A chat with Lee-La of The Damn Truth
Yes, Lee, it’s the 30th of June. Time goes quick. In front of me, there is Lee. Lee-La, officially. Front singer of The Damn Truth. Back in Europe.
Lee-La: We are always back in Europe. We can’t stay away.
It’s a special bond already with Europe.
Lee-La: Absolutely. It’s been quite a few years. We’ve been coming back and forth every time gets better and bigger. The festivals are blowing our minds. We love festival season.
Yes, that’s true. And because next week you already play the Bospop Festival. That’s a big one.
Lee-La: That’s a big one.
And tonight you’re at the Spirit of 66 here in Vervier. Lee-La, at first I go a little bit back in time. Album number 3, if I’m correct.
Lee-La: We’re on 4 now. This is album, this is 4. The, our self-titled 4.
And you even signed with Frontier Records.
Lee-La: Yeah, that’s brandnew. That happened while we were on the road here. That was a beautiful little, you know, I think it’s been cooking for a while, but it was great to finally sign the paperwork and have that done. I think it’s going to be a great new partnership. So we’re excited.
Yeah, it’s a big label with even a lot of big bands on it. And who knows where it brings you more in the future?
Lee-La: We’re only hoping more and more. That’s all we can hope.
what about the Weather ?!?
Hey, the weather is now getting a little bit better over here because it was very hot. Your tour manager even told me that it was less in the south of France. 38 – 40 degrees.
Lee-La: Yeah, we had some crazy nights. I think when we got in the van, it was like 42, 43 in the mornings. The crazy part is that Europe does not believe in AC. Like nobody knows what air conditioning is. Sometimes fans are very hard to come by. We’ve played in, it was I think last week or a week and a half ago, it was in Switzerland. We played in an old barn. Like it’s actually a museum and it was like beautiful wood, but not even a window. Like it was death. It was very, very hot. I’d never sweat so much in my life. I’ve just, everything that we were
wearing, just take it off, put it in, and then… I tried to take the water out. It was ridiculous.
Maybe they tried to create a kind of sauna?
Lee-La: I think maybe that was the deal.
Yes, the thing with the AC is something that we, my dad even has three in his house.
Lee-La: Oh yeah, so some people have it and some people don’t.
Yes, they have to get a little bit awake. Yeah, do we need that? Because… The weather here has not been extreme like it has for a couple of years.
Lee-La: Right, yeah.
But we are not here to talk about the weather. We are talking here about the music.
Lee-La: Let’s talk about the music.
Tonight, Spirit of 66 in Verviers. What can the people expect tonight?
Lee-La: I think one of the most beautiful things about our band is that no matter if, no matter where we play, no matter if it’s a festival of 30,000 or if it’s a small room in a small club, if it’s 50 or 100, we always, always just have so much fun. Our band enjoy playing live. That’s where we thrive. That’s where we really, really, you know, it’s what we get off on it. We love it. We love the connection with our audience. We love meeting our people. So after every show, we make it a point to get off stage and have some drinks with our fans and meet the people and have, just have a great time. And it’s all about that connection. It’s all about communicating because when you’re on the road, you don’t see the van, you
don’t see anything but your van. You don’t see, you know, the cities. And the only way for us to connect with the different places that we’re in is by meeting the people at the end of the show. So we are always excited for that. It’s always new. It’s always like the first time. And it is the first time here in Vervier, but it is really always feels like that. Every time we play, it’s like the first and we give it all we got.
Rock’n’Roll unites
Is that for you, have been at several places, already a difference in audience?
Lee-La: No, rock’n’roll audiences are the same everywhere. That’s what’s so beautiful. Rock’n’roll
unites us in a way that, I mean, I don’t know other genres that do that same thing. Maybe EDM because that’s like, you know, they’re always there for the same purpose of like dancing your heart out, whatever. But other than that, rock’n’roll crowds and rock’n’roll fans anywhere in the world, everywhere we’ve been, it’s the same. They’re open-hearted, people that are there to have a great time, and take care of each other as a community, as a family. I love that. I think that’s really what unites the rock’n’roll fan.
Even here, we are from the Netherlands, and you are here very close to the German border.
Lee-La: Yeah.
This is Belgium, the French-speaking part of Belgium. So tonight, I think you’re going to have a mixed audience.
Lee-La: Absolutely. Yeah, we know there’s fans coming in from Germany because we’re very close. There’s fans coming
from Holland. There’s a fan that came in from England today. I already met him. He came by to say hello. So yeah, it’s wonderful. I think that when people connect with our music, it’s forever.
