Leisure Cruise is Dave Hodge and Leah Siegel

Every dark cloud has a … Read Full Bio ↴Leisure Cruise is Dave Hodge and Leah Siegel

Every dark cloud has a silver lining. On November 1, 2012, Lower Manhattan was powerless. Red Hook was submerged. And Williamsburg—though spared most of the trauma of Hurricane Sandy—was shaken nonetheless. Felled trees and utility poles littered the sidewalks; normally harried Brooklynites, unable to get to work or anywhere else, wandered Bedford Avenue in a daze.
Dave Hodge—the veteran Canada-born musician (Broken Social Scene & Bran Van 3000..who has also performed with Macy Gray, Feist, Brazilian Girls, and Basement Jaxx), arranger (Janet Jackson/Neptunes, Carly Simon), and composer was sitting in a café that day when he saw an acquaintance walk by: singer and songwriter Leah Siegel (a fixture on the New York scene known for her solo project Firehorse and for singing with The Citizens Band). The two had met while recording for a tv spot a few years prior, and hadn’t seen each other since. Before the storm, Hodge had been writing songs and score for the soundtrack to the indie film Two Hands to Mouth; pleased with the results, he hoped to create a new musical project based on a few of the pieces. Something that day—maybe it was a post-Sandy you-only-live-once feeling—prompted him to run out and say hello, and ask Siegel if she’d maybe want to try writing some music together sometime.

Scheduling conflicts prevented that from happening before March 2013, but when it happened, it happened. After just two months of writing, recording, and mixing, Hodge and Siegel have a band—Leisure Cruise—and their self titled debut album of darkly hypnotic, danceable synth-based anthems.

The name is somewhat ironic. Right before Hodge and Siegel began working together, news broke that astronomers had discovered three new planets in the Lyra constellation that appeared capable of supporting life. In light of the previous fall’s events, Hodge and Siegel got to talking: What if we had to leave earth and colonize a new planet? They imagined “a final leisure cruise for the human race,”—and the fledgling musical project as a sort of soundtrack for it. “We’re sort of living our lives in a state of leisure,” Dave says, “with regards to using up resources and knowing what’s happening and not really doing much about it.” Not that Leisure Cruise is all doom and gloom (or that it could be, with a name like that). “It’s not this apocalyptic thing,” says Siegel, of the concept. “We’d elect to make a purposeful and exciting exit. Try something new. In my head, I see it as a natural progression in the hopefully delayed inevitable.”

So what would play on this spaceship’s sound system? Something sounding like the future as imagined in the past—yet rooted in the now. Imagine the music of a John Hughes film if it had been written by Bowie, remixed by Johnny Jewel, and fronted by a female Prince, and you’ll start to get the idea. Rounding out the sound is an impressive roster of guests (Metric’s Jimmy Shaw, Blondie’s Tommy Kessler, Liam O’Neil from the Stills, Justin Peroff of Broken Social Scene, and Drake’s Adrian Eccleston). It’s at once dark and light, serious and fun, melancholic and euphoric. Ask Hodge and Siegel about their sound and process, and the answer sounds a lot like what happiness researchers call flow. “We weren’t trying to emulate anything,” Hodge says. “We were just making music.”

In fact, Hodge and Siegel see Leisure Cruise as the product of two musical soul mates meeting at just the right moment in their careers to truly savor it. “I’ve worked with some great singers, but it’s really very effortless with Leah,” says Hodge. Chimes in Siegel: “This is just the truest collaboration I’ve ever experienced—it’s a rare pairing.”

Believer
Leisure Cruise Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

you left home just a little girl
it was your choice to go
you didn't even know what you were looking for
when will you know what you're looking for

they said you're hopeless, hopeless
you want your bed of roses
but once you leave the door closes

but i'm a believer (i'm a believer)
yes i'm a believer (and you don't know what you're lookin for)

and you weren't afraid (no oh)
you traded in your diamonds for nails
you didn't even know what you were lookin for
well will we know what we're looking for

they said you're hopeless, hopeless
you want your bed of roses
but once you leave the door closes

but i'm a believer (i'm a believer)
yes i'm a believer (and you don't know what you're lookin for)
i'm a believer (i'm a believer)
yes i'm a believer (and you don't know what you're lookin for)

escape, don't wait
you never know when your time is gonna run out
escape, don't be afraid
you never know when your life is gonna change

i'm a believer (i'm a believer)
yes i'm a believer (and you don't know what you're lookin for)

i'm a believer (i'm a believer)
yes i'm a believer (and you don't know what you're lookin for)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Leisure Cruise's song Believer speak to someone who has left their home in search of something, even though they don't know exactly what they're looking for. The lyrics talk about the naysayers that she has encountered along the way, who view her journey as hopeless and futile. However, the singer is a believer in what this person is doing and encourages her to continue on her path, even if she doesn't have it all figured out yet.

The lyrics also touch on the idea that sometimes we need to take risks and make changes in our lives, even if it means leaving behind what is comfortable and familiar. The lines "you traded in your diamonds for nails" suggest that the person has given up something valuable and shiny for something that may not seem as glamorous, but could ultimately be more fulfilling. The chorus repeats "and you don't know what you're looking for," highlighting the uncertainty and ambiguity that can come with taking a leap of faith.

Overall, the lyrics to Believer celebrate the courage it takes to leave behind what no longer serves us and embark on a journey of discovery, even if the destination is unclear.

Line by Line Meaning

you left home just a little girl
You departed from home at a young age

it was your choice to go
You made the decision to leave

you didn't even know what you were looking for
You were unsure of what you wanted to find

when will you know what you're looking for
When will you discover your true desires

they said you're hopeless, hopeless
People criticized and rejected you

you want your bed of roses
You long for an ideal life

but once you leave the door closes
Once you leave, there is no turning back

but i'm a believer (i'm a believer)
I have faith

yes i'm a believer (and you don't know what you're lookin for)
I believe and you are still searching for answers

and you weren't afraid (no oh)
You were courageous

you traded in your diamonds for nails
You gave up material possessions for something simpler or practical