Rising from the fiercely DIY Philadelphia underground, CARLY COSGROVE graft achingly vulnerable lyrics atop a bed of mathy rhythms, intricate guitar work and a penchant for indie-rock cool meets emo authenticity. Their debut album, 2022’s See You In Chemistry, was the sound of figuring life out in real time, tracing personal growth through anxiety, depression, and self-actualization – heavy subjects for a band originally formed as a low-stress side-project stopgap in 2018. “Every record feels like me answering the question, ‘How are you doing?’” says singer/guitarist Lucas Naylor. “I don’t know much, but I know myself better than basically anything else.”
That quest for the answers to life’s big questions is once again front and center on the band’s second album, THE CLEANEST OF HOUSES ARE EMPTY, as Naylor, bassist Helen Barsz, and drummer Tyler Kramer find themselves face to face with the chronic emotional struggles of life in the modern age. From the stop-start polyrhythms of first single “You Old Dog” and garage-rock sheen of “Random Dancing” and “What Are You, A Cop,” which sounds like Motion City Soundtrack filtering “Everlong” through their idiosyncratic rock tilt, The Cleanest Of Houses is the type of record Carly Cosgrove simply couldn’t have made last time – not musically, and certainly not emotionally. They needed to live, through hard touring and harder life experiences.
…and to think, the second LP by Leisure Hour, centers around the band processing the pain loved ones have caused. Dealing with grief, anger, and regret, Leisure Hour have found freedom from these emotions by telling their stories as raw and honest as possible, while paying homage to the midwest emo and pop punk music they fell in love with at 15.
Hailing from Muncie, IN, Leisure Hour have been rapidly growing their fanbase by playing loud, looking slay, and building an intimate community around their music. A relentless DIY touring schedule and word-of-mouth response from show-goers and the online scene alike have helped build anticipation for …and to think. The LP will compile several new songs with numerous singles released throughout 2025, including “Ode to Muncie”, “jenny”, and “Happy Birthday!”.
“Leisure Hour is a band with 3 artists in it. All with our own individual experience. We write individually about our personal stories and attempt to create songs around those stories together that are both energetic and emotional. Overall, “…and to think” is a collection of our traumatic experiences played loud and fast.”
Indianapolis DIY emo heroes Summerbruise (feat. members of Saturdays at Your Place & Arcadia Grey) will release their biggest record to date, Infinity Guise, on SideOneDummy Records 9/19. Started as a songwriting outlet for bandleader Mike Newman, this new record is their 1st written and recorded as a full 5 piece band, combining Summerbruise’s signature vulnerable, tongue in cheek songwriting, with huge indie/pop punk arrangements. We promise this will be your new favorite “fake emo” band!