Lestat’s New ‘Toledo’ EP Shows a Different Side of the Vampire Rock Star With ‘Why Do I Have To Feel?’

Beautiful Unwell, we would like to take a brief moment to congratulate ourselves. Last week, when Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid) surprise-released Detroit, we theorized that the vampire rock star might be planning to drop episode-themed EPs alongside new episodes of The Vampire Lestat. This week, Toledo arrived. We’re not saying we’re investigative journalists, we’re just saying our batting average is currently looking pretty good.

But anygays… the second installment in Lestat’s increasingly fascinating musical rollout features the two songs heard in Episode 2 of The Vampire Lestat: Why Do I Have To Feel? and La Fontaine de Sang. Now, if you’ve already watched Toledo, you know exactly where these songs appear and why they matter. If you haven’t, we highly recommend fixing that immediately. A lot happens in this episode. Seriously, a lot. Once you’re done, you can come back and read our full recap, which clocks in at roughly 5,000 words because apparently none of us know how to stop talking about this show.

More importantly, Toledo gives us our first real glimpse at what Lestat’s music might sound like after the revelations he experienced in Detroit. Last week, we argued that Black Licorice captured an artist on the verge of transformation. The song helped Lestat realize that he had been holding himself back emotionally, skimming the surface of his feelings instead of diving into them. Toledo feels like the first proof that the muses got their way.

The EP opens with Why Do I Have To Feel?, the rock ballad Lestat performs while Louis (Jacob Anderson) is in attendance. According to the singer, the song was inspired by the great loves of his life. If you know who those great loves are, congratulations. If you don’t, don’t worry. The show is getting there sooner than you think.

And we’re gonna be honest here and just say it: this song hits. Sorry, we’re romantics at heart, and sometimes a song doesn’t need complicated analysis to work. Sometimes a rock ballad just walks into the room, stares directly into your soul, and refuses to leave. Case closed.

Penned by Daniel Hart and Ryan Kattner—who viewers may also recognize as the delightfully chaotic Salamander—the track embraces emotional vulnerability in a way that feels markedly different from the songs we’ve heard before. Gone are the playful provocations of Long Face and the deliberate absurdity of Black Licorice. In their place is a song built around loss, longing, and the exhausting reality of caring about someone so much that their absence physically hurts. Which, unfortunately for Lestat, appears to be his default setting.

The repeated refrain of “Why do I have to feel?” works because it’s not really a question, but a complaint directed at the universe itself. Lestat isn’t asking for an answer. He’s demanding to know why every emotion in his life seems permanently dialed up to eleven. It’s the lament of someone cursed to feel everything too deeply and forget nothing.

The track also contains a fascinating connection to Kattner’s own catalog. Part of the lyrics sample Man Man’s The Prettiest Song in the World, specifically the line: “I tried to write to you the prettiest song in the world, but I got distracted, so I didn’t.” The irony, of course, is that Lestat may have accidentally come closer than he realizes.

Vocally, Sam Reid continues to impress. By now, we know he can command a stage, sneer through a rock anthem, and turn questionable lyrics into something genuinely compelling. What makes Why Do I Have To Feel? stand out is how restrained parts of the performance are. There’s seduction here, certainly, but also vulnerability, and the combination proves remarkably effective.

The final chorus is particularly strong thanks to the harmonies from T.C. (Sarah Swire). We’ve heard glimpses of the band’s collaborative energy in previous releases, but here it feels more essential to the song’s emotional impact. In fact, we’re starting to think Lestat should trust his bandmates more often. The harmonies elevate the track, creating a richer sound than if he had attempted to carry every moment alone.

The second half of the EP takes a very different approach. La Fontaine de Sang trades electric guitars for piano and transforms Charles Baudelaire’s famous poem into a haunting musical performance. If Why Do I Have To Feel? is a modern rock ballad, La Fontaine de Sang is a reminder that, beneath the glittery makeup and private venues, Lestat remains very, very French.

The piano arrangement is gorgeous, and it highlights what has consistently been one of Lestat’s strongest musical tools. Time and time again, some of his most compelling moments arrive when he’s seated at a piano rather than standing in front of a crowd. Vocally, Reid once again delivers. The performance captures the melancholy and romantic despair that define Baudelaire’s poem, allowing the music to carry much of the emotional weight.

And yes, before anyone asks, we know some French-speaking listeners may have opinions about the pronunciation. We’re choosing to focus on the atmosphere. Because atmosphere is where La Fontaine de Sang truly succeeds. The combination of piano, poetry, and Lestat’s voice creates something intimate and almost hypnotic, feeling less like a song and more like eavesdropping on a private confession.

Taken together, the two tracks on Toledo paint a fascinating picture of where Lestat’s music may be heading. The theatricality remains, but there’s a newfound emotional honesty emerging underneath it all. Which is exactly what the muses were trying to tell him.

It’s clear now that Detroit represented the moment before the breakthrough, and Toledo is the first step afterward. And if what we’ve heard about future releases is true, we have a feeling the best songs are still ahead of us.

Until then, don’t forget to keep supporting this emerging artist. You can stream Toledo on your preferred streaming music platform and catch new episodes of The Vampire Lestat every Sunday at 9 p.m. EDT on AMC.

And if Lestat keeps evolving at this pace, we may need to start taking his music career as seriously as he does.

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The Vampire Lestat Episode 2, Toledo, is available to stream on AMC+ now. Episode 3, Toronto, will premiere on AMC on Sunday, June 21, at 9 pm ET/PT. Seasons 1 and 2 of Interview With the Vampire are available to stream on AMC+, Netflix, and Prime Video (depending on the region). Follow us on X and Instagram for all queer stuff!

Featured Image: Image Courtesy of AMC. Photo by Sophie Giraud.