non-commercial music until later so somewhere deep inside of me, I still love and appreciate a dumb easy hook you can sing to, and I try to bake that into my current tunes.
Tell us more about Genuine Leather. We’d love to know more about your creative process.
Most of my songs start with a core idea, like a keyboard part or a vocal melody. A lot of times I record an idea on my voice memo app. Then they’ll float around in my head for a year or two until I feel like I’ve got enough ideas to lay them down. I’ll usually start with the core idea and then reverse engineer a verse/chorus/riff from the main idea. That’s how “Even If I Could” - 2nd single from the EP worked out. But, when I’m in the right headspace, I’ve got the time, and inspiration hits, I’ll write a song in one sitting. The 1st single we put out from the upcoming EP, “Promises,” worked that way. I had the song basically written and demoed in 2 hours.
Your newest single “Tear It Down” is out now. What can you tell us about this release?
This is the third single from the upcoming EP, Genuine Pleasure, which is out in Sept. This song is cool because I think it's a sound that I want to mine in the future. I’m calling it “garage synth” for now, but it basically combines dirt and grit and lo-fi elements with the sheen of 70s/80s synth-based music. For this song, the dirt and grit are coming from the bass and drums, and the sheen is supplied by the vocals and synths on the track. I also wrote an octave bass/guitar solo for the bridge, which at the time felt lazy, but I love it.
What do you consider your single most significant achievement and biggest regret on your musical journey? What advice do you have for any aspiring musicians entering the scene today?
My most significant achievement is the fact that I haven’t stopped yet, despite not really gaining a bigger and bigger following. I’ve been writing songs and albums since 2004 with dreams of “Making It,” but of course those opportunities never just feel in my lap. I guess I’m still looking for that nugget of success, or validation, or whatever it is. There are so many times when I could have called it and let music take a back seat to whatever else is going on in my life. But I haven’t quit and (I think) I’ve been getting better at making music and also navigating the business side of things.
Biggest regret would be turning down opportunities to play with other bands when it wasn’t my project. I think there’s a lot you learn by being a player in a band vs. the leader and you never know the opportunities that might pop up by being more open to things.
My advice for aspiring musicians is to not take my advice. I have no idea what I’m doing.
Which artist living today would you most want to collaborate with if given the opportunity? Which artist would it be if we include those who have passed?
Living…it would have to be Tame Impala. He’s got my number. I like to think that we’d have a fun time in the studio. Dead...Prince.
How do you nurture your creativity? What makes you happy apart from making music?
This is a good question! I nurture my creativity by taking breaks. For example, right now, I’m just promoting our new EP and not trying to aggressively record and finish new material (even though I want to). I will hit a point where nothing sounds good anymore and taking a break will bring perspective back. I also like making music with my friends, other projects, different genres, things that really put me outside of my comfort zone, which is making music in my home studio alone. Outside of music, I run.
What rising trends do you see, if any, in the music industry that you would like to jump aboard at some point?
I mean the biggest one right now is social media, specifically Tik Tok and how bands/artists are using it to break out. I joined this year because my label recommended I start promoting a bunch more for these songs. I don’t really know how to use it at the moment, but it's fun figuring out how to do it. I wish I wasn’t starting at the ground floor, but it's a grind.
What can you tell us about your relationship with The Animal Farm, and how that dynamic has shaped your music?
The Animal Farm has been great to work with so far. Right now, they’re helping me digitally distribute my songs for this EP, helped me map out a release schedule, and they have been helpful with promo and radio. I sent them demos and we stayed in touch for around a year via email on progress of demos. We also worked on a mix of a song, which didn’t pan out. All in all, it's the perfect label deal for me, because I struggle compromising my vision, and I think a label with a heavier hand might have had more friction.
What does the near and distant future hold for Genuine Leather? What about you personally?
My focus is on promoting the music from this EP, Genuine Pleasure, coming out on September 29, 2023. I’m starting work on getting back into performing shape with my band, but we’ve taken a short hiatus while I devoted all my time to getting the word out on this set of songs. Once that’s out, I’m working on a new EP’s worth of songs and have a lot of demos and previously released tracks in the backlog that I'm reworking for a future release.
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