Interview: LEATHERS
LEATHERS is a dark wave project dreamed up by Shannon Hemmet from the Vancouver based band, ACTORS.
Following the release of several songs like “Missing Scene,” Hemmet signed with Artoffact Records and released the Reckless EP in June of 2021. Listening to the dreamy mix of gated drum beats and pulsing synth, it’s clear LEATHERS is ready to carve out a space of its own in the world of dark wave music.
LEATHERS songs to check out:
”Missing Scene”
”Phantom Heart”
”Reckless”
We sat down with Shannon to discuss LEATHERS, how her writing process works, and how she juggles being in two bands with new music being released for both.
1. Can you give some background into how LEATHERS was started?
Prior to joining ACTORS, Jason (my ACTORS bandmate) had seen me singing some short acoustic covers on Instagram. He is a producer, and asked me if I’d be interested in coming to his studio Jacknife Sound to write and record a song with him. Missing Scene was the result of that first collaboration.
2. You’re also a member of the band ACTORS. How do you juggle both projects? Especially with both releasing new music and videos around similar times?
It is always very busy. I do a lot of the admin work, and tour management duties for ACTORS, plus songwriting for LEATHERS, as well as design and photography for both bands. I used to manage a small design agency in Vancouver, so that helped prepare me for a lot of the skills I would need to stay organized and on track when there is many moving parts.
3. Both LEATHERS and ACTORS are dark wave focused music. What about the genre do you enjoy? What other artists influence you?
The music I enjoy most has a shadowy, dreamy, romantic feel, and I think darkwave seems to embody those aesthetics and characteristics well. I love shoegaze too, I don’t really find myself writing in that style much, but it’s one of my favourite genres to listen to at home, or on headphones. 90s grunge has a special place in my heart too. Lately I’ve been listening to Slow Crush, New Dad, Grimes, Pixel Grip, Hole, Caroline Polachek.
4. You recently released a new single, “Runaway,” this month. Can you tell me about the recording process for that?
I’ve been demoing song ideas over the last few years in anticipation of making a full record, so Jason and I chose one of those demos to expand upon. I think that particular demo was 3 or 4 years old, so it’s been exciting to have the demos finally brought to life in the studio. We always lay down the drums and bass first to construct the overall arrangement. Once the arrangement is mostly in place, we work on synths, guitars, vocal melodies, lyrics, and then through hard work, decisions, and a bit of magic, the song reaches its finalized form.
5. How do you feel creating your own music vs. recording with a band differs? Do you have a preference between the two?
With LEATHERS I like to start the songwriting process on my own by following my instincts and seeing where it takes the song. Melody is really important to me as a writer and listener, so the early demos have a lot of synth hooks already in place. Recording with ACTORS is exciting too. Jason is a talented producer, he’s got a million ideas, and excellent taste; I've learned so much working with him. The ACTORS parts are usually well established when we record them in the studio, so that part of the recording process is more of a nuanced, technical task for us as musicians and vocalists. Those granular details are just as important as the creative aspects of songwriting.
6. You released the Reckless EP last year and followed it with a single this year. Is “Reckless” a taste of more music to come?
Definitely, the Reckless EP compiled the songs we’ve recorded in the last few years between ACTORS releases and touring. Listeners can expect an elaboration on the romantic synth pop sound, lots of candy coloured visuals, and a full album of new material this fall.
7. What’s next for LEATHERS?
We have our live debut at the Cold Waves Festival this September with dates in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. And our next single “Ultraviolet" will be out this summer, which is also the title of our first full length LP, due out this fall.