Chris Maher was born in 1981, along with Sonic Youth and the Reagan Era. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen, NYC, went to school and was inspired to pick up the guitar by Bill Clinton's legendary Arsenio Hall performance. At age 13, unaware of Ben Lee, Chris started a band and began writing songs. By high school, he was playing shows at Coney Island High, CBGB, and Wetlands. Then he went to college and his bands broke up.
Chris found college uninspiring and quickly returned to NYC to work in a
record store and play bass for his friends in Automato (pre-DFA). During the summer of 2001, drunk on Elvis Costello records and a newfound love for AFNY, Chris began playing shows at the Sidewalk Café.
Between then and now, Chris kept busy. He returned to school, learned to play the drums, recorded an unreleased Walter Martin-produced single at Marcata Recording with the Morningsides (a band he co-frnonts), played shit tons of shows, both by himself and with his backing band, the Post-Modern Lovers, and played opening night of the 2002 summer antifolk fest.
Chris also spent an afternoon at his friend Dashan's studio and recorded three songs, playing all of the instruments himself. The resulting tracks can be found on Chris Maher Songs (LV11), recently released by Luv-A-Lot Records. The recordings aren't perfect but Chris has learned a thing or two from his Beat Happening LPs and knows that perfection isn't everything.
In the near future, Chris will continue playing shows, including a spot at the 2003 Summer Antifolk Fest on August 28th. His song, "Yr New Boyfriend", will appear on the Luv-A-Lot Records Compilation 1 (LV12), to be released this fall. He also plans to record more songs at Marcata. Fun, fun, fun.
