We’re off to the fine country of the Netherlands for today’s band of the day…
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
Maastricht, the most beautiful town in the Netherlands.
How did you meet?
Via our high school/friendships/local music scene.
How long have you been playing as a band?
Lesoir started in 2009, and although some band members came and went, we are still alive and kicking :)
Before you get sick of being asked… where does the band name come from?
Ingo: When we recorded our debut in Brussels, we got fascinated by the liveliness of Brussels by night. A metropole really has 2 different faces, the day and the night. As we felt that we were making music suitable for the evening, which is in french Le Soir (the language they speak in Brussels), we thought it was cool to stick those two together and create a new non-existing word; Lesoir
What are your influences?
A Perfect Circle, Tool, Anathema, Porcupine Tree and Steven Wilson, Riverside, The Gathering, Marillion and Alanis Morissette.
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
Ingo: Lesoir features two female multi-instrumentalists and although we flirt with prog, we aren’t dedicated prog. We flirt with a lot of genres but keep the emotion central. Freaky time signatures are great, but a great melody or hook that stays in your head is just as important. We just follow our heart, and don’t think too much of genres, I think that this defines us. And also makes it difficult to find our spot in the musical world nowadays.
Do you have any particular lyrical themes?
Maartje: Writing lyrics for Mosaic was quite a challenge. Compositionally we were going a different direction, and new songs left less space for vocals than before. I am the kind of person that wants to fill out a song with vocals completely, and Mosaic challenged me to become more modest. The compositions on Mosaic are more groove-based, still melodical though, and also gentler and less angry than earlier releases, which in a way fitted my mood at the moment of writing perfectly. That’s why I adjusted quite easily. With a different approach I managed. This time I wrote about things that kept me busy instead of the world. About things I like, things that are near me and in reach, rather than what I was seeing on the news every day and made me sad. Overall, I think we can say that Mosaic is the album that finally defines Lesoir entirely.
What’s your live show like? How many shows have you played?
Lesoir are a powerhouse when playing live, the emotional and musical connection between the players just radiates off the stage, which in turn energises the expectant audiences. During their European tour in 2019, the band decided that making music together and performing this stage show with the chemistry between them and a room full of people, is what defines the band now and always has done. It is the moment when fans connect with Lesoir. It’s the driving force behind all previous albums and the engine of all previous tours. It is the drug that is responsible for an incessant endurance. It is the reason why Lesoir exists and will always exist. We have played over 300 shows now.
What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?
Ingo: We played 4 times in China and the last fire circle pit made by a lot people dancing at the world-famous MIDI festival (40,000 people) was an image we will not forget.
What kit do you use / guitars do you play / etc?
The drumkit is a Gretsch pure renown rosewood, on guitars we have Mesa Boogie Lonestar and stiletto 2×12 combos, Ingo plays custom Mozer and Rubens Guitars, Eleen Fender. On bass we use a 5 string Gibson EB bass and Fender bassman 100 w 4×10 ampeg cab, besides that we have a Nord stage piano, a Fender pedalsteel, a SPD-Sx sampling pad, some midi controllers, a shitload of guitar effects and a flute. It’s busy on stage! (laughs)
What, if anything, are you plugging/promoting at the moment?
We have a new album coming out May the 4th and had a great tour planned, which we are now postponing to the autumn thanks to Corona.
What are your plans for 2020?
Release a new album Mosaic and play a lot of shows. Come and join us, we love to meet new fans!!
If you were second on a three-band bill, which band would you love to be supporting and which band would you choose to open for you? A chance to plug someone you’ve toured with, or a mate’s band we’ve not heard of before!
To support: Riverside, touring with these guys for 5 weeks was the best. And if we could have a band supporting us, we would bring Overhaul along with us.
