Lol Tolhurst has a long musical history. Along with Robert Smith, he co-founded the Cure, selling more than 27 million albums, creating a number of varied music videos and garnering 40 platinum and gold records.
These days Tolhurst and his wife, Cindy Levinson, tour as Levinhurst, a keyboard-laden, techno duo.
"Robert and I joined forces because we were the only two students in our school who were members of the Jimi Hendrix fan club," Tolhurst said by phone from his Los Angeles home. "When I was 13, I slept under a life-size poster of Jimi Hendrix."
From Hendrix to the Cure to Levinhurst, Tolhurst has seen quite a bit of change throughout his career. "There isn't as much mystery as there once was. Back when I started playing music for a living, there was no Internet. So the band would grab a bag of fan mail and take it on the bus and try to answer all the letters. Sometimes it would take six months for our fans to get a reply.
"But these days, the Internet gives fans and artists alike immediate contact."
Tolhurst and his wife have released their second full-length album, "House by the Sea." Like its predecessor, "Perfect Life," "House by the Sea" is dark and somewhat ambient. But unlike the earlier album, this one was written over a relatively short period of time. "When getting ready for a debut album, it's not unheard of to write and rewrite songs over and over again to make sure they're perfect. But the second album is always harder to make because you have to come up with new ideas."
What Tolhurst did was talk to his manager. "I told him that I had some songs that would fit together like a story, and I would revisit the songs like I would a book. So 'House by the Sea' is a concept album. It tells a story that begins from a little dark place and moves on to a different place. Of course the album ends before the story does because we're working on a sequel."
Tolhurst worked at two recording studios for the album. First he was with engineers at the Hollywood Recording Studios to lay down the initial music tracks. "Then I had Carol lay the track down to illustrate the songs."
To Tolhurst, "House by the Sea" is a shining example of how inspiration and creativity work together. "When we went to mix it, I felt it needed to be done at the best mixing facilities in the world. I live only a few blocks from the Village Recording Studio and knew that was where we would do it."
The studio is a landmark in the history of rock music. It's next to the ballroom where the Beatles first met the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. "We walked into the ballroom, and it appeared not to have been touched since the '60s. There was a power there that touched something within me.
"In fact, that whole block in L.A. is where some of the most creative powers have come together. So there has to be something there. I know I felt it."
While Tolhurst is totally engulfed with Levinhurst, he knows next year will be a big year for other reasons. "It marks the 30th anniversary that the Cure was formed. I've talked with Robert and have been in contact with our original bassist Michael Dempsey. So there are things that are going on there."
If you go
What: Levinhurst, Tragic Black
Where: Urban Lounge, 241 S. 500 East
When: Thursday, 9 p.m.
How much: $10
Phone: 746-0557
Web: www.myspace.com/theurbanlounge
E-mail: scott@desnews.com