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[Interview] Einar Solberg of Leprous

Published

15 years ago

on

Bilateral, the third studio album from Leprous, is easily one of my favorite releases this year (review here). The mix of prog with metal combined with a vintage feel but a modern sound all came together to create an album that I just cannot stop listening to. So I was beyond excited when I got the opportunity to chat with vocalist/keyboardist Einar Solberg. We discussed the album, the sounds and tones used, the artwork, and Einar’s thoughts on horror. Check it all out after the jump!

leprousband2011

BD: How are you doing?
Einar Solberg: I’m doing just fine! What about you?
BD: Doing very well! So, first of all, I have to say that I love Bilateral! I have a feeling I’m going to be coming back to this album for a very long time.
ES: Oh thank you! That’s very good to hear! [laughter]
BD: The album has so many different genres mixed together and yet it all feels so cohesive and uniform. What is the writing process like and how are you able to combine these different inspirations so effectively?
ES: Well, the thing is, when we write the music we don’t put too many limitations. We just write whatever feels right without considering genres at all actually. We just write the sketch of the song first and then we go through it and perfect it for a long period afterwards. But in the writing period, when we write the song, the sketch, we’re not very critical. We allow everything almost. The creativity part comes in the beginning of the song writing process and the structure comes at the end, if you know what I mean. So yeah! No limitations!
BD: Another thing I noticed were the vast amount of tones and sounds through the various instruments. Can you tell me how you went about picking some of those sounds and how you decided what fit best and where?
ES: I use a Clavia Nord Stage and a Clavia Nord Wave and then I’m just using, for example, a Rhodes sound and then adding a lot of different effects, LFO filters, all until they’re not recognizable anymore [laughs]. I really want to create my own sounds on the keyboard. 
But some of the sounds were run through guitar amps. Like in the beginning of the track ‘Thorn’, we recorded the keyboards with a line signal first and then we ran it through a guitar amp in a church in Oslo to get the “Church reverb”. That was done to get that really authentic and original sound.
BD: Is there a song on the album that you are particularly proud of or really want people to hear?
ES: I’m very happy with ‘Forced Entry’, ‘Restless’ and ‘Thorn’. I love all the songs but those are ones that I really like.
BD: That’s funny because ‘Forced Entry’ and ‘Restless’ are two of my favorite tracks on the album!
ES: [laughs] Nice! We have the same taste!
BD: The artwork was done by Jeff Jordan, who did work with The Mars Volta. Can you tell me what it is about his work that appeals to the band?
ES: Well, in the beginning it felt like it was really unrealistic to try and use a guy like that because, well, it would be really expensive! [laughs] We’re not that famous yet [laughs] so we don’t have that much money. But the thing was we were working with out previous album art designer and when we told him what we wanted to have on our album cover, he told us “I can’t do that. It’s beyond my skills. It’s not my kind of thing.” So we did some research and our guy sent an email to Jeff Jordan and it turned out he really wanted to do the project because he really loved the music. That was how it happened!
BD: Speaking of surreal art and visuals, and since I write for Bloody-Disgusting, I’m curious if you or the band itself is into horror in any way as there were some very eerie and unsettling moments on the album?
ES: I like horror but I’m trying not to think too much when writing music because if I do, it becomes boring, you know? 
BD: What are some of your favorite horror movies?
ES: Well, I love a lot of David Lynch’s films: Mulholland Drive and Twin Peaks. 
BD: Oh man, Twin Peaks is one of my favorite TV shows of all time! Plus the music of Angelo Badalamenti is just fantastic.
ES: I totally agree! It’s one of my favorites as well. 
BD: Einar, thank you so much for your time and best of luck to you and Leprous!
ES: Thank you! Take care!
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Movies

‘The Lost Boys’ Musical Extends Broadway Run With North American Tour Set for Spring 2028

Published

1 week ago

on

May 28, 2026

By

The Lost Boys: A New Musical officially kicked off on Broadway last month, and Deadline now reports that the show’s Broadway run has been extended into next year.

The show was originally set to run through November, but Deadline reports that The Lost Boys: A New Musical “has released a block of tickets through Sunday, March 7, 2027.”

The news comes in the wake of The Lost Boys: A New Musical becoming the most Tony-nominated musical of the season with twelve nominations including Best Musical.

Additionally, “The Lost Boys will launch a North American National Tour in Spring 2028, at Playhouse Square in Cleveland. Additional cities and tour dates will be announced later.”

The Lost Boys: A New Musical is of course an adaptation of the 1987 horror classic from director Joel Schumacher, with the cast including Ali Louis Bourzgui as lead vampire David (originally played by Kiefer Sutherland), Maria Wirries as Star (originally played by Jami Gertz), and LJ Benet as the soon-to-be-turned Michael (originally played by Jason Patric).

The horror musical’s cast also includes Shoshana Bean as Lucy Emerson, Benjamin Pajak as Sam Emerson, Paul Alexander Nolan as Max, Jennifer Duka as Alan Frog, Miguel Gil as Edgar Frog, Brian Flores as Marko, Sean Grandillo as Dwayne, and Dean Maupin as Paul.

The Lost Boys: A New Musical is Directed by Michael Arden, featuring Music and Lyrics by The Rescues, Book by David Hornsby & Chris Hoch, Story by James Jeremias & Janice Fischer, and Produced by James Carpinello, Marcus Chait & Patrick Wilson (The Conjuring) by special arrangement with Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures.

When a mother and her two teenage sons move to Santa Carla in desperate need of a fresh start, they soon uncover the darker side of this sunny coastal community. While Lucy tries to piece her family’s life back together, Michael keeps pulling away in search of belonging.

As he finds connection with a local rock band and its charismatic leader, his younger brother Sam comes face-to-face with a terrifying reality: When night falls, Michael’s new friends are even more dangerous than they first appeared.

Joel Schumacher directed the original The Lost Boys vampire movie in 1987, wherein two brothers move to a new town and discover that the area is a haven for vampires.

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