Modern Leisure is the indie-pop project of veteran Denver-based songwriter, DJ, and singer Casey Banker. Since its beginnings, the self-described “melan-pop” (melancholy pop) project has explored the space between guitar-driven indie rock, melodic pop, and understated electronic textures, with lyrics that focus on the bittersweetness of disaffected, wayward adulthood.

Modern Leisure first emerged with the release of the album Super Sad Rom-Com in 2018, followed by a series of singles in 2020. Just as the project was beginning to build momentum, the pandemic brought live performances and new releases to an unexpected halt. Over the following years, Banker shifted gears by starting a business and getting married, but continued writing, experimenting, and allowing the project to evolve outside the expectations of a traditional release cycle.

Searching for a producer who could preserve the intimacy of his demos while expanding their sonic scope, Banker traveled to Los Angeles to collaborate with producer Jake Supple (Blondshell, Slow Caves, Griffy Jams). Together, they recorded the first singles of Modern Leisure's next chapter, bringing a wider sonic palette to the project's melodic foundation while maintaining the emotional directness of the original songs.

The first release from this new era, "tied in a knot," is a response to the class struggle and oligarchy in the United States. The song reflects the tension of a working class at the end of their rope and explores the moment when those who are being taken advantage of finally realize their collective power and turn the tables on their oppressors.

To mark this new musical period, Banker is also playing with a new live band consisting of Isadora Decker-Lucke and Sumner Erhard of Dollpile, Sam Seymour of Tiny Tomboy, and Ronan Andrews of Fresh Fruit.

With additional releases planned throughout the year, Banker approaches this next era not as a return to where Modern Leisure left off, but as an evolution shaped by everything that happened in between.