Shawn Foree is surrounded by paintings of toilets. His own paintings. Toilets are his favorite thing to paint, actually, and it’s because of the size and shape and that they somehow lend themselves to creativity.

The Digital Leather founder/frontman doesn’t call them “good” paintings, at least not in a way that would suggest he has classical training or special talents. It’s the same manner in which he describes the creative pursuit for which he is better known. Talent is Picasso or Jimmy Page. For him?

“You don’t have to be good; you just do what you do with what you have.”

Foree has been making music as Digital Leather for, oh, 15 years, by his estimation, ever since he was using college loan money to buy gear. He says that over the years his motivation has evolved from an interest to a desire to be noticed to, now with a little more skill, a therapeutic outlet. With new album Pink Thunder out now, he hopes his increasingly maturing compositions will connect with people in the passionate landscape of Omaha music.

This past summer, Foree sat down with Hear Nebraska to talk about how the local scene “playground” inspires him, bonding with strangers and the novelty “fifth band member” for which the new album is named. Watch below.

Video by Lauren Farris, Lindsey Yoneda
Interview & Edit by Lauren Farris
“Restaurant” by Digital Leather