Leaders of Men

Primary Genre(s): Indie, Post-Punk, New Wave, Gothic

Band Members: Michael Bowser (vocals, keyboards, drum programming), Kailum Graves (bass), Tristan Peach (guitars, some keys and backing vocals), Jesse Greenwood (drums)

Main Influences: Joy Division/New Order, Interpol, The Killers, The Cure, The Police, Pixies, Pulp, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, INXS, Depeche Mode, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Bloc Party, The The, The Smiths, The Fall, Public Image Ltd, The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster, Editors, Icehouse, TISM, Franz Ferdinand, Sisters of Mercy, Fields of the Nephilim, Gary Numan/Tubeway Army, Devo, David Bowie, The Arcade Fire, Wall Of Voodoo/Andy Prieboy/Stan Ridgway, Eurythmics, Maximo Park, Faith No More/other Mike Patton, Dead Kennedys/other Jello Biafra, Nada Surf, Arctic Monkeys, The Fauves, Sonic Youth, Carter USM, U2, Coldplay, The Cranberries, Sinead O'Connor, Garbage, Curve, Divinyls, Ween, They Might Be Giants, XTC, Ultravox, Billy Joel, Simple Minds, The Human League, OMD, ELO, REM, The B-52s, Talking Heads, Violent Femmes, Kate Bush, Killing Joke, Type O Negative, Foals, The Strokes, The White Stripes, The Smashing Pumpkins, Pink Floyd, Midnight Oil, The Church, Placebo, Hunters & Collectors, Dead Can Dance, Severed Heads, Michael Jackson, The Tea Party, Divinyls, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Gentle Ben and His Sensitive Side, The Clash, Duran Duran, Angelo Badalamenti, John Carpenter, Tangerine Dream, film soundtracks...

Shamelessly intended to be both my "poppiest" project yet, as well as a last-ditch attempt at thirtysomething stardom, Leaders of Men of course turned out to be waaaaay too "dark" for most people! I guess I just can't help myself, and I'm probably dooming myself every time I name a new band after a Joy Division song (though this time, that was as much the doing of the bassist as myself)!

The Leaders were, regrettably, very short-lived, and only played two gigs: one of them alright, and the second a complete travesty. I was trialling the whole "drunken frontman" theory for the first time, and let's just say: it might work for some, but sure as shit didn't work for me! A lot of the vocals on the recordings were also recorded drunk: something I regret to this day, even if the "sincerity" is perhaps a tad more tangible than on other band recordings...

The Leaders also bore the burden of some of my most retrospectively embarrassing lyrics to date (though the second EP was at least superior to the first). Live and learn, no pain no gain, what doesn't kill me, etc etc...

Anyway, have another Bandcamp link, some stills, and some lyrics. Oh, and I should probably mention: no, the orange-tinged CD cover isn't some declaration of affiliation with Nazi ideals. It's a parody of WWII propaganda, and a "tribute" to the flirtations that bands like Joy Division made with imagery from that era. A nod to the music that inspired us, rather than anything overtly political...as the lyrics to the songs should swiftly confirm (this was, for better or worse, pretty much my "love song" and "break-up song" band, bless my cotton socks)!

https://leadersofmen1.bandcamp.com/releases

HERE IT COMES AGAIN

The mind is a mystery, even to its owner

You look in the mirror, see an empty picture frame

And foolish is the man who would dare to believe

That the space between his ears could ever be tamed

I used to think that I was perfectly sane

But perfection is one thing that can never

Be attained

Oh Lord!

Here it comes again

I don’t know from where, but I do know when

‘Cause I can see it coming

From just around the bend

Yeah, here it comes

Here it comes again

(Here it comes, here it comes, here it comes)

Yeah, here it comes

Here it comes again

The mind is a minefield, careful where you tread

Beware of the paths down which the psyche can be led

And don’t you ever listen to those voices in your head

For neurosis is a beast always demanding to be fed

I used to think that I was perfectly lucid

But the demons of the mind are anything

But elusive

Oh Lord!

Here it comes again

I don’t know from where, but I do know when

‘Cause I can see it coming

From just around the bend

Yeah, here it comes

Here it comes again

(Here it comes, here it comes, here it comes)

Yeah, here it comes

Here it comes again

Equilibrium, well that ain’t my forte

The gremlins in my skull, they always find a way

To upset the delicate balance that I keep

Plant their seeds of doubt while the watch is fast asleep

The flowers that bloom, they bear many a thorn

And tremble in the wind of another coming storm

Oh Lord!

Here it comes again

I don’t know from where, but I do know when

‘Cause I can see it coming

From just around the bend

Yeah, here it comes

Here it comes again

(Here it comes, here it comes, here it comes)

Yeah, here it comes

Here it comes again

DRUNKEN MISS ADVENTURE

(Lyrics Copyright © 2014 Michael Bowser)

I wanna tell you a story

It’s about a girl I’ve met

Once or twice before

Went out dancin’ just the other night

Stepped on a few toes, but didn’t get in a fight

Found myself in a spot of trouble, just the same

Molested by a girl before I caught her name

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I’m complainin’

But runnin’ ‘round the same block, it starts to get drainin’

I just had myself a minor scrape with

Drunken Miss Adventure

She’s a crazy kind of gal

Who’ll leave you with a bruise or scar or chip a denture

You won’t feel it ‘til the next morning

But she’ll leave her mark to be sure

Yet you’ll be back in her arms in no time at all

‘Cause your masochistic side is always wanting more

I went out drinkin’ the other night

Threw out a few hooks, and boy, I got a bite!

From the kind of catch with teeth, let’s make no mistake

Serves me right for fishin’ in such a treacherous lake

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I threw her back

But a Miss like this is good for my health like a heart attack

I just had myself a minor scrape with

Drunken Miss Adventure

She’s a wicked little Devil with horns

No kinda angel that the good Lord sent ya

You’re gonna feel it the very next morning

You’ll be broken and sore, to be sure

Yet you’ll be back in her arms in no time at all

‘Cause your masochistic side is always wanting more

Miss Adventure

Savour the pain and fear the pleasure

Miss Adventure

Savour the pain and fear the pleasure

WHEREVER YOU GO

Young and filled with the spirit of adventure

And that’s a spirit best left untamed

You’re the kind of restless soul who will

Forever feel the need to just pull up stakes

You have many delicacies yet to taste

To lay the same banquet for me would be a waste

You still have many a sight to see

But anywhere, you know, it’s much the same to me

No matter where you go

I hope you’ll always know

That you meant the world to me

Wherever you go, please spare a thought for me

A newborn butterfly needs to spread its wings

And I tried so hard to pin you down

Given to flight, eager to explore

And I tried like a fool to keep you on the ground

You have many delicacies yet to taste

To lay the same banquet for me would be a waste

You still have many a sight to see

But everywhere, you know, it’s much the same to me

No matter where you go

I hope you’ll always know

That you meant the world to me

Wherever you go, please spare a thought for me

(Photography by Jon Mayer; EP and album artwork designed by Michael Bowser and A.P. Hobson, realised by A.P. Hobson.)

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