Eddie Lebario (guitars & keyboards) and Bobby Lerma (drums) first met in 1993 through a mutual friend. After Eddie's first band, ECHO CHAMBER went on hiatus, Eddie met Tom Laman (vocals & lyrics) via a NEW TIMES advert in 1999. The two started writing songs beginning with "THE COBALT TWILIGHT" on the very first day they met. Live shows soon followed including opening support for THE FIXX, A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS, MODERN ENGLISH, GENE, RED FLAG, and THE LEGENDARY PINK DOTS. The first album “IN THE COBALT TWILIGHT” was recorded and released in 2001 to critical acclaim. The trio met Steve Flores (Bass) in 2003 when he answered their New Times ad seeking a bassist. The follow up CD, "Dreams In Stars" has been completed and was sneak previewed to a drunken crowd on Saturday, March 8, 2008 at the Hollywood Alley.
Seven years on from the release of their debut disc, The Captives return with “Dreams In Stars,” another solid CD of sweeping and epic guitar pop. 2001's “In the Cobalt Twilight” emphatically introduced the band's Smiths/Cure/Chameleons-enamored sound as one not slavishly devoted to those influences, but extending the sonic lineage – like a fresh blossom on a venerable family tree. The new disc continues that flowering both musically and in its similar star-strewn artwork. Songs such as “The Line Between Us,” “Without Your Smile” and “For Tomorrow” see the band scaling heights of pop grandeur with Tom Laman's vocals soaring to the heavens and Eddie Lebario's layered guitars rising confidently to meet him there. At other times – most notably the petulant “What's Your Problem” – the band's reach exceeds their grasp and the songs cross the line from grand to grandiose. On the whole, however, one can't help but admire a band aiming for the stars and The Captives hit them much more often than not. B+
– Thomas Bond (Independent Music Writer)///////////////////////////////////////////////////
Hailing from right here in Phoenix, AZ The Captives are hands down the Valleys finest new wave, post-punk outfit today. Led by Tom Laman on vocals, Bobby Lerma on drums and guitar, Eddie Lebario on guitar and keyboards and Steve Flores on bass, The Captives fuse ambient synth lines, melodic guitar riffs and Laman’s impressive vocal range ala Peter Murphy on their 10-track sophomore release. For fans of The Psychedelic Furs, Echo & The Bunnymen and A Flock Of Seagulls, Dreams In Stars is absolutely brilliant from start to finish. Don’t miss their official CD release party on June 28 at Hollywood Alley in Mesa. Play this one loud! - William Reed (JAVA Magazine June 2008)
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////"I have been captivated by 'The Captives'! Every song on their second album 'Dreams In Stars' is infused with the perfect blend of energy and shimmering dreaminess. The guitar work is reminiscent of The Smiths, The Cure, The Chameleons, and Echo and the Bunnymen and is perfectly complimented by catchy bass lines, tight drums with interesting fills, occasional atmospheric keyboards, and Tom's melodic and melodramatic 'The Cult'-like vocals. My favourite tracks include: Skin (Underneath My), Tears Fall Down, Without Your Smile, and I Never Was Alone. This album is a must-have for any alt 80s fan! 'The Captives' are a true gem for Phoenix. Their live show is equally as stellar! Tom is an amazing performer with definite Robert Smith qualities, and the band is dead on note for note, beat for beat, riff for riff. Very intense indeed!! -- Review by Fuchsia"
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