432 PRESENTS…

Nick Hemming grew up in Burton-on-Trent. The Leisure Society was born when Nick decided to share a London flat with fellow Burton-on-Trent exile and multi-instrumentalist / producer, Christian Hardy.

The years following that initial meet have seen the band release 5 critically acclaimed albums. Touring extensively throughout, the The Leisure Society have graced the stage at two Meltdown Festivals (firstly, Richard Thompson’s, then Ray Davies’). They packed a tent at Glastonbury. Brian Eno declared himself a fan, and the band have been nominated for two Ivor Novello awards. The band also provided the decisive musical ending to their pal Paddy Considine’s BAFTA winning directorial debut Tyrannosaur and were invited to perform live with The Heritage Orchestra at a sold out Barbican.

In 2016, the band was derailed by the break-up of Nick and long-term partner, flautist Helen Whitaker. Retreating to their roots, Nick and Christian left the UK to tour Europe as a duo, then another 3 weeks touring Italy with violinist Mike Siddell in tow. New songs emerged throughout this period and developed in intimate venues, hotel rooms and moonlit courtyards. The result was “Arrivals & Departures” (2019) – the band’s most ambitious and diverse record to date, charting the journey from heartbreak, to bitterness, to hope, in 57 lavish minutes.

Now the band are working on their seventh studio album, due for release in 2023.