Tag Archives: lee

Oct04

Good Enough (Live at Steinway & Sons)

Amy Lee took part in a question-and-answer session and one-song live performance Tuesday night (October 3) at the Steinway Hall in New York City. EVANESCENCE’s new album, “Synthesis”, is due on November 10. The effort features full orchestration in a completely synthetic world of beats and sounds, with help from arranger and composer David Campbell.

“Synthesis” will contain two new EVANESCENCE songs in addition to fan favorites re-recorded with a live orchestra and electronica. The album includes guest performance by famed violinist Lindsey Stirling on “Hi-Lo”, one of the two new tracks on the album.

The “Synthesis Live” tour will launch on October 14 on the West Coast. Like the album, “Synthesis Live” will feature a reimagining of some of EVANESCENCE’s best-loved songs with the spotlight on full orchestra, electronics combined with the band and Lee‘s virtuoso piano and voice.

“This is a total passion project for me. There are so many layers in our music, underneath the huge drums and guitars,” explained Lee. “I’ve always wanted to shine a light on some of the gorgeous David Campbell arrangements and programming elements in our songs, and that idea snowballed into completely re-doing them with full orchestra, not just strings, elaborate programming and experimentation.

“This will be our first time touring with orchestra and I’m so excited to perform this way — really focus on the vocals, and the emotion and the story we’ve built over the years. I’m also really excited about the new material on the album. Besides the two new songs, there are some really beautiful instrumental in-between moments. The whole thing flows like a big, dynamic soundtrack.”

[Check out the Media Vault to see more]

Oct03

Amy Lee is rewriting history on the band’s new album

Justin Evanescence No Comments

Their fourth release Synthesis is the opposite of an unplugged effort — rather Lee has re-recorded the band’s old material an even more dramatic and bombastic manner, with a full orchestra and heavy electronics. That includes their breakthrough 2003 hit Bring Me To Life. And there’s something missing from the version you know — that rap, by guest vocalist Paul McCoy.

“God bless the rap, it’s part of what got us on the radio I guess,” Lee says. “At least according to all the rules of radio that I don’t agree with or understand. The rap wasn’t part of our original idea or sound, it was a compromise in many ways. So to be able to go back to the original vision for the song was great.”

It’s not uncommon for an artist to go back and record their songs — Lee embraced being to able to revisit the band’s signature hit after performing it live at every concert they’ve played since it was release. “The recording of a song that ends being the one you hear the most through history is usually when the song was just freshly written. You’re still learning it yourself and getting used to what the notes are and how the parts go. That’s true for Bring Me to Life for sure. After doing it live for so long there’s different vocal choices I’ve made and different things we got to use in this version.” And no rap. “I forget the rap’s there now to be honest,” Lee says. “At the time it was a big issue, it was our first single. I wanted people to understand who we were. That’s a struggle you always fight as an artist. If we only had the one hit, if no one ever heard from us again then nobody would understand who we were. We’ve made it past that point so the rap doesn’t make me angry any more. I’m so glad to put a new version out there without the rap though.”

Similarly there’s an adult version of another Evanescence anthem, My Immortal — like Bring Me To Life it’s been the subject of countless covers and soundtracked many moody memes. Lee admits My Immortal almost got cut from Synthesis. “People have heard it so many times, I’m pretty open about the fact it’s not one of my favourite songs, but I couldn’t resist the opportunity to totally re-record it again.” Despite a “band” version being recorded for their 17 million-selling debut album Fallen, most fans and radio gravitated to the early version of My Immortal, which Lee recorded as a teenager sneaking into the studio her dad worked at after hours. “I hate that version. I totally hate it. It’s an old demo from before we were even signed. Every time I hear it gets under my skin, but that’s the version most people play. I love the album version we did. But I wanted to do a new version so people know where I am vocally as a 35-year-old with all of this experience I have now behind me. As opposed to when I was 17. It’s beautiful because it’s pure and innocent but I was definitely still finding my voice. [Source]

Sep29

Inside Synthesis: Episode 2 “Imperfection”

Justin Evanescence No Comments

In this second episode of “Inside Synthesis”, you can explore the making of Evanescence’s new single, “Imperfection”! [Pre-order]

Sep25

Pre-order Evanescence’s new album, Synthesis, on @iTunes

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Don’t forget to pre-order Synthesis and get “Imperfection” & “Bring Me To Life (Synthesis)” instantly! https://lnk.to/synthesisFC

Sep24

Reflection – A look back at fan sites

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Reflection from Justin

In 2004 I started my first blog which featured a lot of my favorite hobbies. Soon I joined MSN Groups because a lot of people were creating fan groups on it. I was impressed with all that could be done and started to create my own. Evanescence were one of my first fan groups I created on there and I slowly learned how to design website graphics. After about a year or so I started to look into how to get a domain name so I could have my own website and have the freedom of doing anything I wanted.