Music unites.
Lee-La: Yeah, absolutely.
Hey, I want to get our listeners already a taste of your music. And I want to share already the new single. 
Lee-La: Awesome.
It will be nice if you could announce it.
Lee-La: Absolutely. So we’re going to hear the brand new remaster of the Willow 2026.
back after the Willow 2026. This is going to be the re-release, correct?
Lee-La: Yes. Well, part of the Frontiers re-release because the Damn Truth has been out for almost, it’s been a year now. It’s been a year. But with the new signing, and we would love it to be in more hands and with their distribution and with their, hopefully, their love and affection, we will be available worldwide. That’s the plan.
Yes, thinking about available worldwide, are there also some plans of re-releasing the old stuff?
Lee-La: Oh, of course, of course. Well, we always travel with the old stuff. You can always get all of our albums from us directly off
our website, but it would be great to be able to go into a store anywhere in Europe or anywhere in the world for that matter and say, hey, I want the third album or the second album.
Yes, they got the whole complete back catalog.
Lee-La: Absolutely. I think that would be lovely.
You got Bob.
Lee-La: We got Mr. Bob Rock behind the board.
Bob Rock
And when I saw that and Bob produced already in the past some great albums, how did you get connected with a guy like that?
Lee-La: Lots of luck. It’s always luck in this business. I mean, we knew the right guy at the right moment. who knew Bob, so it’s that kind of connection. He was a neighbor of ours. He opened a record store. He was Bob’s tour manager for one summer in the 80s with his band, the Paolas. So that’s how our friend Ralph got to know Bob. And we knew Ralph and
Ralph started working with us for doing, like he had a small label, he had a small record cut, you know, so we kind of did small things in Montreal. with him for a while, knowing in the back of our minds that he has a contact with Bob and we all are huge fans. And so we were just kind of bugging Ralph all the time, send him some demos, send him some demos. And Ralph kept
telling us, you can only, you know, bug Bob once. You got to have a really good demo. And he kept holding back and holding back. And then when we had stuff ready for this album, Actually, Sorry, not for this album. This was the album before. So we’ve already recorded with Bob. This is the second one, yeah. That’s right. So in our third album, we finally, you know, convinced Ralph to send the demos. And he sent them and we heard back from Bob that same day. He called us up and said, the same day, which is really cool. He said, yeah, I really like the stuff. Let’s make an album. So we’ve been, you know, flying high ever since because working with him has been an incredible, incredible gift. He’s an amazing man. He’s an incredible producer, engineer, his mind is constantly, it’s like evolving, he’s older and yet he is never like just laying back on like, oh, I do what I do. And no, he’s super excited and he’s super involved. And I think he really, really pushed us. And made-up, helped us make the best album we’ve ever made, which is one word.
Hard work.
Lee-La: Working out now.
Hard work, Bob Rock, pushing you to the next level.
Lee-La: Yeah.
But there are more levels, Lee.
Lee-La: Always. Thank God for that. It would be really sucky if it was done. Like if this was it, that would be really sad.
Yeah. What would be the next level slash target for the damn truth to hit?
Lee-La: Well, there are many. There are many dreams. We’re already writing. We’re always in the
process of writing. So we’re already writing the next album kind of in between tours. And whenever we have some time back home, we jump into the studio. There’s already plans for the upcoming December. We’re going to be
in the studio again. And that will be… I would definitely hope so. I can’t give it all away, but that’s the plan. Yeah. And so very, very excited for what’s to come. And of course, working with Frontiers, working with new management out of England. This is the Adam Parsons product. They’re incredible. The team there, Lisa, our new manager, has been just love, you know. So all this stuff is great. And I think there’s, I think we’ve only just begun, which is great, which is really fun.
Okay. I see already a lot of dates in Europe. And Even if I didn’t hear from your music, from the enthusiasm of you, I would be convinced already to listen to the music. But I already listen to it. Don’t get me wrong.
Lee-La: So I hope your listeners are listening. That’s what.
Yes, that’s why we have to tease them. We have to tease them.
Lee-La: Do it.
And keep on pushing these kind of things. Is it for you, the live thing or the studio thing, which is more important?
Lee-La: It is very important to have a good studio album, of course, because not everybody can come see us live. But for me, it is always about live. It’s always about every night being different, every night being exciting, every night, like I said, being like the first time. in many ways, it is the first time you are uniting people you’ve never met before, they’ve never seen you in life, and you are sort of creating an infectious moment with them that’s really, really, really
special and something memorable. So for me, it’s live, not to mention that my bandmates, my family, they’re like the best people in the world. So doing this is the most fun we can ever have, and doing that every night is a It’s a dream. It’s a dream to be able to play.
