Leprous: Think Less, Play More
Throughout their storied career, LEPROUS have followed no trends, ridden no waves, and have simply been authentically individualistic in their approach to everything they do. Opting for this mindset has rewarded them with significant success and huge admiration from fans spanning all around the globe. They are also widely regarded as one of the ‘must-see’ live acts, and for good reason. If you attend a LEPROUS show, you will never get less than 110% from everyone involved. The multi-talented Norwegians are poised to unveil the latest addition to their already remarkable catalogue entitled Melodies Of Atonement.
A release which has been described as stripped back and less orchestrally indulgent in comparison to previous efforts. When we discovered this news, we were intrigued to see how drummer Baard Kolstad had approached his contributions, particularly when he is known for his impressively intricate performances and energetic showmanship.
“The music comes first and technique/skills are one of many parameters to be able to make the right musical choices. My attitude this time around was just to think less and play more. On Pitfalls especially, I was so focused on every stroke having meaning and kind of over-produced myself rather than just playing from the heart and picking my spots. When I was insecure and unsure about what to play I just started improvising and playing a drum solo and sometimes it ended up on the album. For the track Starlight, there is a guitar solo towards the end and I just went nuts and started fucking about a little bit in the studio, we decided it was actually pretty cool and continued with that.”
Frontman Einar Solberg has long been known for his creative prowess but this, by no means, dictates the specific trajectory of what a finalised LEPROUS track becomes. Each member has their own unique skills to bring to the table which is what adds the distinct flair and creativity which the fans respect and appreciate. This is what allows the band to set themselves apart from the rest of the pack. “Einar is a monster songwriter, so skilled and effective,” declares Baard. “When everybody starts to add their layers, songs head off in many different directions than what we probably anticipated after hearing the demos. It’s always a fun experience to go back and listen to those demos and see what they sounded like initially. There are basically no rules so there are always twists and turns in every part of the process.”
“This time it’s been a very open process with regards to the initial sketches written by Einar. Mostly rough, one-take vocal performances where you kind of had to use your imagination as to where the drums, bass etc would be,” he continues. “You find some of the more random, experimental stuff usually ends up being part of the equation further down the line, I guess you never really know when working with art what is going to be included in the final product. We also spent a lot of time making sure we had the right sound and mix for everything. I spent a lot of time working with a drum technician to make sure everything was crystal clear but I also wanted it to be super in your face. A good open, natural sound where you can tell it’s actually a human that performed on these tracks. I think this is important given the amount of technology used these days.”
LEPROUS have never been a band who play it safe when it comes to performing live, always willing to throw out the odd curveball to provide the crowd with some great memories to take home with them. A shining example of this was their recent headlining performance at Radar Festival where they gave the fans the opportunity to vote for a whole host of deep cuts from albums that have not been played in quite some time. They do however, find themselves becoming bored if they stay in the same musical space for too long, which explains their consistently frequent output with regards to album releases. This is why the band are particularly excited to be able to add their creations into the mix and breath some new life into their repertoire.
“We understand that people come to the shows with particularly strong opinions about certain albums and songs but we have to consider the momentum of the whole concert,” admits Baard. “It’s always fun to have new songs to play as you get tired of playing the same sets all the time. As a band, we’re more or less on the same page. We do like to flip it around a bit too so that if people come to more than one show on a cycle so that they get some variety.”
Melodies Of Atonement is out now via InsideOut Music.
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