Music: 'L' is for Leisha ...

Each week without fail, friends gather, TiVo is activated, workouts are canceled and housework is avoided due to our favorite TV shows. "The L Word," a Showtime drama following the complicated lives and relationships of some hot L.A. lesbians, is one show with a passionate fan following. One character that the masses really seem to fancy is Alice Pieszecki, a quirky and endearing radio personality played by Leisha Hailey.

Contrary to some fantasies, Alice is not a real person. Leisha Hailey, on the other hand, is real, and this Wednesday at the Varsity fans are getting a chance to see Hailey onstage, touring for her band, Uh Huh Her.

A hybrid of indie rock, electronica and pop, Uh Huh Her is the creation of Hailey and Camila Grey. Both have ample experience in the music biz: Hailey was part of the Murmurs (later Gush) in the mid-'90s, while Grey is a former member of Mellowdrone and has done vocal work with Dr. Dre, Busta Rhymes and Kelly Osborne.

Fresh out of the basement studio with only an EP and the Internet to promote its goods, Uh Huh Her is ahead in the popularity game, booking healthy-sized venues across the country and selling tickets like American Apparel sells hot pants. So is their music really all the rage, or are lesbians just snatching up tickets to see their beloved Alice?

At this point, having a celebrity in the band has definitely been a bonus. Either modestly or naively, Hailey said she didn't expect so many "L Word" fans to become Uh Huh Her devotees. "Lots of people heard about the band through the show. I didn't realize the two were going to connect," she said. "My music career is nearly equal, time-wise, to my acting career. It's becoming a major balancing act."

Hailey and Grey agree having a fan base from the get-go has been beneficial, but they hope their music will appeal to a broader audience in the future.

"I just hope people can see we're not the 'L Word' band," Grey said.

Hailey has always dabbled in music throughout her acting career, and when she met Grey through mutual friends, she immediately knew she wanted to start a band. Grey said she wasn't initially interested, but as soon as she heard Hailey's perky "Hi, you want to start a band?" over the phone, she couldn't turn her down. Now they work together "like sisters who don't fight," Grey said -- each writing bits on their own before Grey ties up loose ends on the production side.

With Hailey on guitar and Grey on vocals and the other instruments, Uh Huh Her manages a variety of generally happy sounds. With airy melodies and mysterious vocals, the sound stays girly, yet doesn't skip out on darker layers of dancey bass, rock guitars and retro synth. The duo's first full-length album, "Common Reaction," is scheduled for release Aug. 19.

Hailey just hopes people will start to see the album for what it is, not who's behind it. She and Grey hope people from all walks of life -- not just "L-Word" fans, and not just women -- will find their sound appealing.

"We'd also like some boys to hear it," Hailey said with a laugh.