Yeah, you can’t do this alone.
Lee-La: No, absolutely not. We are a four-piece Senate. And then after tonight, you’ll see it too. Yeah.
On the spot
I want to play another song. Not from the last, but from the previous. The first one you did with Uncle Bob. 
Lee-La: Yeah. Which one?
Do you already say uncle to him or?
Lee-La: He’s Bob. He’s Bob.
He’s just Bob. Okay. What would be the first song you said to people, hey, to convince them, listen to that track on album #3?
Lee-La: That’s a really hard one. That’s really hard.
You have to pick one.
Lee-La: I have to pick it? Yes, Goodness gracious. I can’t, you’re putting me on the spot.
Shall I get on with the first song?
Lee-La: Yes, you do what you think. I mean, I think this is who we are now, is Because it’s such a statement. And it was a song that came in the shower. it’s like, what are those songs that like Tom heard the melody while he was taking a shower, came out, started like with, you know, fumbling with that melody line and inventing
words as we were going down the road, you know. And that’s the best, that’s the best songs. So, and this is the way I know, it’s an opus. So let’s kick over that one. Let’s kick that one.
Okay. Back after the shower song, I can say. And funny that you mentioned, because I even sometimes have good ideas during my showers.
Lee-La: Yes.
And I need a kind of board in my showers to write, because when I’m outside, I always forget that. So it’s a problem. It’s a problem.
Lee-La: Yes. Well, now it’s easier with the iPhone. Just like, hey, Siri, record, you know, and you can talk to her.
And what if Siri says, no, I’m Alexia.
Lee-La: Oh, you’re ******.
You’re very ****** yes. We just talked about the music and what would you be doing when you wouldn’t be making music.
Lee-La: Oh, nothing. No.
It’s a good answer.
Lee-La: Absolutely. I mean, I knew it from since I was four years old. I knew that music is the life for me. I knew that performing is the life for me. That was the first time I picked up a guitar and sang in front of people I was four. So there’s never been, there’s never a
plan B. There’s never anything else I want to do. I haven’t held another job in 20 years. And even when I had other jobs, I knew that it was a means to an end.
Yeah, You sometimes need to do other jobs just to get your target.
Lee-La: Just to eat.
Yeah, to eat, but sometimes even people can live on music.
Lee-La: Yes. Yeah.
Hey, I want to thank you very much for your time.
Lee-La: Thank you for having me and thank you for coming out tonight.
Yes, I wish you good luck with the club shows you’re going to do. I wish you a lot of more luck with your gig on BosPop because that’s one of the nicest festivals in Europe.
Lee-La: Wow, we did it before and it was fantastic. We had so much fun. It’s really, it’s got a great place in our hearts. So I think we’ve got a bit of a better slot this year. We opened the festival. What’s going on? There’s noise behind me. It’s you. It’s all your fault. It’s my kid. He’s making noise.
Kids make noise.
Lee-La: He does, especially drummers, drummer kids. Anyway, but yeah, but Bospop is, yeah, because we had the opening slot of the festival and it was still amazing and tons of people came out, thousands actually. So I have a feeling that this one’s going to be even better.
Okay. It’s very cool. Hey, before we end this and we play another song.
Lee-La: Yes. Are you going to put me on the spot or you’re going to choose it this time?
Back in Europe with Europe
No, I’m going to choose it. No, I’m not going to put you in the spot again. I will do that once. I think it myself afterwards. Good. Is there something you want to say to our listeners?
Lee-La: I want to say come out to a Damn Truth show. We’re going to be back in Europe with Europe. We’re touring with Europe on their 50th or 40th anniversary. 50th? 40th? I don’t know. They’re on their huge like anniversary tour. They’re taking us to be the opening act. We’re going through all of the European capitals for the month of September and October, even until the beginning of November. It’s going to be wild. So if you can come on out and catch that show, it will be insane. And if not, please catch the Damn Truth Show live anytime in the future. You can keep in touch with us on Facebook, Instagram, and our whatever, anywhere you want. We’re here.
Okay, thank you very much.
Lee-La: Thank you.
And what I’m gonna play, you’re never gonna know. Thank you very much. Good luck to the show tonight.
Lee-La: Thank you.
Interview by Theo Samson – All interview & live images by Raymond Helebrand – Bandimage from www.thedamntruth.com