Exclusive Interview: Red Leather Discusses New Album 'TAHOE', Sobriety, and Tour
- Mikaila Storrs
- Mar 1
- 3 min read
Emerging from the shadows of addiction and into a hard-won clarity, Red Leather isn’t interested in clean narratives or easy redemption. His new album, TAHOE, exists as a living document of survival, shaped by the long, uneven work of rebuilding a life. As he puts it, “TAHOE tells the story of becoming a person again after being a drug addict for many years. It’s a collection of experiences. Sobriety, recovery, and survival are all part of that story.” The record doesn’t hinge on one defining moment; instead, it moves through fragments of memory and meaning, stitched together by the simple fact of still being here.
That perspective feels especially stark when placed next to his debut, RENO. “I wrote the entire RENO album in active addiction and before I had any success in the music industry,” he says, framing the album as a snapshot of a life lived in chaos. TAHOE, by contrast, was written from a place of sobriety—a shift that fundamentally changed the creative process. “TAHOE has been written completely sober, and it’s been a new journey. The emotions hit even harder during the writing process because there were no drugs and alcohol to soften them.” Without anything to numb the feelings, the songs demanded full presence, no escape.
That emotional honesty cuts deepest on DIVINE INTERVENTION, which revisits a moment that now feels uncannily significant. “DIVINE INTERVENTION feels the most personal because it tells the story of meeting a stranger in Las Vegas the day before I overdosed,” Red Leather explains. “I believe that person was an angel and a divine intervention in my life.” It’s a song suspended between memory and meaning, where chance encounters take on spiritual weight in hindsight.
The ability to tell stories this openly is inseparable from the Red Leather persona itself. What began as a practical discovery—a red hat found while traveling through California—slowly evolved into something more
intentional.
“I originally found the hat in San Bernardino while traveling around California,” he recalls. “In 2021, I spent countless hours busking on Hollywood Blvd, and I noticed I got more attention when I wore the hat. The persona developed from there.” Over time, that anonymity became a shield. “I think being Red Leather allows me to be completely honest in my writing and art,” he says. “I don’t have the fear of being judged because I am anonymous.”
The relationship he has with music started early, long before albums or personas entered the picture. “I started playing the guitar at a very young age and found it to be an escape from reality,” he says. “I would just sit and play music for hours by myself.” Eventually, creation became more important than replication. “I quickly realized I enjoyed creating my own songs more than playing covers, so I just started writing.” Those formative years were shaped by an eclectic set of influences—Radiohead, Johnny Cash, Nirvana, The Eagles, and Prince—that still echo through his sound today. “My earliest influences were Radiohead, Johnny Cash, Nirvana, The Eagles, and Prince,” he says. “I think I've taken inspiration from all of those artists in my sound today.”
On TAHOE, those influences are filtered through deeply personal storytelling, with each song expanding or contracting based on what the story needs. “Music is a beautiful thing,” Red Leather reflects. “It’s helped me to tell my story and help all my trauma make sense. At the end of the day, my music is therapy.” Some tracks demand space and scale, while others remain stripped back. “Certain stories call for a big musical landscape like LOSING MY RELIGION, and some are simple like MAN BEHIND THE MASK.”
Now that TAHOE is out in the world, Red Leather sees it less as a milestone and more as a lifeline. “This album really helped bring me out of a lonely, dark place,” he says. “After I got sober, I realized I had to face the wreckage of my life without drugs or alcohol. It was a lonely time, but writing this album brought me light.” His hope is that the record can serve the same purpose for someone else. “I hope that it can bring light to someone else who needs it,” he adds, already looking ahead. “Time will tell where I go next, but first up is the TAHOE world tour! See ya there!”
In the end, TAHOE isn’t about reinvention or erasing the past; it’s about telling the truth and surviving long enough to give that truth meaning. For Red Leather, that honesty isn’t just art; it’s the reason he’s still here.
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