The word 'leere' is a philosophical concept of emptiness or nothingness. Simon Monaghan the band's frontman, has described his take on the word to mean 'a cup to be filled', like a person ready to receive spiritual gifts or a sacred space like St Katherine's Chapel at Derby Cathedral featured in the song St Catherine on the leere album Compassionate Ride.

We would love to hear your take on the concept of 'leere' or any of the ideas raised in any of the songs or poems by the band who share the name. Whether you've created a sculpture, painted a picture, written a song, poem, story or even just a single sentence please do get in touch! We might add your contribution to this page!

Inspired by Meister Eckhart, who said "Overleap thy mental powers… and spring into the heart of God", Simon wrote the following poem, entitled leere:

Pass through one mind field of activity
To another
Beyond those that surface
Out of history, pleasure and pain
Appetite
The spoken and emotive domain
The professional, our personal realm…
To that single point which gives out rest
Like the awaiting forest of our writers great
To where hardly a breath stirs before us
Except the source of ourselves
Beside a heaven
And in ‘the let go’ we then allow in
The real praise of Unity
And we tiptoe to new encounter
With a precision that tenderly helps
To carry us into the world stronger again

Simon Monaghan 2009

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Following the news of the passing of musician Paul Brook
(Originally posted on the leere website 12th May 2007)

'I think it is sometimes out of a profound sense of trust that we go on making music. In the process of songwriting and recording with others, its value seems heightened to a point where knowledge of self is put aside in favour of a common objective, a shared story or sound. Long before I fully trusted in Paul Brook, he fully trusted in me - to last the creative course, to follow (or perhaps feel!) the intracacies of songwriting and in my own musical journey, and why it had now brought me to his compact basement studio in Leamington Spa. And he communicated that trust in a unique way - joking (about the Ringo-esque beat on 'New York of the Isle', about the layered BVs, about the tea!) , humouring the peripheral rubbish that plagues the music industry and appealing to simple truths - try things out, relax on takes, remember 'recording should be fun'. His focus and drive was born of trust. Paul Brook was an exceptional talent and it was a privilege to work on the leere album with him over the course of a year. I watched him craft the title track 'Compassionate Ride' in a day's work. I learnt that music can and should challenge, and how it leads us on to new places. So.. he coloured, he advised, he devoted himself to the task beyond earthly hours...and I learnt about the value of patience alongside trust. His true generosity of spirit is only something I can see now - in fact I think I hear it! Walking between rooms was how he would listen to fresh ideas and various mixes - for as as he kept time, he treasured space. Thank you Paul for trusting. Thank you for the many lessons. I shall miss you dearly.' Simon.