Tracks That Shaped Our Sound: Adult Leisure

We spoke to one of our favourite bands around, Adult Leisure. Today they released the track 'Bad Idea', the latest single from Bristol-based alt-indie four-piece Adult Leisure, due for release June 9th, taken from their upcoming second EP due later this year. We spoke to them about the tracks that shaped their sound: Kings of Leon - Black Thumbnail - Neil Scott (Vocalist)

‘I started getting into indie tunes as a teen in the 00’s, with bands like Pete & The Pirates and The Maccabees grabbing my attention early doors, but it was Kings Of Leon who truly grabbed me by my teenage balls. They were the band that made me go “fuck me, that’s what I wanna do”, listening to their early albums like Aha Shake Heartbreak and Because Of The Times, I was hooked. Caleb Followill’s vocal was like nothing I’d ever heard, and I found myself before long doing covers of ‘Sex On Fire’ with my first band till my voice would blow out. My live performance changed over time, becoming what has best been described as Ian Curtis meets Ed Macfarlane ‘dancing’. But it was Kings Of Leon who inspired me to be in a rock band.’ Balloons - FOALS - Nathan Searle (Drummer):

“When Foals' 2008 album 'Antidotes' dropped, it was a game-changer for indie music and rocked my little teenage soul. Two years later, I was lucky enough to catch them live at O2 Academy Bristol, where Yannis climbed to the top of a lighting rig that had been set up on the side of the stage, leaving us all s**tting ourselves concerned for his safety. The album left an indelible impact on the scene and Jack Bevan's drumming style, clearly influenced by experimental math-rock sent me on a tangent to try and play to the most complex math-rock music I could find. 'Balloons' was a standout track that had me hooked, with its frenetic hi-hat heavy beat leaving a lasting impression on me in my favourite school loafers. Foals' innovative approach to blending genres and pushing boundaries has continued to shape and influence the music industry, and everything they've touched since then has been pure gold. They have truly left their mark on the sounds that shaped us, opening up new doors to artistic creation.” Basket Case - Green Day - Dave Woolford (Guitar / Vocals):

I remember being about 12/13 years old and MTV2 had just come out on cable TV. Back then it was a completely alternative music channel with no adverts and no shows, just music back to back. I would sit for hours just watching and my little brain absorbing this other world. All of a sudden the music video for basket case came on and I remember something in my brain just clicked on. As soon as Billie Joe sings the first line I knew then that this was going to be my life moving forward. I was instantly in love, it all seemed so magical and yet completely obtainable for a young musician. Green Day and especially basket case showed young musicians it was doable to get 3 people together and create. From that point on I would become completely fanatical and obsessed, my guitar would be ridiculously low and I'd sing with a mock American accent. Cringe aside that song and that band taught me the power of melody and how important it is that no matter what genre you dress a song up in, fundamentally it needs to be catchy. Billy Talent - Living In the Shadows - James Laing (Bass)

Back in 2003 at the age of 14 I was handed a ripped CD copy of BT's debut album. As soon as I could get my hands on my CD walkman this album stayed put for a very long time. I could choose any song from this record but Living In The Shadows had some serious attitude. Considering they were/ and still are a 4 piece they can make a huge sound. Very inspirational not only sonically but visually when playing live!! No doubt they have gone on to inspire many musicians like myself... Joint Choice:

The Smiths - This Charming Man

We came together with a love of that post punk and new-wave sound that bands like The Cure, The Police and The Smiths made so iconic. Many of our first sessions were spent honing in on what became ‘Adult Leisure’, with the adoration of that sound spawning our first single ‘’Things You Don’t Know Yet’ - an ode to ‘This Charming Man’, and the brilliance of Johnny Marr’s influential sound. Furthermore, the juxtaposition between the music and lyrics that became so synonymous with those bands speaks to us in regards to what we want to achieve on a deep level - we want people to feel our songs, feel the music and the stories we want to tell.’

Check out their track BAD IDEA Below: