Category Archives: Evanescence

Making Of ‘Synthesis’ Album Part One

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.

“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.”

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]

Hear Evanescence’s Operatic New Song, ‘Imperfection’

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.

Hear Evanescence’s Orchestral Reworking of ‘Bring Me to Life’

This fall, Evanescence will release their fourth full-length album, Synthesis. The album features orchestral reworkings of various tracks from their back catalog, as well as two new songs, one of which will debut next month. Ahead of the release, the band is streaming a cinematic take on their biggest hit, “Bring Me to Life,” premiering here.

Singer Amy Lee soars above an arrangement by composer (and Beck’s father) David Campbell. The big, dramatic track feels a bit more stripped down without the heavy guitars and drums it famously featured in its original version, released on Evanescence’s 2003 debut, Fallen.

“‘Bring Me to Life’ is new to me again after 15 years,” Lee tells Rolling Stone of the orchestral version, which is now available for download and streaming. “It’s difficult to explain how good that makes me feel. Having the chance to incorporate things I’ve heard in my head throughout that long period of time, nuances from the way I sing it live, just pouring the weight and perspective of the life I’ve lived now back into that root – it’s pure satisfaction.”

Following the release of their self-titled 2011 album, Evanescence went on hiatus. The band re-emerged in 2015 and slowly began performing live and touring internationally; Synthesis is the band’s first full-length album since their return. The Synthesis Live tour will take the group around North American theaters from October through December of this year.

[Source]

Evanescence Announce Orchestral New LP ‘Synthesis,’ Fall Tour

Evanescence will re-imagine some of their best-known songs with a full orchestra on the band’s upcoming new album Synthesis, due out this fall. The album is Evanescence’s first since their 2011 self-titled LP.

For the project, Amy Lee teamed with producer Will Hunt and composer David Campbell – Beck’s father – to re-record songs like “Bring Me to Life” as well as two new tracks.

“This is a total passion project for me. There are so many layers in our music underneath the huge drums and guitars,” Lee said in a statement.

“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 said.

Lee and a full orchestra will bring the reworked versions on the road this fall on the Synthesis Live tour, which kicks off 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. “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.”

Tickets for the Synthesis Live tour go on sale to the general public on Friday, with each ticket accompanied by a free download of Synthesis. Additionally, each ticket buyer will also receive an instant download of the Synthesis version of “Bring Me to Life.”

Evanescence Tour Dates

October 14 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Pearl Concert Theater
October 15 – Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre
October 17 – Phoenix, AZ @ Comerica Theatre
October 20 – Houston, TX @ Revention Music Center
October 22 – Irving, TX @ The Pavilion at Irving Music Factory
October 23 – New Orleans, LA @ Mahalia Jackson Theater
October 25 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
October 27 – Atlanta, GA @ Chastain Park Amphitheatre
October 28 – Charlotte, NC @ Ovens Auditorium
October 30 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts
October 31 – Oxon Hill, MD @ MGM National Harbor
November 2 – Upper Darby, PA @ Tower Theater
November 3 – Mashantucket, CT @ Foxwoods Resort Casino
November 5 – Boston, MA @ Orpheum Theatre
November 7 – Bethlehem, PA @ Sands Bethlehem Event Center
November 8 – Baltimore, MD @ Hippodrome Theatre
November 10 – Brooklyn, NY @ Kings Theatre
November 30 – Chicago, IL @ Chicago Theatre
December 2 – Carmel, IN @ The Palladium
December 5 – Minneapolis, MN @ State Theatre
December 6 – Madison, WI @ Orpheum Theatre
December 8 – Toronto, ON @ Canada Sony Centre for Performing Arts
December 9 – Windsor, ON @ Canada Caesar’s Windsor
December 11 – Kansas City, MO @ Kansas City Music Hall
December 13 – Denver, CO @ Paramount Theatre
December 15 – Reno, NV @ Grand Theatre at The Grand Sierra Resort
December 16 – San Francisco, CA @ Masonic Auditorium
December 19 – Portland, OR @ Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall

[Source]

Evanescence Perform At Czech Republic’s Rock for People Festival

Metalshop TV has uploaded video footage of EVANESCENCE‘s July 6 performance at the Rock For People festival in Czech Republic. Check it out below.

EVANESCENCE singer Amy Lee recently spoke to Graspop.be about the band’s forthcoming album, “Synthesis”, which will reimagine some of the band’s past catalog with full orchestration and electronic backing.

“It’s different in a way that it’s still coming from the roots of what EVANESCENCE was conceived to be,” she said. “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 right before this tour. It sounds just gorgeous. I can’t wait to finish the thing.”

In support of “Synthesis”, EVANESCENCE will embark on a special tour this fall which will see the band performing with a “full orchestra.”

EVANESCENCE debuted a previously unheard song called “Take Cover” during its North American tour last fall.

Lee also released a solo single called “Love Exists” in February, while a second solo song, “Speak To Me”, appears on the soundtrack for the supernatural thriller “Voice From The Stone”, which came out on April 28.

[Source]

Upcoming ‘Synthesis’ Album Is ‘A Beautiful Project’

Amy Lee spoke to Graspop.be about the band’s forthcoming album, “Synthesis”, which will reimagine some of the band’s past catalog with full orchestration and electronic backing.

