LEATHERS' debut album, Ultraviolet, is full of thumping, gothic synthpop bangers — but it ends on a moment of touching reflection, with a tender electronic called "Mary." That song takes its name and inspiration from a 10-month old Rottweiler cross, that Vancouver songwriter (and tattoo artist) Shannon Hemmett adopted late last year.
Since then, Mary has been on hand for many of Hemmett's songwriting sessions, both with the solo project and with her similarly '80s-inclined band ACTORS (with whom Hemmett plays keyboards).
To celebrate Ultraviolet (out August 16 through Artoffact Records) and its canine closing track, Hemmett told Exclaim! all about Mary's bad habit of munching on Cros and the time Mary rescued Hemmett during a medical emergency.
Read more about musicians and their animals in our Pet Sounds feature.
Tell us about Mary!
Mary is my puppy. I adopted her this past December at 10 weeks old. She was rescued by K9 Advocacy Manitoba and flown to the West Coast for adoption by a rescue partner in Vancouver called Endless Pawsabilites. They're both great organizations that work with rural First Nations communities in Northern Manitoba to find homes for stray dogs. I haven't had her DNA tested, but based on other dogs in the area, they thought she was probably a Rottweiler/German Shepherd mix. She has the classic Rottie black-and-tan markings; her eyebrows are the cutest.
How did you pick her name?
Mary was the name that K9 Advocacy gave her, and she already knew her name in foster care when I first met her. I felt it suited her, so it stuck. Mazzy Star's song "Mary of Silence" could be her song. These lines make me think of her: "Help me walk with you / To the sky that we see"
Mary's still quite young. What are the biggest challenges of raising Mary?
All my life I wanted a dog, and Mary is my first. I did a lot of research, but even still, raising a rescue puppy without any prior experience was overwhelming at times. She's a sweet, sensitive dog that came from a tough situation, so she needed a lot of support to build her confidence in day-to-day situations. Even putting a harness on her for walks would trigger a shutdown response, so it took some time for her to understand that she was loved and safe. She's super smart and trainable, so we worked with Masina at Q&A Dog Training who specializes in dogs like Mary with big feelings. Masina is the best! I'm so proud of us, and the progress we've made together.
Mary's now the unofficial mascot/greeter at my apartment building. She absolutely loves it when people come say "hi" to her at the fence. Her breed mix also makes her an excellent watchdog. I had a medical issue in the middle of the night recently, and she alerted everyone at home that I needed help.
She's pretty much an angel dog, but she does have one naughty behaviour: she loves stealing Crocs! She does a sneaky grab 'n' run and then I chase her around like an idiot to get them back, which she finds amazingly fun. They are the perfect chewy texture and must taste like puppy bubblegum to her, so I can't really fault her for that.
Has Mary had any influence on your music with LEATHERS or ACTORS?
"Mary" is the closing track on my upcoming album, Ultraviolet, and yes, it is named after her. It's a pretty ballad that deals with the ache of our wishes coming true and realizing we'll always desire more. Mary usually comes to the studio with Jason [Corbett] and I when we're writing and recording, but she stays at home if we're doing vocals — she starts woo-wooing if we are singing. By day, I'm a tattoo artist and she loves hanging out at the studio while I work. My clients tell me how much they enjoy her presence. She checks on people periodically during their appointments by gently putting her snoot under their hand.
You also have cats. How do they get along with Mary?
Mary has three cat brothers: Frank, my senior boy, and pandemic littermates Dale and Bob. It took them about six months, but they're all used to Mary now. There was a classic cartoon dog/cat communication breakdown at first — Mary just wanted to play, and the cats were like, "Uh, no thank you, get outta here." I caught Mary and Dale snoozing back to back on the bed the other night, so I think they'll be snuggle buddies by the time winter comes.
Tell us about Ultraviolet!
Ultraviolet is LEATHERS' debut full-length album. The songs were written over a period of about five years, and to finally have them collected on vinyl (and CD/digital) for the first time is a special milestone for us.
Thematically, Ultraviolet explores all kinds of contrasts: light/dark, fantasy/reality, feminine/masculine, creation/destruction. We selected the track order so it flows like a film soundtrack. I hope people play it from start to finish for a cinematic listening experience.
I'm also putting together a LEATHERS Lyrics + Photobook, which is available on our Bandcamp. It's the perfect companion piece to the album, containing over 50 pages of original photos and design from my personal archive. I can't wait to share it with the fans.
