Tag Archives: interview

Amy Lee: the albums that changed my life

Taking cues from the worlds of classical and metal, Evanescence have always been a unique property amongst the early-noughties explosion of bands. But what records are responsible for changing the life and music of frontwoman Amy Lee? Let’s find out.

The first album I ever bought was…

The California Raisins– The California Raisins Sing The Hit Songs (1987)
“The California Raisins! Ha ha! It’s claymation raisins doing cover songs of The Four Tops etc. It was a big thing in the ‘80s and I was five years old. I must be the first person to ever be talking about The California Raisins in Metal Hammer.”

The album I wish I’d made is…

Nine Inch Nails – The Downward Spiral (1994)
“That’s a hard question! Oh man, The Downward Spiral. I want so many things out of music, but if that was my record… I could sing that whole thing and be very happy. I have all of NIN’s records, but …Downward Spiral is my favourite.”

The album that broke my heart is…

Björk – Vespertine (2001)
“Vespertine by Björk. It’s really eerie and mellow and it has pagan poetry on it. There are a couple of songs on there that are so beautiful and are, to me anyway, about letting go and accepting things in a really beautiful and kinda sad way.”

You can read the full article at [here].

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Evanescence confirm new, back-to-their-roots music!

Evanescence have confirmed new music for 2019. The band additionally say that their forthcoming release will be a follow-up to 2011’s self-titled record.

According to an interview with 93.3 WMMR Rocks!, frontwoman Amy Lee says that her and the rest of the band are all on board to go back to their roots.

“We all really wanna do it,” Lee says. “And it’s not one of those things where it’s, like, ‘Someday, maybe we’ll do something again.’ Everybody’s on board, and we’re getting together to do a few shows next year in [the self-titled] style — partially because I think it’ll be good for us to get back to that root, just get back to playing Evanescence-style rock and roll and just jive together again.”

Lee says that the band has no large touring plans next year. Other than a few shows, Lee wants to be able to have the time to flush out new ideas.

Lee continues to explain how the majority of the time spent with her band is composed of remembering and practicing their already-recorded discography for large tours. However, she says that they are always constantly inspired by one another. Lee says that within the next year, she is excited to carry out those inspirations with new music. [Source]

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Amy Lee talks about next USA tour and new music!

Evanescence is part of the stacked lineup for next year’s MMRBQ! Amy Lee is ready to transition from the band’s orchestral performances back to a hard rock set. Is new music on the horizon for Evanescence? Will their next release be a traditional album, or a series of singles, or something entirely new? Hear it all in her conversation with Sara on MMR.

Being a Rock Star and Mom: ‘I Always Thought It Was One or the Other’

Amy Lee is enjoying her work-life synthesis of music and motherhood.

This summer, the Evanescence rocker has been on the road promoting the band’s latest release, Synthesis, on which the act revamped their hits with orchestral and EDM twists.

And the co-headlining tour with Lindsey Stirling has been a family affair for Lee, whose husband, Josh Hartzler, and their 4-year-old son, Jack, have joined her on the road.

“I feel really grateful that I’m able to do both and not have to stop making music and being who I am to be a mom,” Lee, 36, tells PEOPLE.

“I think when I was a lot younger, I always thought it was one or the other: You are either fully focused working your butt off on your art, or you’re a mom and you don’t have time for that anymore,” she says. “And actually, now that I’m in it, I realize that it’s super important that I keep being who I am.” Read Full Story Here

Amy on what’s next “We’ll start writing next year for the next full album”

Evanescence’s Amy Lee has been fulfilling a creative passion over the past year, first releasing the Synthesis album including reimagined orchestral versions of the band’s music and then taking their show on the road with orchestral backing. Earlier this summer, Evanescence kicked off a co-headline tour with Lindsey Stirling.

Loudwire spoke with Lee about the tour, Stirling and opening act Cellogram, and the unique Ozzy Osbourne-Sia show-closing mashup. Lee also spoke about Evanescence’s future plans, which includes a loose timeline to start their next album.

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Six Facts About Evanescence’s Co-Headlining Tour With Lindsey Stirling

Since Evanescence released its multiplatinum debut, Fallen, in 2003, band leader Amy Lee has taken her time in crafting successive albums. Her determination to make quality-driven music has resulted in a limited studio output that includes 2006’s The Open Door and 2011’s Evanescence. It’s a risky approach, but it doesn’t stress her too much.

“I really don’t worry about it. Maybe that sounds crazy, but I feel like too much emphasis is put on the time and maybe not enough on the products,” says the songwriter-performer. “I just want to make something great. If I can’t make something awesome that I’m not ready for or don’t believe in … I won’t make it.”

The dedication of Evanescence’s followers lets her take whatever time she thinks is necessary. “Our fan base has proven to me that it doesn’t really matter how long how it takes. They keep coming back. It’s such a beautiful thing. I hope that continues.”

So when the band dropped 2017’s Synthesis, it was a surprise that instead of delivering all original music, Lee had reconstructed material from the aforementioned albums with an orchestra. After introducing Synthesis with new track “Imperfection,” Evanescence launched a North American tour that ran October-December to support the project. To do it justice, a full orchestra backs the quartet. The run has been captured for the upcoming Synthesis Live CD/DVD that’s due Oct. 12 on Eagle Vision. Lee calls the experience so far “extremely educational and interesting.” [Source]

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Lindsey Stirling, Amy Lee, Evanescence tour: We ‘lift each other’

From upi.com: Violinist and dancer Lindsey Stirling said touring with Amy Lee and Evanescence offers an important message about how the best way to empower women is for them to support each other.

“Rather than waiting for everybody to let us into those offices, we’re going to be the ones to lift each other,” Stirling said, adding she is interested in composing music with other women and chose to go on tour with Evanescence, in part, because it is led by a woman.

The artists will perform their own concerts with various live orchestras throughout the country and will also make guest appearances in each other’s sets. A female conductor has also been employed for their upcoming road show.

Stirling and Lee told UPI they have been fans of each other’s work for years and are excited to tour together this summer.

“What I really love about Lindsey the most is I feel like she created her own genre,” Lee, 36, said recently during a Live Nation press day in New York. “I don’t know of another person who has gone out as an instrumentalist, like a violinist, and had this amazing, mainstream presence.”

“I have been a huge Amy fan, huge Evanescence fan. When I heard ‘Bring Me to Life’ for the first time, I was just so struck by the contrast in the music,” said Stirling, 31. “When I started to create my own music, I wanted to have that same contrast in my music, this light versus dark and this edgy versus smooth and soaring.”

Stirling — who is famous for viral videos such as “Crystallize” and “Shadows” — said she doesn’t expect the inspiration she draws from Lee to fade now that they are working together.

“I think that is really a unique story for me to get to tell as I enter the stage every night. Hey, I never would have expected as a teenager that I would one day get to share the stage with my idol. And to be like: ