The Leisure Society

The Leisure Society
Background information
Origin	Brighton and London, England
Genres	Folk, pop, rock
Associated acts	The Climbers The Telescopes She Talks To Angels Hope of the States Lightspeed Champion The Miserable Rich Christian Silva Sons of Noel and Adrian
Members
Nick Hemming Christian Hardy Mike Siddell William Calderbank Helen Whitaker Sebastian Hankins Darren Bonehill

The Leisure Society is a band formed by Nick Hemming, formerly of early 1990s indie band She Talks To Angels which included actor Paddy Considine, film director Shane Meadows and bassist Richard Eaton. Hemming wrote and performed music for the films A Room for Romeo Brass and Dead Man's Shoes. He was also a member of The Telescopes.

In 2006 Hemming moved to London to work with multi-instrumentalist and producer Christian Hardy; the pair have subsequently built a live band drawn from members of Brighton's Willkommen Collective and further afield, notably Mike Siddell who previously played violin with Hope of the States and currently performs with The Miserable Rich, Lightspeed Champion and Troubles. Other members of the band play with The Miserable Rich, Sons of Noel and Adrian and more.

The Leisure Society have been recipients of considerable critical acclaim since the release of their first single (see Discography), being dubbed the English answer to popular U.S acts such as Grizzly Bear, Department of Eagles and Fleet Foxes.

The band's debut single 'The Last Of The Melting Snow' was honoured with a 2009 Ivor Novello nomination for 'Best Song Musically & Lyrically'.

In July 2009 the band signed with UK label 'Full Time Hobby' prompting the re-release of 'The Sleeper' with a bonus EP entitled 'A Product Of The Ego Drain' (the name originally intended for the debut album until a last minute change of heart). The record has subsequently generated considerable fanfare across mainland Europe in print and on radio & TV.

In September 2009 Brian Eno cited the band as "The only other thing I've been listening to lately with enthusiasm", calling it "Such a beautiful album." This prompted a meeting between Nick Hemming, Christian Hardy and Brian Eno at his London studio.

In September 2009 the band recorded a cover of The Beatles song 'Something' for the music magazine Mojo.

The third single from The Sleeper, 'Save It For Someone Who Cares', was also nominated for the Ivor Novello in the same category as the previous year, making the band one of very few consecutive nominees.

In interviews on their recent European tours Nick Hemming & Christian Hardy have alluded to a darker, more expansive second record which they began recording in January 2010.

The band recently covered Children's classic "Inchworm" from Hans Christian Andersen for American Laundromat Records charity CD "Sing Me To Sleep - Indie Lullabies" which releases worldwide on May 18, 2010.

Nick Hemming and Christian Hardy also play with childhood friend Tim West in The Climbers, whose debut album was released in May 2010.

Touring

The Leisure Society's debut headline show at London's Bush Hall in January 2009 prompted a 5 star review from The Independent.

Over the Summer of 2009 the band performed across the UK and Europe, including acclaimed slots at The Big Chill, The Green Man Festival and The End Of The Road Festival.

The band finished 2009 with a tour of Europe and the UK, culminating in a sold out performance at St Giles' Church, London and a session for Radio 2's Janice Long.

In January 2010 The Leisure Society toured The Netherlands, France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany & Ireland, going on to play various festivals over the Summer including Glastonbury, The Big Chill, Summer Sundae & Vintage at Goodwood.

Discography

• The Sleeper (2009)
• Into The Murky Water (2011) (UK chart peak #75)

See also

• Nick Hemming
• Christian Hardy
• Paddy Considine
• Shane Meadows
• Richard Eaton
• Mike Siddell

External links

• The Leisure Society on Last.fm
• The Leisure Society play `Dust On The Dancefloor` live for Virgin Red Room
• The Leisure Society join Virgin Red Room for an exclusive Interview
• The Leisure Society at Myspace.com
• The Leisure Society perform live on the BT Podshow Flyposter
• The Leisure Society at Willkommen Records
• The Sleeper on Music News
• The Leisure Society in The Independent
• The Sleeper in Observer Music Monthly
• Nick Hemming interview on music.virgin.com
• Live performance for Bandstand Busking, including The Last of the Melting Snow, two other songs and an interview
• Review "The Sleeper" on Musicletter, March 2009
• Interview on Musicletter, April 2009
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