Leagues Discuss Starting Over & Staying Focused
Interview & Words by Annette Hansen
Nashville based Leagues was born out of a place of collaboration, formed by four established musicians–guitarist Tyler Burkum, guitarist and vocalist Thad Cockrell, drummer Jeremy Lutito and bassist Mike Simmons. In some ways, creating Leagues was completely new territory, particularly for Cockrell.
“I think Leagues, for me, was stepping away from a pretty narrow idea of what I could do,” Cockrell expresses. “You kind of have to throw away the old method of how you do things.”
But for Cockrell, the chance to start something new was enticing. “It was a huge learning experience. I felt really vulnerable. I didn’t know how to do it. It was just scary and fun all at the same time.”
Since the band’s formation, the lineup has shifted from four to three to now two members. Simmons having left for personal reasons and Burkum later having rejoined musician Matt Kearney, who he had previously performed with along with Lutito, left Leagues to carry on as a duo. In 2016, remaining members Cockrell and Lutito continue to hold on to the essence of Leagues while breathing new life into the project.
“[Burkum and Simmons] were super instrumental in the formation of [Leagues], but Jeremy and I were the only ones that lived here in Nashville,” Cockrell explains. “[Them leaving] just left Jeremy and I where we’d always been, which was the two of us in the studio hammering out and figuring out the sound and the spirit of Leagues.”
While still a trio, Leagues caught an initial wave of attention in 2013 with their first full-length record, You Belong Here. The album made its rounds in the industry and with listeners. It also verified what the members were hoping to achieve creatively.
“Jeremy and I weren’t really surprised by [the album’s success]because there was so much intentionality that went into it, but I think it took a lot of other people by surprise,” Cockrell says. “I think that there’re these certain ingredients that people connected with on that.”
When the band made their first attempt at a follow-up record, Cockrell says those “ingredients” were something they kept in mind. “There’re certain ingredients that go into what makes Leagues, Leagues. We kind of hold those close to the chest.”
Unfortunately that initial sophomore effort didn’t quite match up with what Cockrell and Lutito had envisioned for Leagues.
“We finished a record, mixed and mastered it, and then started over from scratch,” Cockrell relays. “It was kind of hard. We felt like we were crazy, delusional like ‘what the hell are we doing?’”
Beginning the process all over again would prove to be a major milestone for the duo. “We spent all our money making that first record,” Cockrell explains. “We spent $22,000 just mixing. For me personally, that’s a nicer car than I’ve ever driven just flushed down the toilet… starting over again felt like a huge setback.”
But the band still had their vision for Leagues and moved forward on making a whole new album. That album was Alone Together, which the band released on Sept. 9. Leagues ultimately spent two and a half years writing, recording, trashing and writing all over again to reach the point of releasing their anticipated second album.
“I think [re-doing the album] was certainly for the better,” Cockrell expresses. “I think that it captures the spirit of Leagues. There’s a spirit of levity and adventure in it, a spirit of wonder.”
For the band, it was important for to stay true to their ambitions for Leagues. They weren’t willing to sacrifice the quality of their art even at the cost of a lot of money and a lot of time. For them, it was worth it to take the tougher road in the hopes of making music they find pride in.
“When people listen to it, it captures their imagination,” Cockrell says. “If it doesn’t capture our imagination, chances are it isn’t going to capture other people’s imagination.”
