Photo courtesy Press Here

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After years working on other projects, Firehorse’s Leah Siegel and Dave Hodge of Broken Social Scene have embarked on a new joint venture, Leisure Cruise. Their self-titled debut album is out today on Last Gang Records.

“We’ve been anxious to get this stuff out,” Hodge told Variance over the phone while in the middle of getting a tattoo. “We finished it back in December and we’ve been ready to put it out there.”

While the project came together over a short period of time, Siegel admits they had no idea what to expect when they first began writing. “We didn’t really have an agenda,” she said. “We just wanted to work together. And it’s not like we had deadlines to meet. But once we got started, we really couldn’t help ourselves.”

The duo also acknowledges this is a different and unfamiliar course for both of them. “This is more of a true representation of me as an artist compared to before,” Hodge explained. “I was in Broken Social Scene but it wasn’t my work. What Leah and I have been able to do together is something I’m really proud of, not that I wasn’t proud of what I did before. But this is definitely new for me.”

For Siegel, this is the most she’s really collaborated. And although it was a noted risk, it’s one that was worth taking. “Working by yourself can sometimes be exhausting,” she said. “When you have someone else working side-by-side with you, it sparks all kinds of energy. At least it did for us. I think the last few months have proved to us this was the perfect next step for both of us and where we’re at in our careers. It’s an exciting new phase.”

Listen to the new album now or purchase it below.