Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.

Chris Gates planned on a future in politics until his aunt introduced him to the Beatles during a trip to Washington, D.C. Hearing “Love Me Do” changed his direction. He got his first guitar on his 10th birthday, taught himself Beatles songs and worked on his voice with his mother, a singer who held him to a demanding standard.

At 14, Chris played his first show with Burning Bridges at the Hemet Christmas Parade. He says he hasn’t taken a break from music since.

Today, Chris is the singer, rhythm guitarist and frontman for Kings of Karma. He and bassist Joe Berry have spent more than a decade building the band, including years of cover gigs around Temecula. Chris shares how they found their original sound, wrote about 80 percent of their original album "Bite the Bullet" during a 12-hour session in Joshua Tree, and later re-recorded the album from scratch in seven days.

He also discusses songwriting, life as an independent band and the next Kings of Karma single, “Nothing Without You.”

In this episode:

• Hearing the Beatles for the first time
• Teaching himself guitar and working on his singing with his mother
• Playing his first show at 14
• Building Kings of Karma with Joe Berry
• Writing and re-recording Bite the Bullet
• Moving from cover gigs toward original music
• Winning a Hollywood Music in Media Award
• Building consistency as an independent band

Connect with Chris and Kings of Karma:

Kings of Karma: https://kingsofkarma.com

Kings of Karma on Instagram: https://instagram.com/kingsofkarmaofficial

Chris Gates on Instagram: https://instagram.com/rubber_soul_16

Thanks to our sponsor, Tsunami Cables. Their cables are built in Southern California and backed by a lifetime warranty. Visit https://tsunamicables.com and use promo code SOCALSETLIST for 10% off.