Interview with Leggy

It’s hard to believe that it’s been 3 years since I last chatted with Cincinnati swoon punk trio, Leggy about their last release, Dang. Since then the band has done a ton of touring, played SXSW for the fifth time, and put out a new full-length LP, Let Me Know Your Moon. Singer / guitarist Véronique Allaer  was nice enough to take time out of Leggy’s busy schedule to chat about touring non-stop and the new album.

It’s been a hot minute since we last talked. What has Leggy been up to in the last 3 years?

Véronique Allaer: Fuck can’t believe it’s been three years! A crucial highlight that comes to mind for me is when we toured in Spain in 2017. I want to go back there so badly! Touring the UK was also wild and amazingly fun. Visiting so many places we would never have gone if we weren’t lucky enough to tour there. That’s the most fun part of being in a band is in my opinion.

As a band, it’s cool how we have developed sonically. We write differently now than we did three years ago; we have new tastes, new experiences to draw from, new and different relationships. Including with each other! Kerstin (Bladh, bassist) moved to Los Angeles last year so this has been the first year we’ve had to learn to be a cross-country band. It’s funny because people always ask if I miss Kerstin, and of course I do in some ways but mostly it feels like she is still here because we are pretty much in constant text conversation with each other throughout the day.

You guys just put out a killer new album, Let Me Know Your Moon, which marks your first full-length release. Why did you guys decide to release these songs as a set rather than just releasing them as singles / EPs like you have in the past?

Allaer: Thank you! I am pretty fucking stoked about it. I think it’s a really good album. So we had the three EPs and then Damnably (independent label based in London) approached us about them putting out the EPs as one cohesive album in 2016, so that happened. After that, it was pretty much like…y’all we have to put out something NEW. Because at that point, the music people knew were songs that were like 3 years old to us! So we all knew it was time to put out a Big Girl record.

How did the writing / recording process for Let Me Know Your Moon differ from your previous releases?

Allaer: These songs span a much longer period of writing time than any of the prior releases did. We had also grown better at our instruments and more comfortable playing with each other and experimenting with songs outside of the typical punk or pop writing structure.

Speaking for myself, by the time this album was recorded I was more comfortable being a performer and in trying to give myself permission to view myself as an artist. It has been hard coming up in the DIY scene and not being self-conscious. When I was watching my friends play music when I was growing up it was almost all dudes and very macho in a way. When we were first touring a ton, it felt almost embarrassing to want to be girly and play, like being feminine was a bad thing. Or, if you wanted to be girly, you had to shred extra hard, just to earn respect. Now, I know that so much of my power and personality come out when I am being the most ridiculous artist version of myself on stage. You can be flirty and sexy and strong, you don’t have to choose. I think (hope!) that this mindset comes across in the record’s lyrics and in the way it’s performed.

If you had to pick a favorite track from the new album, what would it be?

Allaer: “Eden” is my favorite song on the album because I love the lyrics and I love the part that Kerstin sings at the end. It’s kinda a slow burner so when we play it live it’s fun to see people get drawn in.

I know you guys also hit SXSW again this year. Do you have a fun story / memory from any of the times you’ve played the festival?

Allaer: Literally so many. Us staying in a one bedroom Airbnb with 3 other bands in 2016. Being featured on a Japanese documentary that was made about our Damnably label mates Otoboke Beaver in 2018. My friend spraining his neck dancing in the pit at Broncho. Kerstin and I getting like 4 years of hair supply products from Hask because they saw us walking by and loved our hair. I’m literally still using the stuff they sent us in 2017 I think.

Were you guys able to enjoy any of the other sets at SXSW? Do you have a favorite new band that you saw?

Allaer: Dig Nitty from New York and Lizdelise from Philadelphia were both new discoveries whom I absolutely adored and was blown away by. Literally, labels should get on these bands before they blow up. It was also great to see our pals Hickeys from Spain, they are so fantastic. The Ophelias also are a band I knew before but totally fell in love with down there. They are also from Cincinnati, and we knew each other before but had never really hung out. We did a few days on the road together on the way to Austin and completely clicked. That’s why we decided to plan this lil tour with them !

You guys tour like crazy. If you had to pick your dream line for a tour or festival to play, who would you play with?

Allaer: My personal dream line up would be something like Lana Del Rey, St. Vincent, Joanna Newsom, Kesha, The Distillers, Mannequin Pussy, and Leggy of course.

Summer is just around the corner, how is Leggy spending it?

Allaer: We are doing this short tour with The Ophelias til mid June. After that we have some fun local shows and festivals (which I LOVE!) I live to attend music festivals (as a performer or a guest) and there are a bunch I’m looking forward to including Riverscene Festival obviously!

In late August and September we are going to be joining our pals The Spook School on their farewell UK tour which I am so excited for. They are legends and the shows are already sold out. I can’t wait!

You can check out Leggy’s new album, Let Me Know Your Moon on Amazon, Apple Music, Bandcamp, Google, and Spotify and make sure to catch Leggy on tour at one of the dates below:

6/8 Bay City, MI at Riverscene Music Fest

6/9 Detroit, MI at PJ’s Lager House *

6/10 Cleveland, OH at Beachland Tavern *

6/11 Rochester, NY at Small World Books *

6/12 Brooklyn, NY at Alphaville *

6/25 Columbus, OH at Ace Of Cups #

7/11 Cincinnati, OH at Urban Artifact+

8/2 Cincinnati, OH at Fountain Square ^

8/23 Buffalo, NY at Ninth Ward

8/24 Portland, ME at Sun Tiki

8/26 Saratoga Springs at Desperate Annies

8/27 Boston, MA at ONCE Ballroom

8/30 – Edingburgh,  UK at Henry’s Cellar Bar %

8/31 – Newcastle, UK at Cluny 2 %

9/1 – Manchester, UK at Soup Kitchen %

9/2 – Leeds, UK at Brudenell Social Club %

9/3 – Bristol, UK at Exchange %

9/4 – Brighton, UK at Green Door Store %

9/5 – London, UK at The Garage %

9/6 – Nottingham, UK at Rough Trade %

9/7 – Glasgow, UK at The Art School %

*= with The Ophelias

#=with Potty Mouth & Colleen Green

+ = with And The Kids & Strobobean

^ = with Cloud Nothings

% = with The Spook School