The Leatherbound Books— 19 August 2020 on Rocket Shop Radio Hour
The Leatherbound Books joined host Tom Proctor on ‘Rocket Shop‘, Big Heavy World’s weekly local Vermont music radio hour on 105.9FM The Radiator. Catch up with them at facebook.com/theleatherboundbooks
On Wednesday, August 19, Eric Daniels and Jackie Butolph of The Leatherbound Books brought their best musical manuscripts for audible publication. Or should we say their worst? The self-deprecating duo prefers to shy away from pride.
“I think it’s important we regularly reference our crushingly low self-esteem,” said Jackie.
If I were to embrace my synesthesia, I’d describe The Leatherbound Books like the dark corner of a small town bookshop, where a hooded figure wearing checkered Vans sits and reads depressing young adult novels about the apocalypse, and they can also quote Shakespeare in conversation. Not that they have many of those, though.
In the band’s, or rather Jackie’s, own words, they are “a musical experience fit for a solo lap at your local roller rink or a ride in the back of a mid-90s station wagon…[which] shouldn’t work, but it does.”
This band’s lone Christmas single is titled, “It’s Okay to Be Sad at X-Mas,” and was written by Eric, Jackie, and a bottle of wine. They want you to know that it’s okay to “stare into the void and then drink some eggnog.” That’s the type of character The Leatherbound Books has.
Eric started the band as his own project in 2012. Originally designed as a folk group, the lineup surrounding him has evolved to adapt to whoever slots in. Their sound is meant to evolve, as Eric expected it would when the band began. Their last drummer, Charlie Smyrk, recently departed for Minneapolis, but the band is prepared for this kind of mercurial formation.
“It’s going to happen in a college towns. Things change every couple years,” said Eric.
So at the moment, the band is comprised of Eric on guitar and mic, and Jackie on lead vocals and kazoo. And together, they create a terrible and abhorrent blend of indie rock that induces hyperbolic levels of soul crushing serotonin and causes ears to fall off. We love it!
The show began with a performance of “Where I Want to Go,” a song which effectively introduces its listener to the hypnotizing harmony of Eric and Jackie’s vocals. They’re like two figure skaters, moving within millimeters of perfection. Or like two in-laws, working in tandem to ergonomically criticize all of your career decisions with vicious precision. I’m not sure which simile they’d prefer, so I’ll just leave them both here.
Unfortunately for anyone who appreciates what they hear in this episode, the band has only recorded two EPs, available on their website, as well as the aforementioned Christmas single. Their first album was expected in 2016, but the group decided to wait for a better year. One with less drama to cloud their release.
Therefore, they decided 2020 would be a fantastic candidate.
“We have stopped waiting for things to get better,” said Eric.
The album can be expected around October, titled These Were the Days. It was recorded at Future Fields recording studio in Burlington, and will feature eight songs, and the band’s not sure whether or not it’s a long EP or a short album. But it’s 2020, and we’re past bothering with labels. Just give us the music!
On air, the Eric and Jackie showcased two more songs off the album, “We’re Having So Much Fun” (which should have a /s in the title) and “These Were the Days.” More gray-skyed, hypercritical, post-modern approaches to reality. Songs subscribed to the Buddha’s life-is-suffering mantra.
What’s surprising about the band though, is that for a couple of introverts who were socially distanced before it was required, COVID has been a struggle. The lack of a concrete, reliable future has made quarantine less than ideal. Their moods swing, as Eric said, “It comes and goes. It’s like waves… I’m up at the moment, but in a few I’ll be down.” A current popular pastime is doom-scrolling. This is when you swipe through all of your social medias searching for new content and another hit of dopamine.
COVID also meant the abandonment of a few gigs and projects. Especially for Jackie, who was just prepping for three different punk cover bands before society shutdown.
But it’s not all doom and gloom. This time has afforded Eric more time to paint and write, especially so considering the depressing nature of their songs. “It’s a good time,” as Eric said, “for writing songs about how the world’s going to end.”
Their dogs have also been getting a lot of private shows lately. So at least they’re having a good time.
The bands future is solely focused on the release of their upcoming album, which can be expected to release sometime this fall. I, and The Radiator, eagerly await its release. I’m personally looking for more music to vibe to while I clean off a pint of Ben & Jerry’s and have melancholy dreams about working from home for the rest of my life.
(But seriously, I’m excited!)
Text by Luke Vidic.
Photo by James Lockridge.
