Will and Surrender by KIFF (Chris Gallagher)

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 in Pop Rock.

Before long, Gallagher was getting serious attention in his hometown, San Francisco. Over the next year, he headlined to packed crowds at top Bay Area venues (Café du Nord, Sweetwater). Gallagher's gorgeous vocals, sophisticated yet accessible songwriting and charismatic pop-soul sound made him a popular opener for acts as diverse as Gavin DeGraw, Maktub and Aqualung.

Gallagher spends most of his days in his small apartment, writing songs and planning new gigs. When he's not in San Francisco he's in NY (Makor, Bitter End) or LA (Hotel Café, Temple Bar) trying out material for his next album, due in summer 2005 under his childhood name "Kiff." Currently, Gallagher's un-produced tracks "How It Feels" and "Starting Line" have charted #1 and #3 on Garageband.

Background

The roots of Gallagher's classic songs and soul-flavored harmonies can be found in his childhood. His mother sang beautifully and loved anything with a groove, from Stevie and Marvin to the Fifth Dimension. His father, who played piano and banjo, favored the sweet chord progressions of the Beatles and James Taylor. Gallagher, known by his nickname Kiff, blended the two traditions and found himself expanding more into rock, pop, and hip hop with bands like Foreigner, Hall and Oates and A Tribe Called Quest.

Kiff started playing the piano on his own as a teenager, picking out chord progressions and playing them for hours. Meanwhile he was experimenting with composition, writing a piece in six-part harmony for his high school a capella group. His diverse musical interests continued in college, where he joined a funk band, played in an African drumming group, and sang in a gospel choir.

After graduation, Gallagher joined Bill Clinton's campaign for President; a year later he was in Washington. At night he fronted Funnybone, a hip-hop/ acid jazz band that regularly packed DC clubs. He later moved to San Francisco, where he helped manage Odwalla juice company, then became the president of Social Venture Network - a national alliance of socially responsible businesses. But his deeper inspiration continued to be music...and he finally surrendered. His first CD, "Will and Surrender", and a year of captivating shows in SF, LA and NY have reawakened Gallagher's musical calling. In 2005, Gallagher has decided to honor his roots and take back his childhood name "Kiff" which he dropped in high school. As we await his follow up record and tour this year, Kiff Gallagher's story is still very much in progress.

Average Customer Review: