Bristol Based Adult Leisure Talk Future Plans and Obstacles Facing Upcoming Artists
It’s fair to say that Bristol based alt-indie group Adult Leisure have found their stride recently, receiving plays on BBC Radio 6 Music and Made in Chelsea, signing a new publishing contract with Wipeout Music and lining up even more new music for release. With the release of their latest track Dancing Don’t Feel Right, we got a chance to chat to the band about their unique start and hear their perspective on being an upcoming act in the music industry today.
The group, consisting of singer Neil Scott, drummer Nathan Searl, guitarist Dave Woolford and bassist Luke Denham, formed in 2020 after playing in various bands over the years. They honed their image, modus operandi and artistic vision during the quiet of lockdown. Bursting onto the scene post pandemic, Woolford explains, “we went out more thought-out than any other band we’ve ever been in because we had a clear idea of what we wanted to do and how. Because of lockdown, gigs weren’t happening, so we decided to get loads of stuff recorded, do a video, and actually put stuff out. So, by the time that we did get to play live people had heard of us.”
Traditionally bands are told to focus primarily on their music in the early stages and leave the image and presentation till later, however, a combination of their years of experience playing in previous bands and lockdown afforded Adult Leisure time to focus on these areas. “We already had the music bit sorted, so it allowed us properly to go, okay, well, how do we want to come across? And how to present that visually? So, it was a really interesting way to go about it,” Woolford elaborates before adding, “traditionally bands are all about playing live and then all the extra stuff comes later, but we did it first. And to be honest, I think it’s beneficial that way. Now it sounds so strange, but it made us look at it in a different way which was really good.”
With the members of Adult Leisure having been in the music industry for many years, the group have seen how it has changed over time. As many artists facing rising costs and lower profits, it is a difficult time for alternative music. “What drives us is trying to be self-sufficient as a band,” Woolford states, “and I don’t mean be millionaires, I mean just to get a liveable salary from being in the band. I think being that little bit older is accepting that I can’t pay my rent with promo from Made in Chelsea, you’ve got to have something to help you. Unless you have backing or label money, you’re lucky to be financially stable, every band at our sort of level will be working because there’s no money in it.”
The group believe more support is needed for touring bands, particularly from “people within the music industry, like gig promoters and venue owners understanding, or at least caring about what it means to put on a night and to look after a band”. For many gigs, the fees that bands are paid doesn’t even cover their travel expenses. Kate Nash has recently highlighted this issue with her Butts for Tour Buses campaign, aiming to increase awareness of the costs of touring for artists. Woolford adds, “for example, we might have a gig in London, obviously that’s petrol there, so it’s going to be about £40/50 petrol there and back. We’re not getting paid £40 or £50. So, when we get there, you would like to think that the venue would go, ‘here’s a little space you can sit in, here’s the free drinks tokens and here’s some food’ but that is a rarity.” It seems that the focus has shifted away from the artist themselves, as he explains, “The way the bands are prioritized now is like, it’s about how much money the bar makes, it’s about how much they make on ticket sales, after the club and everyone’s been paid, the band will get the rest.”
“There’s a lot wrong with the grassroots industry at the minute and it’s affecting everything.”
Given the financial pressure placed on bands, finding a community within the music scene has become essential and Adult Leisure are well entrenched in the fabric of their native Bristol. The love for their hometown is evident, as Woolford gushes, “Bristol is just incredible. I think the one thing I love about it is that in Manchester, or other cities, they have a very distinct sound whereas Bristol doesn’t really have that, there’s not a Bristol sound and it’s nice because it means you get to be anything and there’s no kind of toeing the line. The scene in Bristol itself is really welcoming so you can kind of be anything and get accepted.” This accepting nature has helped a plethora of Bristol bands with many artists such as Getdown Services and My First Time emerging in the past few years to national acclaim.
It’s clear to see why Adult Leisure do well when performing live, as their blend of alt-indie is made for dancing with a lukewarm pint at a gig. Ensuring their work is catchy and enjoyable has always been a priority for them, “we’re slightly heavy but quite poppy and we love that. We don’t think pop is a dirty word at all. It doesn’t matter what type of band you’re in, if you want to be successful you need a hit and you need catchy songs. Doesn’t matter if you dress up as post punk, anything, it needs to be catchy,” says Woolford.
Looking forward to the rest of the year there are big plans afoot for the group “Dancing Don’t Feel Right was released on the 28th February, we’re planning to release another two singles later on in the year and we have a headline show at Thekla in October. We’re also playing some festivals throughout the summer, Block Party in Paris, Holst in the Netherlands, we’re possibly going to Sweden again in September. Then we’re playing Varanger Festival in Norway, it’s in the Arctic Circle, it’s so cool, we couldn’t say no to that,” Woolford adds excitedly.
Reflecting on everything the band have already achieved provides a moment of sentimentality for them, “it’s amazing, when you look at the opportunities that we get, the things that we get to do, it’s properly brilliant,” observes Woolford, “I find it so exciting that as a band we’re in a position to do all that. When it’s all said and done, whatever happens, it’s amazing to look back and properly appreciate it all and what we’ve been able to do.” It’s no surprise that Adult Leisure are feeling proud of what they’ve accomplished so far, and with many exciting plans on the horizon it seems like they’re only just getting started.
