LEISURE unveil polished sophomore album TWISTER

Critically acclaimed New Zealand band LEISURE have delivered their much-awaited second album, TWISTER.

One of the most hotly anticipated albums of recent years, TWISTER is a freeform exploration into pop psychedelia, smooth R&B and big room modern soul music. In celebration, LEISURE have shared the lead single from the album called ‘Man’. Understatedly elegant, ‘Man’ boasts a steady, funk-laden beat and serenading lyrics, “Let me be your man now,”. The band have also revealed the music video for ‘Man’, you can watch it HERE.

Over the course of creating TWISTER, LEISURE rented out various Airbnb apartments in far-flung corners of their native New Zealand – a sun-soaked villa perched atop the Pacific Ocean, a house nestled in a jagged mountain range and a makeshift recording studio in Auckland’s suburbia, to record their album.

TWISTER is naturally spiked with their signature smooth tones, which they have juxtaposed with lyrics tracing the anxieties plaguing modern life. The 14-track LP announces itself with the potent funk of ‘Feeling Free’ – a track that’s blissed-out, pop-rock vibe immediately sets the tone for the rest of the album.

“We make our favourite things when we become creatively unconscious and surrender to the moment, TWISTER was a good opportunity for us to explore ideas to their deepest level…” says LEISURE. “We took turns as the album took shape to fall in love with each song and the process of how each one was made. To land with an eclectic collection of 14 songs; each swirling with their own mood and colour has been an immersive experience for us.”

Throughout 2019, the band released a steady stream of tracks from TWISTER as singles: the sun-soaked ‘Too Much Of A Good Thing’, bouncy melodies of ‘Easy Way Out’, jazz-inspired ‘Falling’, carefree ‘Money’, vivid guitar licks of ‘On My Mind’, catchy basslines of ‘The Hype’, rich jazz tones of ‘Tied Up’ and the romantic vibe of ‘Alone Together’.

LEISURE first gained attention in 2015 with their debut single ‘Got It Bad’, which went viral on release. The smooth serving has surpassed 16 million Spotify streams to date and was a strong introduction to their self-titled debut album. Released in 2016, LEISURE peaked at #2 in the NZ charts, amassed over 75 million streams and received worldwide critical acclaim. The album also included their smooth collaboration ‘Nobody’ with US rapper GoldLink. The band soon skyrocketed on account of their psychedelic, blissed-out homage to laidback pleasure, and millions started to embrace the LEISURE ethos.

Earlier this year, the New Zealanders successfully completed a European Tour which included sold-out dates in London and Berlin as well as a debut double performance at The Great Escape. To accompany their brand-new album, LEISURE will embark on an Australian tour this September.

An extensive, highly polished array of tracks, TWISTER represents the next exciting chapter in the story of LEISURE – a collective who time and time again prove their finely tuned ability when it comes to crafting infectious, groove-laden pop music.

LEISURE – TWISTER Album Tracklist