Lazuli are among the most interesting representatives of contemporary prog. For years, the Southern French have been moving musically at a consistently high level with their very own style. Their current tour also leads them to their loyal German fan base.
Only a few days before the tour of Lazuli starts we meet a rather excited Dominique Leonetti. In a conversation with eclipsed, the singer and guitarist talks about the new album "Saison 8", intuition in songwriting, the future of prog and the warmth of German fans.
eclipsed: Your new album "Saison 8" tells eight little episodes from life. How did you come up with that idea?
Dominique Leonetti: Actually our songs are mostly stories from life. This album is our eighth in the eighth year of this line-up. We have 2018, there are eight songs, the album has a duration of 44 minutes (4 + 4 = 8) - the number 8 was unconsciously so present that the title resulted by itself. I am concerned with the seasons and the volatility of time. The album combines autumn and winter colours with the search for spring.
eclipsed: How important are the texts to you in general?
Leonetti: Writing songs makes you look beyond your own nose and at the same time forces you to look at yourself. Some choose superficial texts and use the voice as an additional instrument. Every word is important to me. All my feelings, questions, joys, sorrows, doubts, confusion, light and dark moments are recorded. I need this. I wouldn't make music without my own lyrics.
eclipsed: You have already taken a clear stand in your songs, for example for environmental protection. What political and social issues are you currently dealing with?
Leonetti: Environmental awareness in any case, politically the strengthening of right-wing extremists worries me. On this album I deal with the topic migration, the violence in our world, the change of the animal world, the environmental pollution, the longing for lost childhood; also with my worries and hopes. But the most important thing is how to deal with these issues. I need the poetry, the metaphors, the images to express what I feel. I approach the songs through the spectrum of my soul states. Sometimes I only become aware of the actual theme after I have finished writing the song.
