Interview by Adrian Hextall
Sun, Screens, and Screams: Inside the Dual Worlds of In Search of Sun’s Adam Leader
Adam Leader doesn’t just walk the line between musician and filmmaker; he sprints along it, juggling visceral stage performances with the meticulous craft of horror cinema. As the frontman for the genre-bending UK outfit In Search of Sun, he channels influences from Chester Bennington to Michael Jackson, going via Phil Anselmo and Brandon Boyd, commanding stages with an energy that belies the band’s decade-plus history. Offstage, he’s carving out a niche as a writer-director of “really messed up” horror films, with his third feature already scripted and aiming for cameras later this year.
Turning Sour Lemons into Fresh Amigos
Like countless bands, In Search of Sun felt the abrupt halt of the pandemic just as their momentum was peaking after tours with acts like Bad Wolves. “The world just stopped,” Leader recalls. “COVID happened, we couldn’t tour anymore”. But after a “very short period of wallowing”, the inability to tour sparked a different kind of creativity. “We thought, well, if we can’t tour, we can write music”.
With Lemon Amigos, that changed. “The whole fresh approach was that we decided to stop caring and just do whatever came out,” he explains. This liberation led to a thrilling concoction blending “elements of funk, pop, metal, super heavy bits”. It’s the sound of a band embracing their eclectic influences and simply being themselves. The release, technically clocking in at album length with refreshed older tracks included, was deliberately labelled an EP to manage expectations, but its impact felt significant.
Leader’s own vocal performance on the EP is a whirlwind, showcasing a range that draws comparisons to his heroes – the raw power of Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington, the breathless funk of Michael Jackson, the soulful elasticity of Incubus’s Brandon Boyd and the power of Pantera’s Phil Anselmo. “Those people are massive influences on me,” he confirms. “It’s a testament… an example of what I was saying about how much we’re not caring about sticking to one particular [style]”.
Winning Hearts on the Road
Taking this liberated sound on the road recently as support for South of Salem presented its own challenges. As openers, they faced the uncertainty of playing to potentially unfamiliar crowds. “I’m never sure how anybody responds to us because we’re not exactly… pigeonholed in a genre,” Leader muses. He recounts past experiences playing to static audiences who only offered praise after the set, a confusing phenomenon for any performer.
But the South of Salem tour yielded a different energy. “So far, everyone’s really loving them… audiences are moving, going crazy with us,” he reported mid-tour. Leader thrives on audience interaction, seeing shows as a shared experience. “We’re all here to share the same experience, we’re all here to let loose… Let’s all have fun together”. He actively works the crowd, pulling them into singalongs and commanding them to “get down low” before unleashing bouncy chaos. “When the crowd is receptive… it just feeds us even more and we just go even more apeshit”. This connection translated into tangible results, with fans snapping up merchandise – a vital lifeline for touring bands today.
The positive momentum continues with another tour announced for September and October, this time with UK prog-metallers Esoterica. “Which I cannot wait for, because I’m a big fan,” Leader enthuses, hinting at a ridiculously fun promo video the bands shot together.
The Director’s Chair: A Different Kind of Therapy
When not on stage or writing riffs, Leader is immersed in the world of film-making. Having already directed two features, Hosts and Feed Me, he sees it as a parallel passion, not a distraction. “There is definitely that desire to juggle both equally, 100%,” he affirms. “I love them both. It’s a way of expression for me”.
He contrasts the two disciplines thoughtfully. Music offers immediate catharsis: “You get to get on stage and just go absolutely crazy every night and sing or scream your heart out. And it’s therapy for me every single time”. Film-making, conversely, is “playing the long game” – meticulously crafting a narrative, assembling a team, bringing a vision to life because “you’ve got something to say, you’ve got a story to tell”.
His next project is already taking shape. “I have just finished the first draft of the script to my next movie,” he reveals. “It’s going to be another horror movie… psychological, but it’s a really messed up movie”. Funding permitted, shooting is planned for later this year, somehow fitting around In Search of Sun’s touring commitments. Leader anticipates adding more directing duties to his plate soon, likely helming the music videos for the band’s upcoming singles.
What Comes Next: Bigger, Bolder, Weirder
The creative confidence sparked during the Lemon Amigos sessions is snowballing into In Search of Sun’s third full-length album, tentatively slated for a 2026 release. “Subsequently, the stuff that we’re writing for our third album… Oh my god, it’s ridiculous,” Leader laughs. Fans will get a taste sooner, with new singles planned to drop before the end of this year.
He describes the new material as a clear progression, not a sudden left turn. Expect the unexpected, though. “There are elements in some of this new music that honestly take seriously dark turns,” he hints, “but then there are like super funky, Michael Jackson-inspired bits as well”. It sounds like the band is doubling down on their “do what we feel” philosophy, drawing from a vast pool of influences that ranges “from obviously Michael Jackson and like old ’60s and ’50s blues and jazz all the way to… My Dying Bride”.
“I feel like we’re in this place now where we’re okay with that and we know who we are,” Leader reflects. “Almost now, we’re only really discovering our sound, really. And it feels good”.
For Adam Leader, whether he’s crafting a scene designed to chill the blood or a chorus designed to ignite a mosh pit, the goal remains authentic self-expression. He’s a creator comfortable in his multifaceted skin, pushing boundaries in both music and film. As In Search of Sun prepares to unleash its next sonic chapter and Leader preps his next cinematic fright, one thing is certain: neither journey will be boring.
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