Leisure Hour is one of those bands that'll catch you by surprise. For me, I just happened to see them with Carly Cosgrove and Summerbruise earlier this year, and I was an instant fan. A Leisure Hour baddie, if you will. Somewhere between seeing Isaiah Neal, Grace Dudas and Raegan Gordon share lead vocal duties, watching Grace set down her bass to play the trumpet, listening to Raegan ROCK the drums while singing beautifully devastating lyrics, and taking in Isaiah's commanding on stage presence, I fell hard for these guys.
They released the first album of a trilogy, ....and to think, earlier this year and we've already got part two coming in just a few days, and I couldn't be more excited. If you haven't already given them a listen, check out Leisure Hour wherever you stream music. You won't regret it, and I'd be shocked if you're not a baddie yourself by the end.
-Phil
New NAPNET contributor Shannon Elaine had a chance to ask Raegan a few questions about the band and about the album:
Interview
Shannon Elaine sits down with Raegan Gordon
Your new record …that one day comes out Oct. 2. What does this record capture about Leisure Hour right now that your previous music didn't?
I feel like over the past few years being in a band we've spent a lot of time growing and living life through our 20s together as well as our community. I feel you can hear that in our music, especially if you listen to our earlier music versus the music we make now. We feel as a band as we continue to grow and experience things together, it reflects in our music in an honest manner.
You've described yourselves as a "variety emo band." What does that term mean to you, and where do you think this record pushes against what people expect an emo band to sound like?
We started calling ourselves variety emo because we feel like our music sounds like all of our favorite genres with the heart of emo in it. I think us having three lead vocalists with three different styles also adds to the variety of our band. I think we're always shooting to be different and owning it, which we believe is what will set this record apart from your standard emo record.
"Let Me Go" is one of the last songs people will hear before the full record arrives. Why did that song feel like the right one to introduce at this point?
It was really hard to pick the order of the songs, but we felt amazing about the song and felt like it brought another level of production and ideas we haven't explored that intimately yet.
Was there a particular song on …that one day where you finished it and thought, "Okay, this is what this record is"?
I feel like our song "…and to think" is the perfect song to encapsulate the energy and vibe of the record and who we are as a band. It features all the elements of music we love as well as the three of us sharing lead vocals. It really is the "Leisure Hour" song of the record.
The title …that one day feels almost like part of a conversation. Where did it come from, and what does it mean within the context of the record?
…that one day is the second installment of a trilogy of records we plan to roll out as a band, the first one being …and to think earlier this year. As far as context of the band, I think this represents where we are musically and showcases our variety and versatility as a band.
You're about to head out with Oso Oso and then Chase Petra. What are you most excited about with those tours, and do you approach winning over another band's audience differently than playing for people who already know Leisure Hour?
We really believe in creating a community with our music on and off the stage. Winning over audiences to Leisure Hour means growing our community in the most authentic way we can. We love getting to meet people at shows and allowing a space for a community of diverse and passionate people.
Touring at your level can look very different from the romanticized version people see online. What does being a working touring band actually look like for Leisure Hour right now?
For us it's really hard but really rewarding. We all still work food service jobs when we aren't touring, and it can be hard feeling so on top of the world and then going back to the realities of life, but we wouldn't trade it for the world.
There's so much pressure now for bands to also be content creators. How do you balance making music and touring with the expectation that you're constantly supposed to be posting and feeding an algorithm?
We really take a genuine approach to this. There's nothing better in the world than being yourself, and we try to do that through every channel and aspect of the band, which makes the pressures seem less intense and intimidating.
As a younger band coming up in the scene, do you feel like there's still a real-life "scene," or has social media fundamentally changed what that word means?
Absolutely. We have been extremely fortunate to be a part of the DIY scene, and we know it is 100% alive and well. Social media definitely plays a part, especially when it comes to the exposure of incredible DIY bands, but the heart of DIY will always exist, and we hope to continue to be a part of the legacy of building bands and our scene up.
If someone discovers Leisure Hour through this record and has never heard you before, what do you hope they understand about the band by the time the album ends?
They will understand that we are a band that is trying to do something different with our music and the community we are building around it. I feel you will get to understand what Leisure Hour is now and how we don't have rules, only to make the best music we possibly can. I think there is something for anyone who loves the genre on this record.