Initially coming together in high school and emerging as a dreamy punk-tinted band after college, the Northside-bred, female-fronted Leggy has grown into Cincinnati’s latest long-reaching musical output. They signed to independent UK record label Damnably (Wussy, Golden Gurls) in 2016, after label head George Gargan heard them perform a live set on the local radio station WAIF 88.3; soon after, they released a self-titled compilation of their first three EPs. But the release of their latest studio album, Let Me Know Your Moon, in late March, has brought the trio even greater recognition – and lots of critical acclaim.
The band – made up of Veronique Allaer, Kirsten Bladh, and Chris Campbell – just finished up a headlining tour, so now they’re diving head-first into upcoming summer shows. Here, Leggy lead singer and guitarist Veronique explains the origins of the 12-track LP, reflects on the trio’s beginnings and gives some deets on visuals in the works. Make sure to stream Let Me Know Your Moon and check out their upcoming shows below.
AF: How did you all come together?
VA: We started the band a year after college, when [I] moved back to Cincinnati from Washington DC. The three of us moved into a house in Northside together and talked about starting the band for a while before actually doing it. We named our first EP Cavity Castle after that place. I still walk past the place all the time and it makes me when I think about us all living there!
AF: Let’s talk your new album! The stories reflect the ups and downs of lust and heartbreak. Was it anything specific that inspired these concepts?
VA: Just relationships. All my lyrics are mostly inspired by real things. I think you can tell when it’s inauthentic and those songs don’t really appeal to me. But also, I don’t think each song needs to be about a specific one person or incident. I will mash up lyrics or ideas or something to make a better song. Some of the songs have been slowly evolving for years. For example, I wrote the chorus lyrics of “Eden” back in 2013, but the verses were written write like a week before we recorded the album.
AF: What’s each of your favorite song to perform off Let Me Know Your Moon?
VA: “Eden”
KB: “My Room”
CC: “Eden”
AF: Will you release any visuals for the album?
VA: Yes! We are cooking up music video ideas with Jo Shaffer, who co-directed all of The Ophelias‘ music videos. They have a really keen eye for simple and gorgeous aesthetics! We are super excited.
AF: You also just finished up your tour, how was it?
VA: We just got back from a three-week long headline tour, which we haven’t done in a while! It was really fun. It’s also really intense to be on a tour that is so long – essentially you’re spending every minute of every day 24/7 for three weeks straight with your bandmates. Even the nights we didn’t crash at someone’s house and splurged on a motel, we would have to take turns sitting in the van to call our [signficant other] just to have some privacy. It feels good to know that we are still able to tour and have a good time and respect each other’s boundaries and need for space [and] alone time. We’ve all known each other since we were 14, so sometimes it honestly feels like touring with siblings. We are about to go on a shorter tour with The Ophelias who are a super sick band also from Cincinnati. I’m very excited to spread the Cincy love.
AF: Are you planning on stopping in Cincy any time soon?
VA: We have a few local summer shows that we are really excited for.
AF: Anything else you’d like to add?
VA: Audiofemme is sick, thanks so much for having us. Cincinnati has a ton of really amazing bands right now – people should check out LUNG, The Ophelias, Strobobean, Electric Citizen, Soften, Triiibe, Fruit LoOops, Smut, Pout, Slow Glows and Lashes off the top of my head. Thanks for having us!
Upcoming Leggy Shows:
June 8 – Bay City, MI @ Riverscene Indie Fest
June 9 – Detroit, MI @ PJs Lager House (with The Ophelias)
June 10 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Tavern (with The Ophelias)
June 11 – Rochester, NY @ Small World Books (with The Ophelias)
June 12 – Brooklyn, NY @ Alphaville (with The Ophelias)
June 25 – Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups (with Potty Mouth & Colleen Green)
July 11 – Cincinnati, OH @ Urban Artifact (with And The Kids & Strobobean)
