KIFF (Chris Gallagher)
Total fans: 51
In 2003, Chris (Kiff) Gallagher walked away from an impressive career in business and politics, and sat down to write some music. In less than a year he'd created “Will and Surrender.” Though it was his first attempt at writing and producing pop songs, it was instantly clear that he had a gift. “Will and Surrender” was a top seller at CDbaby.com for months, and the single, “Wide Open” charted on Garageband's top 20, all-time, for best male vocals and best love song, out of more than 17,000. Before long, Kiff was getting attention in his hometown, San Francisco. Over the next year, he played to crowds in the Bay Area (Independent, Slim’s, Café du Nord, Sweetwater), NY (Makor, Bitter End) and LA (Hotel Café, Temple Bar). With “raspy smooth” vocals, evocative songs and a charismatic stage presence, Kiff headlined sold- out shows and opened for acts as diverse as Gavin DeGraw, Aqualung and Maktub. In early 2005, Gallagher began work on his second album. The strength of his demos attracted top session talent (from acts like Macy Gray, Fionna Apple, Seal, The Matrix, etc), and landed spots in independent film, “best-of” compilations and Clear Channel's prestigious "New” artist buzz page to be streamed on more than 300 stations nationwide. The self-produced album titled, "You Can't Keep it Down," also got the attention of award-winning studio veterans, Mark Needham (The Killers, Fleetwood Mac, Chris Isaak) and Joe Chiccarelli (Elton John, U2, Beck, etc) who split the job of mixing the 11 songs. The CD will have a limited release (PeaceLabs Records) before the '05 holidays and broader distribution with tour support in 2006. Kiff’s unique brand of classic song-writing and groove-oriented soul has evolved into something far more raw and relevant than his buzz- worthy '03 debut predicted. “You Can’t Keep it Down” breaks through the clutter of indie mediocraty with rare artistic gravity and real commercial viability. 3 years of nonstop writing, producing and performing has paid off for Kiff and his fans with a fresh, engaging sound that’s ready for action.
