Lol Tolhurst, drummer and co-founder of The Cure, discusses the band's 'goth period' and making their albums. He also talks about his recently released book on goth genre history and his new album with Budgie featuring guest appearances by The Edge and James Murphy. They explore the impact of songs, authenticity, self-discovery, the sound evolution in 'Faith', misinterpretation of The Cure's music, recording 'Pornography', and band dynamics.
Read more
AI Summary
AI Chapters
Episode notes
auto_awesome
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
The Cure's albums during their 'goth period' were influenced by the band's isolation and personal experiences.
Lol Tolhurst prefers simplicity and precision in his writing and drumming, drawing inspiration from other writers.
The Cure's music provides comfort and understanding to listeners, allowing them to express and process their emotions.
Deep dives
The creative process and influences behind The Cure's goth period
Lol Tolhurst, drummer and co-founder of The Cure, discusses the band's goth period and the making of their albums 17 Seconds, Faith, and Pornography. He explains that the band's sound developed organically and was influenced by their isolation and personal experiences. Tolhurst also touches on the collaboration, experimentation, and songwriting dynamics within the band during that time.
The writing style and process behind Lol Tolhurst's books
Lol Tolhurst talks about his writing style and how it mirrors his approach to drumming. He mentions that he prefers simplicity and precision in both writing and drumming. Tolhurst also shares insights into his writing process, including how he's influenced by other writers and the importance of crafting sentences and editing.
The significance of The Cure's music and its effect on listeners
Tolhurst addresses the misconception that The Cure's music is depressing and emphasizes that it often brings comfort and understanding to listeners. He recalls how people have shared stories about finding solace and connection in the band's music, allowing them to express and process their own emotions. Tolhurst considers this connection with the audience to be one of the greatest rewards of his musical journey.
The evolution and growth of The Cure's audience
Tolhurst reflects on the band's journey of growing their audience and the challenges they faced along the way. He acknowledges that the audience size fluctuated over the years, but ultimately continued to expand and evolve. Tolhurst also highlights the shared experiences and bonds that have developed between the band and their fans, noting that the sense of community and understanding continues to play a significant role in their music.
Leaving The Cure and finding peace in life's changes
Tolhurst shares his experience of leaving The Cure and how it initially brought feelings of pain and loss. However, he expresses gratitude for the journey he has embarked on since then, including writing books, creating music with other artists like Budgie, and finding a sense of home and acceptance in California. Tolhurst emphasizes the importance of embracing change and finding healing in unexpected places.
Lol Tolhurst, drummer and co-founder of The Cure, first met lead singer Robert Smith when they were just five years-old. Together with their other Catholic school friend Michael Dempsey, they would go on to make dark, brooding music that reflected the isolation they felt as the only punks living in their small English town. As The Cure’s sound developed in the 1980s, they released a string of three albums that Lol now defines as the band’s “goth period.” Today we’ll hear Lol talk in detail about making those albums.
Last month Lol released the book “Goth: A History,” which explores the architects of the post-punk genre—bands like Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division, and Bauhaus. In addition to his book “Goth,” Lol is also releasing a new album with his old friend Budgie, the drummer from the Banshees. The album’s called Los Angeles and it features an all-star guest list including U2's The Edge and LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy.
On today’s episode Leah Rose talks to Lol Tolhurst about growing up an outcast in post-WWII England and how he and Robert Smith first bonded over a Hendrix record. Lol also talks through the creation of The Cure’s goth albums—Seventeen Seconds, Faith, and Pornography.
You can hear a playlist of some of our favorite Lol Tolhurst songs HERE.