In ‘Goth: A History,’ The Cure co-founder Lol Tolhurst traces the often-misunderstood subculture

LOS ANGELES (AP) — What comes to mind when the word “goth” is spoken? Is it Tim Burton films? The popstar Billie Eilish? An adolescent phase marked by black nail polish and nihilism? Or is it a lifestyle? Is it literature such as Edgar Allan Poe's poem “The Raven,” Mary Shelley's novel “Frankenstein” or the writings of Emily Brontë? Is it a musical genre born out of late-'70s punk and dread?

For Lol Tolhurst, co-founder the influential “goth” band The Cure, it's all of the above. He explores what he calls “the last true alternative outsider subculture” in a new book titled, “Goth: A History,” published late last month by Hachette.

It follows his first book, the 2016 memoir “Cured: The Tale of Two Imaginary Boys.”

Over the phone from the deserts of Southern California, Tolhurst says inspiration for this second book came from a lack of understanding.