LEAP Interview: A Million Listeners, Twenty One Pilots and Their First Time in Canada

Latenours: First of all, welcome to Canada. What was the first thing you wanted to do when you found out you were coming?

LEAP: Niagara Falls was up there. The other one we literally just ticked off was Matty's Patties. That burger was sensational. And I'm hoping we still get pancakes or waffles with maple syrup and bacon. It hits a little different in Canada.

Latenours: Who's been the most excited about coming?

LEAP: Probably me, because this is my first time. The other three have been before, and honestly that made them even more excited to come back. It's one of the most beautiful places we've been, and Canadian people are just lovely. I'm from Scotland and it feels like a bigger version of home. Scotland's the little neighbour of England, so sometimes you feel a bit overshadowed. We get it.

Latenours: Congrats, you just hit a million monthly listeners on Spotify. How did you find out?

LEAP: We claim not to care about the numbers, but we very much care about the numbers. Our manager Joey told us. We were all in our bunks in the van, driving, and he goes, "We just hit a milli." We've been releasing music for a while and we built it up pretty organically, mostly by playing shows, so it felt like a real milestone. We'd worked really hard for it.

Latenours: How did you celebrate?

LEAP: We danced around the van and threw some shapes. Then we played a show in Seattle. And it turned out to be the one-year anniversary of our album, literally the same day. So we had a big group cuddle about it.

Latenours: You played All Points East on the same day as Twenty One Pilots, and we heard you're big fans.

LEAP: It was kind of awkward, actually. We did our soundcheck right after them and just hung around the stage like a bad smell hoping to meet them. They didn't pull up. It was very obvious we were fanboys. They seem like the nicest guys ever. And because their fans are so dedicated, everyone came early and stayed, so even though we were opening, we had a beautiful crowd from the start.

Latenours: What was the day like?

LEAP: I was buzzing the whole day. We got there around nine in the morning, loaded out and walked onto this huge stage looking at an empty field we knew was going to fill up. Pretty surreal. It was probably the biggest crowd we've ever played to, and our first UK festival, so a mad one to start with. We got the interviews and content out of the way, then spent the rest of the day watching bands.

Latenours: Twenty One Pilots put on a huge live show. Did you steal any ideas for LEAP?

LEAP: Set the car on fire. Or get the drums out on the crowd, like when Josh drums above everyone. I don't know how we'd pull it off, but it's on the list. We saw them in Paris too and it was incredible. And for the record, Clancy is the best album.

Latenours: Your lyrics are emotionally heavy, but your live shows are upbeat and full of energy. Where does that contrast come from?

LEAP: A lot of the lyrics are about pretty deep stuff, like my mental health over the years. I've got bipolar disorder, so I have a hard time regulating my mood, and it's gotten me into some interesting situations. But we've been going to gigs since we were kids, and more than anything we want people to feel like they can lose themselves in a happy moment for the night. So we always encourage mosh pits and people going a bit wild, while keeping it a safe space where you can let your hair down. Don't take yourself too seriously.

Latenours: Your music feels bookish, in a good way. Like reading a story. Are you big readers?

LEAP: Adam's the only real reader. I haven't finished a book in about three years, I'll be honest. Adam reads enough for all of us. He just started one a friend gave him called Assassin's Apprentice, a fantasy series. He likes fiction in general.

LEAP: I listen to a lot of history podcasts, and I'm very into Game of Thrones. There's a big nerd inside me I usually keep quiet. So maybe that comes through in the songs, the lore and the characters. Glad you hear it in Bloodlines.

Latenours: If you had to pick one LEAP song for your current emotional state, which would it be?

LEAP: They're all so sad. I'd go with Do or Die. It sounds cheesy, but that song is about chasing your dreams, and that's what we're doing right now. We're out here hustling, but we're doing it as four best friends travelling the world, and I couldn't ask for better people to do it with.

LEAP: Yeah, same answer.

Latenours: You've spent a lot of time on the road together. What's the most chaotic thing that's happened on tour?

LEAP: Our bus broke down in the snow in the middle of nowhere, and we had to sleep in a service station. The only comfy spot was the kids' play area, basically a ball pit. We actually slept fairly well. We were all cuddled up side by side to stay warm, one big cuddle puddle, and then woke up to truckers walking in like, who are these guys? After a while on tour you look a bit homeless, so that didn't help.

Latenours: Did anyone get a photo?

LEAP: We've got it somewhere. Take a deep dive on the Insta, you'll find it.