Universal Numbers
After the stop-start of the last three years, Lazuli have quietly unveiled their 11th studio album, simply called 11. Vocalist, instrumentalist and composer Dominique Leonetti reveals why the French group are buzzing about their new release but choosing to remain fiercely independent, and how it felt to finally play on the same stage as their musical heroes.
Words: Alison Reijman
Lazuli: fiercely independent.
Images: Eliot Photography
“During the lockdown, the insects regained power. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen so many butterflies, dragonflies, bees… like a rebirth, so it’s quite natural these bees came to take their place on the cover.”
Lazuli’s new album cover pays tribute to the humble bee.
Abandoning a major European tour three years ago due to Covid, Lazuli retreated to their base in southern France, waiting for the world to re-open. During this protracted impasse, Dominique Leonetti wrote 11, a deeply personal collection of songs that appeared almost without fanfare earlier this year. In an ideal music cosmos, the stars would have aligned, enabling the French proggers to release 11, their 11th album comprising 11 songs, on November 11, 2022 (11 x 2). Sadly, due to global production delays, the universal numbers didn’t add up this time.
“It was an unpleasant surprise for us – a little frustrating, it is true. But the album arrived in the new year and that was perfect,” declares Leonetti, the band’s vocalist, instrumentalist and composer.