The Dutch band Lesoir toured England and played in three cities, including London, where Wikimetal attended their show and spoke with the very friendly Maartje Meessen (vocals and multi-instrumentalist) and Ingo Dassen (guitar). The band leaders, who also make a lovely couple offstage, told us that this was their first show in the country since their last performance in 2019, when they were special guests of the band Riverside .
Lesoir also consists of Eleën Bartholomeus (bass), Ingo Jetten (guitar) and Bob Van Heumen (drums). The show took place at The Black Heart pub, one of the most historic and fundamental venues in London for the metal scene.
Wikimetal: Thank you so much for having us. How important is it to play in the UK again?
Ingo Dessen: Our band has been around for 10 years and started in a very underground way. We played in China and other countries around the world, always opening for other bands, and now, for the first time, we're doing our own show. It's really cool because we started very small and now we're here. We worked very hard to be in England today, it wasn't easy. We had many delays at immigration when we arrived. But now, we're going to enjoy the three shows ahead. We're very happy to be playing in London; the last time we played here was in 2011.
WM: What came first, your relationship, the band, or was forming the band just an excuse for you to date Maaetje, Ingo?
(lots of laughter)
Maartje Meeseen: I think Ingo can answer that question better than I can. But it's a good question. (Laughs)
ID: I think the music came first, we've always been connected to music, we studied music together at university, then we became friends and gradually started our relationship.
MM: For me, it was a slower process.
ID: We've been together for 19 years and are proud parents for the first time to a beautiful 1-year-old girl, who is currently with her grandparents while we're performing in England.
WM: It's really cool to interview couples who play music together; we admire these people who love each other and also work on what they're passionate about and make it happen. What's it like playing together and being together for 20 years?
MM: The secret is not to do everything together. We need to have our own space, and we even worked together at a company once, but we do things to maintain our individuality in order for it to work.
ID: We give each other a lot of space, and we also have plenty of room for creativity. We have very different private lives. When we're working with the band it's one thing, when we're at home it's another, and we never bring problems into our homes. I think we're lucky in that regard.
WM: What is the couple's creative process like?
ID: I write most of the lyrics myself; it's a very personal process. Once the instrumental part is finished, some ideas come up, and I share them with Maartje, creating some moments together. She also has her own processes and works on the melodies of the songs.
MM: When Ingo composes the songs, we share the ideas.
WM: How do you feel about returning to the stage after a long period in lockdown ?
MM: This show today has already been canceled four times. But I think it's not just us, I can speak for all musicians around the world too. It was really a shitty period for all of us. Everything was very frustrating. All the shows were canceled and we had to reschedule them several times. And being able to be back on stage today and see people is amazing and super important for us. We love playing, traveling, and meeting the fans. On the other hand, it was also an important period for our music, because we created a sound that we love and it was a very creative process during the pandemic. We worked a lot on a new project. We released the new album Mosaic, which we had been working on for years but hadn't had the opportunity to play yet. We had more than 15 shows planned and we had to cancel them, unfortunately. This is our best work so far and we are very proud of it. We come from a journey of being a small band that opened shows for big bands and now we are doing our own shows. We are happy.
Mosaic to the public today
ID: Yes, we'll be playing the new album and also some songs from other projects.
MM: Unfortunately, because of the pandemic, the time for the album has passed; we released it a year and a half ago.
ID: This is a problem for other musicians too. But it was a phase where we really had to be creative and at the same time, we were able to have time for ourselves, something we didn't normally have. It wasn't all bad, but I really feel that now it's time to get back on the road again and have our lives back, to be able to travel the world and show our music. We're happy, we're going to have a beer now before the show to renew our energy. It's going to be really cool, it's a new beginning for us and I hope people really enjoy it.
WM: What are your expectations for today?
MM: It's great to start with three shows back-to-back in England, we love this country and we have many friends here. We don't have super high expectations for today because of the pandemic issues still, but we're very happy to be here playing for the fans who will come to see us. It will be a great experience, playing here after so long and for the first time our own show.
ID: We have to start somewhere. London is always a great place to play, the most important city when you're in the UK. It's really cool for us.
WM: Could you describe your new work , Mosaic, ?
MM: Mosaic is a work inspired by our daily lives and the relationships we have with the people around us, being in nature as well, which is something we love, the little things in our lives.
ID: We always wanted to have a central idea of what the work would be, to live life and put all the elements together, like a puzzle, a mosaic. Sometimes life changes, things happen, and we have to start all over again.
MM: It's like a creation of life.
ID: And you still have the pieces of life that you put together according to events. We had this narrative behind our songs. The previous album was more conceptual, and this one has more songs that we like to play, and we put all the energy we had at the moment into them. It's a more positive, lighter, and brighter work. We felt good about the result because when we started, we were more metal and heavier. And over the years, we've maintained the intensity in the emotions and not in the band's sound, and that's why it's not as heavy as it used to be.
WM: After such a long period of pandemic, did you ever imagine that one day you could be playing together again?
ID: Not last summer, because the pandemic was out of control.
MM: This time, we got confirmation at the last minute and we're happy to be here. But I think in the long term, Brexit is also something that worries us, because it's more complicated to come and play in England now. We really love it here, but things have changed a lot. We have to make a lot of effort to play here now. I hope they find a way to make our work easier here.
WM: How would you describe your sound to Brazilian fans?
ID : We call our work art-rock because we have a strong artistic vision behind it and a well-defined identity. We mix that with the creation of our music, a work based on many emotions, and these are our main characteristics. We love playing live and feeling the energy of the people. Each show for us is like something sacred.
WM: You're from Maastricht , in the south of the Netherlands. I've been told it's the city with the happiest and most cheerful people in the country. Do you agree with that?
MM: People in southern Europe are known for being happier and more relaxed because they have more sunshine throughout the year. Even though the Netherlands is a very small country, I think this theory also applies to us in the south: we are more easygoing and relaxed.
ID: We also have a lot of French influence, in our way of life and how we enjoy the moment. It's part of our history; we're very close to Belgium and France. We appreciate the good life and good food.
WM: And how can we describe the Dutch influence on your work?
ID: I think hard work and a lot of motivation are the main Dutch characteristics in our work. We are very efficient (laughs).
MM: Yes, we are! We take everything very seriously and with great commitment.
WM: A message for Brazil, please?
ID: We would love to play in South America, and especially in Brazil, which is at the top of our list. I think you'll enjoy our work.
MM: I think it will be wonderful to be able to play there one day, Brazilians are known for being super nice.
WM: You guys are great! Thank you!
Watch the message they left for us below, see photos from the London show, and listen to the album Mosaic:
