Nick Hemming
Christian Hardy
Helen Whitaker
William Calderbank
Michael Siddell
Sebastian Hankins
Darren Bonehill
CONTACT: Radio/TV: Prudence - info@rocketpr.co.uk
Press: Steve - steve@bigmouthpublicity.co.uk
Booking: Neil - neil@neilobrienentertainment.com
Label: Ryan - ryan@fulltimehobby.co.uk
Influences
Beach Boys, Beatles, Elliott Smith, Calexico, Sufjan Stevens, Howie Beck, The Band, Ali, Bob Dylan, David Attenborough, Jaws, Louis Theroux, Bill Murray, Simon Schama, P G Wodehouse, The Fountainhead, The Kinks, The Who, The Jam, Charlie Chaplin, Hangovers & Heartache, Tom Waits, Sideways, Paul Thomas Anderson, Weezer, Neil Young, The Divine Comedy, Charles Bukowski, Arrested Development, travelling by train, Stevie Wonder, David Bowie, Nick Drake, The Beta Band, Big Wednesday, Adam & the Ants, Love, Joni Mitchell, The Shins, Italian Food, Richard Hell, Bruce Robinson, Bill Hicks, Dave Brubeck, Horace Silver, The Cure, The Coen Brothers, Spike Milligan, Wes Anderson, Russ Mayer, The Earlies, Peep Show, Lalo Schifrin, The Red Hand Gang theme tune, Jules Verne.... & just about everything I've seen, heard, touched & tasted.
**** "An autumnal mist of British Bank Holiday ennui surrounds Nick Hemming's literate meditations." The Times
**** "Beautifully pastoral debut." MOJO
"Magical... shimmers with loveliness" Word Magazine
"Unflinching clarity and a sense of longing...a uniquely British take on Americana; almost as if Scott Walker or Nick Drake had 'gone country', making music for coalminers rather than cowboys." The Independent On Sunday
"Fragile, beautifully orchestrated and restrained." The Guardian
***** "A classic from start to finish...a near perfect debut." Music-News.com
***** "Transcendant... a Mercury Prize nomination perhaps awaits." Subba Cultcha
***** "This isn't just a debut that promises big things for the future, it's one that delivers greatness already." The List
**** "Music to cuddle up to, music to clutch yourself to, music that is, as Jimmy Webb might say, necessary. This is a band that could well be the sound of 2009." Maverick Magazine
**** "A lovingly crafted, tender folk record that will secure them as a named brand on the shelves of pop. The love affair begins." Ragged Words
"This is a record of extraordinary depth that stays with you long after the final notes have faded." Notion
85% "Stunning...an awe-inspiring musical adventure." The Line Of Best Fit
9/10 "As moving as Elbow, as stirring as The Delgados, it's wholly magical." Teletext
"My favourite record of 2008 was The Last Of The Melting Snow" Guy Garvey
"Genius" Subba Cultcha
"Timeless" The Independent
The song has been nominated for this year's Ivor Novello award for 'Best Song Musically and Lyrically.' Physical copies of the CD single sold out in January but to celebrate the nomination we have issued a strictly limited run of Vinyl copies featuring 'The Last Of The Melting Snow' and 'A Matter of Time'.
"Choral... like a barbershop quartet covering Vampire Weekend" Subba Cultcha
"Even better than Melting Snow...unfolds over six minutes with the inexorable, melodic logic of all great pop music" BBC.CO.UK
Physical copies of our second single 'A Matter Of Time' are still available from Willkommen Records or on iTunes, Amazon, eMusic & Napster. The single features two new tracks, 'Pancake Day' and 'A Passing Thought', neither of which feature on The Sleeper.
The story of The Leisure Society began in Burton-Upon-Trent when Nick Hemming picked up a guitar and formed a band with Shane Meadows, Paddy Considine and Rich Eaton. Following a year of demos and increasingly bizarre gigs, Shane and Paddy were drawn towards careers in film, leaving Nick to pursue a life of making music. After serving time with Burton's best known exports The Telescopes (latterly Unisex), Nick contributed scores to some of Shane's movies, including A Room For Romeo Brass and Dead Man's Shoes, under a new moniker, 'The Leisure Society'.
Then in 2005 he was asked to collaborate with fellow Burtonians in 'Christian Silva', prompting a move to South London where he bunked up in singer Christian Hardy's postage stamp bedroom. One thing inevitably led to another and soon Nick started shyly presenting his compositions in the wee hours of the morning, picking up a ukulele, mandolin, banjo or guitar and pouring out songs that were wistful, romantic, poetic and drenched in longing. Hemming was dismissive, Hardy was transfixed. Thus The Leisure Society was reborn, a new band in which Christian tinkled the ivories, twiddled the knobs and sung all the notes Nick couldn't reach.
Christian and Nick continued with other musical exploits: Christian Silva released debut album Onward! and enjoyed a number of high profile tour dates; Nick joined the ranks of two Brighton folk ensembles, Sons Of Noel and Adrian and Shoreline, both members of a newly formed Willkommen Collective. It was from this rich pool of talent that Nick and Christian found band members to realise their ever-expanding vision of The Leisure Society. Simple ukuleles and close harmony were joined by lush orchestral chamber pieces with vast rhythm sections and choirs. Nick brought home a sitar, Christian brought home a pedal steel, Nick brought home a flute player, Christian brought home a drummer. And so on. By the end of 2008 they had produced a collection of 30 or so songs, 11 of which are presented on their first limited release, 'The Sleeper', which was released on our very own Willkommen Records on March 30th 2009.
The first single from The Sleeper 'The Last Of The Melting Snow' was released on December 15th. It was voted 'Record Of The Week' on Radcliffe and Maconie's Radio 2 show and has been nominated for the Ivor Novello award for 'Best Song Musically & Lyrically'. The second single 'A Matter Of Time' also won the Radio 2 vote. The 3rd single is being recorded right now - a live reworking of one of the album tracks.
And that's the story. The Leisure Society is Hemming with Hardy, a band from Burton reborn in a London bed. Together they strive for a time of relaxation through automation, for a moment when they can hold their table tennis bats aloft and salute modernity.
yesssss, you guys play hamburg's prinzenbar in october! that's what their website says, so one may assume it's true, right? it's such wonderful news! (doesn't even matter that it's still some time to go).
Like the new photos, lots of Helen has to be a good thing ;) How are you TLS, any news on the new single? There is a rumour you are coming back to the Glee, any truth? Is Nick enjoying himself now he has officially joined The Leisure Society and is the bruised and battered Christian recovering?
Hey Guys, was privileged enough to be at the union chapel last night, and wanted to say thanks for an amazing set. I much look forward to the next time your down in london town! xxx