“It’s different in a way that it’s still coming from the roots of what EVANESCENCE was conceived to be,” Amy explained. “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 right before this tour. It sounds just gorgeous. I can’t wait to finish the thing.”

In support of “Synthesis”, EVANESCENCE will embark on a special tour this fall which will see the band performing with a “full orchestra.”

EVANESCENCE debuted a previously unheard song called “Take Cover” during its North American tour last fall.

[Source]

Evanescence announce new album ‘Synthesis’

Evanescence has a number of classic songs in their discography that we could listen to over and over again, but their new album Synthesis will allow us to listen to these classic songs in a whole new way—with full orchestration.

Evanescence frontwoman Amy Lee revealed the news of this new album through a video posted on Facebook, along with explaining how there will also be two new songs on this album.

“This album is about orchestra and electronica. We’re taking our music, stripping out the big distorted guitars, stripping out the rock drums and replacing it with full orchestration and a completely synthetic world of beats and sounds,” explains Lee.

While this album will feature songs from Evanescence’s previous albums, Lee explains that these won’t be remixes meaning that we’ll get to hear our favorite songs in an entirely new way. She also explains why they titled the album, Synthesis.

“It is the synthesis, the combination, the contrast, the synergy between the organic and the synthetic, also the past and present.”

As if we couldn’t get any more excited, Lee also revealed the news that Evanescence will be touring with a complete orchestra coming this fall to support the release of the album. [Source]

Amy Promises You’ll Like The New And Very Different Evanescence Album

Amy Lee has lent her powerhouse vocals to quite a few projects over the past year or so. She released a family album, put out some solo music and recently recorded “Speak to Me” for the new movie “Voice From the Stone,” starring “Game of Thrones” actress Emilia Clarke.

You can now add a new Evanescence project to that growing list. According to the frontwoman, it’s going to sound like nothing you’ve heard before. Expected out later this year, the album will be the group’s first since 2011’s self-titled studio effort.

“It’s not just a straightforward next Evanescence album, but it’s something else. So manage and prepare yourself for what you’re waiting for to be something different,” the songstress told The Huffington Post during Build Series.

Lee says she always wants her sound to evolve. This new album will represent forward momentum for the band, which formed in 1995 and has gone through several iterations, with Lee remaining the steady force on piano and vocals.

“I had this crazy harebrained idea, like, two years ago and finally I have all the people around me that are like, ‘Let’s make that happen,’” she said.

Lee has been on the road with the band over the past few months and in their down time, they’ve carved out time to write and record new music. When pressed about what to expect, Lee remained tight-lipped, only saying, “It’s not quite the right time to tell you exactly what it is.”

Inspiration for new songs can come at any time for Lee, who says she uses the voice note function on her phone to record melodies and lyrics.

Amy Lee in Studio with Evanescence working on New LP

Evanescence’s Amy Lee has unveiled her new song “Speak to Me,” the end credits theme from the upcoming thriller Voice From the Stone.
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“There are many reasons why I felt inspired to work on this project,” Lee said in a statement. “Voice From the Stone tells the haunting story of Verena, a nurse who is asked to aid a young boy who has fallen silent after the sudden passing of his mother; Verena is brought in to help him speak again. As a new mother myself, the film resonated very deeply with me. ”

The film stars Game of Thrones’ Emilia Clarke in the role of Verena, with Lee’s ghostly ballad capturing the tone of the supernatural saga.

“I had the opportunity to work closely with Eric Howell, who directed the film, and Michael Wandmacher, who composed the score,” Lee continued. “I was very moved by the movie, and after having my first conversation with Eric and Michael, I felt a surge of inspiration and immediately began writing. It is a rare phenomenon to really share a creative vision so completely, and that made for a very powerful experience, and an end result that I am very proud of.”

Howell also directed the “Speak to Me” music video, which will arrive next week. “We conceived the video as a parallel and backstory to the film, which explores the strong bond of love between Malvina and her son, and the belief that love is stronger than death,” Lee said of the Sicily-shot video. In April 2016, Lee shared behind-the-scenes footage of the “Speak to Me” recording session.

In addition to “Speak to Me” and her recent solo work, Lee is back in the studio with Evanescence working on the band’s new LP, due out this fall. [Source]

‘Shooting Stars’ Meme May Have Peaked w/ Bag Raiders Vs Evanescence

Last month MusicFeeds reported on the rise of a meme involving Bag Raiders seminal 2009 single ‘Shooting Stars’, and while it’s hard to tell when musically-driven memes have peaked, it’s usually around the time that Smash Mouth and Evanescence start getting involved.

ICYMI: Towards the back end of 2016 video makers began including ‘Shooting Stars’ to accompany hilarious videos of people falling, being pushed, and diving off things.

Now video meme master Grandayy, who has made some of the best ‘Shooting Stars’ clips to date, has mashed the track up with Evanescence cult classic ‘Bring Me To Life’.

While some creators have made crude and out-of-tune mashups involving the Bag Raiders track, Grandayy is a master of repatching two songs to melt together perfectly.

 

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