It took me about another year to actually buy a domain name and at first I just had the domain name point to one of my msn group page about Amy Lee but I knew that I really wanted to get my own website but was to inexperienced to do it at the time. It wasn’t until 2007 that I applied to have my very own website at fan-sites.org and was thrilled to actually get accepted. I opened up an Evanescence fansite called Evmortal and kept it for a few years. I had a ton of help from other webmasters who taught me how to code and how to work with photoshop which greatly improved my websites. I was sad to see that msn groups were closing down and that all my first fan groups would be gone but this caused me to learn even more coding.

At the time there were hundreds of fansites dedicated to Amy Lee and Evanescence. Everyone who owned a fan site were so creative with them and had tons of different fan art and fun contest to do. It really was a fun time for me. I adopted an Amy Lee website from another fansite webmaster and helped her with the website but sadly the domain expired and I did not own it so I had to shut it down which is where it led me to make my own Amy Lee website called Amy-l.net. Amy Lee Net stayed open for 4 years before shutting down.

After six years of making websites I got a little but restless with what I was doing. Then I had a couple personal issues with family members who had died and financial difficulties that I finally could not afford to keep anymore of my websites open. About a year and half ago I started looking for some fansites for information on Amy Lee and was really sad to see that not many where opened anymore, this made me decide that I wanted to re-open my fansite. I had to buy a new domain because my old host had shut down and they owned the domain and I also had to find a new affordable host which I was very fortunate to find one. I started to import all the data that I had on my computer from the original site but also had to create new content that needed updated. In conclusion I am very fortunate for all the memories I have had from created fansites and would not trade it for the world and I sincerely hope you enjoy all the content I try to provide.

Sep20

Making Of ‘Synthesis’ Album Part One

Justin Evanescence 1 Comment

The first in a series of webisodes featuring footage from the making of EVANESCENCE’s next album, “Synthesis”, can be seen below.

In the first episode of “Inside Synthesis”, we get introduced to the new disc from EVANESCENCE and gain some insight into the process.

“Synthesis” is due on November 10. The effort features full orchestration in a completely synthetic world of beats and sounds, with help from arranger and composer David Campbell.

“Synthesis” will contain two new EVANESCENCE songs in addition to fan favorites re-recorded with a live orchestra and electronica. The album includes guest performance by famed violinist Lindsey Stirling on “Hi-Lo”, one of the two new tracks on the album.

EVANESCENCE singer Amy Lee described the inspiration behind the other new song, “Imperfection”: “For me, this is the most important song on the album. I struggled with the lyrics for a long time because there was a lifetime of work to live up to and I wasn’t sure what to say or how to be good enough. When it finally started pouring out of me, it was undeniable. I had no choice. It’s for all the people we’ve lost, all the people who we could lose, to suicide and depression. I’m singing from the perspective of the person left behind, the person in the waiting room. It’s a plea to fight for your life, to stay. Don’t give in to the fear — I have to tell myself that every day. Nobody is perfect. We are all imperfect, and it’s precisely those imperfections that make us who we are, and we have to embrace them because there’s so much beauty in those differences. Life is worth fighting for. You are worth fighting for.”

The “Synthesis Live” tour will launch on October 14 on the West Coast. Like the album, “Synthesis Live” will feature a reimagining of some of EVANESCENCE’s best-loved songs with the spotlight on full orchestra, electronics combined with the band and Lee’s virtuoso piano and voice.

“This is a total passion project for me. There are so many layers in our music, underneath the huge drums and guitars,” explained Lee. “I’ve always wanted to shine a light on some of the gorgeous David Campbell arrangements and programming elements in our songs, and that idea snowballed into completely re-doing them with full orchestra, not just strings, elaborate programming and experimentation.

