In Toronto, Cade Lakeshore and Patrick Worthington first bonded over rock & roll during overnight shifts at a printing facility. The pair launched an early project called Lyposucker, hammering out initial ideas on two guitars backed by a low-quality drum machine. Once hard-hitting drummer Brent Empress came aboard, the group operated briefly as Trailer Park and started performing locally, only to drop the name after learning an American act already held the rights. Rechristened Leisureworld, the trio aligned with a management team based in Buffalo, New York, kept gigging in the Toronto area, and tracked early material at a friend’s studio. They later signed to the independent label 41, which placed the single “I’m Dead” at active rock stations in smaller markets including Buffalo, Kenosha, Wisconsin, and Detroit. The resulting grassroots attention drew interest from major labels. Around the same time, the members recognized that heavy reliance on guitar loops and studio effects made live shows difficult, prompting them to recruit a second guitarist. They found Patricia Melia by chance at a tropical fish store; she soon joined, and the expanded Leisureworld turned its focus toward Los Angeles. In late 2002 the band entered a deal with ARTISTdirect, the BMG-distributed imprint founded by former Interscope executive Ted Field. April 2003 brought the release of the group’s debut album, Double Wide Double High.
