Returned Killswitch Engage frontman Jesse Leach won't forget the humbling experience of being identified by fans as he worked in a bar serving drinks.
He left today’s Download main stage act in 2002, and moved away from music altogether, working a string of jobs including bakery assistant, paralegal and woodcutter.
Five years later he formed Times Of Grace with KSE’s Adam D, and eventually made peace with the rest of his colleagues, paving his way for his return to the mic in 2012 – and meaning he could leave his job as a cocktail waiter in Manhattan.
Leach tells TeamRock Radio: “For me, the most humbling thing about being a barman is having someone recognise you when you’re wiping their glass down, getting ready to serve them.”
But he didn’t hate the role – in fact, he still retains an interest in making cocktails. But it’s even more enjoyable now he’s returned to his position in KSE.
“My life has completely changed,” he reflects. “It was fun, but a lot of hard work and a lot of long nights. It’s great to be on the other side of the bar now.”
Meanwhile, Leach reports he’s working on a new project calls Aliken, which he says is reggae and ska influenced. They’re due to launch an EP called Fire In The Lion’s Mane in the coming months.