Lee told Graspop.be about “Synthesis”: “It’s different in a way that it’s still coming from the roots of what EVANESCENCE was conceived to be,. It’s really a beautiful project. A lot of our old songs are getting a whole new life in a way where we’re getting to experience the focus being this beautiful, full orchestra. It’s also a lot of electronic, cool elements — parts that have always been part of our music. It hasn’t been full orchestra before — it’s just been mainly strings — but just taking it to very beautiful, classical and epic and groovy place. Oh, it feels so good. There’s some new stuff on it too, but it’s mostly old stuff [reimagined].”

Lee also talked in more detail about the making of “Synthesis”, explaining: “As far as the conception, basically, you work in demo land first and just create the arrangements of songs. I went through all the master sessions of, say, ‘Bring Me To Life’, and [I would] pull out all the stuff and listen to it and then chop it up and decide, ‘Oh, maybe this part needs to be longer. Maybe this part at the beginning will be just strings and piano.’ Just figure out what you’re gonna do and build a map. And working with David Campbell, who has done all the string arrangements for EVANESCENCE for all three albums now doing full orchestra, just going back and forth with him and our producer Will and then each other, just throwing ideas in a Dropbox and basically just playing tennis back and forth for months. We finally recorded the orchestra. It sounds just gorgeous. I can’t wait to finish the thing.”

[Source]

Sep19

Evanescence Vocalist Amy Lee Explains ‘Imperfection’

Justin Amy Lee No Comments

Evanescence is gearing up to release “Synthesis,” an album featuring re-imagined songs from the group’s discography with electronics and a full orchestra. The set will arrive on Nov. 10. In addition to the reworked songs, the album will feature two new tracks. One of those new songs, “Imperfection,” has a distinct electro-pop vibe. Listen to “Imperfection” via the YouTube player below.

“Imperfection” and the previously unleashed “Synthesis” version of “Bring Me to Life” are both available for download via the typical digital platforms. Lee explains in an official statement that “Imperfection” is “for all the people we’ve lost, all the people who we could lose, to suicide and depression.”

“For me, this is the most important song on the album,” Lee said. “I struggled with the lyrics for a long time because there was a lifetime of work to live up to and I wasn’t sure what to say or how to be good enough. When it finally started pouring out of me, it was undeniable.”

“We are all imperfect, and it’s precisely those imperfections that make us who we are, and we have to embrace them because there’s so much beauty in those differences,” she added. “Life is worth fighting for. You are worth fighting for.”

The other new song on “Synthesis” is called “Hi-Lo.” That song features famed Internet sensation and violinist Lindsey Stirling.

In other news, Evanescence is scheduled to headline a North American tour to promote “Synthesis” starting Nov. 14 in Las Vegas.

[Source]

Sep15

Hear Evanescence’s Operatic New Song, ‘Imperfection’

Justin Evanescence No Comments

Evanescence achieve electronic-symphonic symmetry on their lush new single, “Imperfection.” Singer Amy Lee commands the track with a swaggering cadence along with her signature belting. “You know you can’t deny it,” she sings. “The world’s a little more fucked up every day.”
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“Imperfection” is one of two newly written songs on Evanescence’s upcoming LP, Synthesis, out November 10th. Lee recruited producer Will Hunt and composer David Campbell to revamp older songs (including breakout hit “Bring Me to Life”) with an orchestra.

In a statement, Lee felt “Imperfection” was the most important song on the new album. The lyrics, she said, were written from the perspective of someone “left behind” after a suicide or loss.

“I struggled with the lyrics for a long time because there was a lifetime of work to live up to and I wasn’t sure what to say or how to be good enough,” Lee said. “When it finally started pouring out of me, it was undeniable. I had no choice. It’s for all the people we’ve lost, all the people who we could lose, to suicide and depression. I’m singing from the perspective of the person left behind, the person in the waiting room. It’s a plea to fight for your life, to stay. Don’t give into the fear – I have to tell myself that every day. Nobody is perfect. We are all imperfect, and it’s precisely those imperfections that make us who we are, and we have to embrace them because there’s so much beauty in those differences. Life is worth fighting for. You are worth fighting for.”

Lee will perform the retooled Evanescence tracks with a full orchestra on the Synthesis tour, which launches October 14th in Las Vegas.

“This will be our first time touring with an orchestra, and I’m so excited to perform this way – really focus on the vocals, and the emotion and the story we’ve built over the years,” Lee said.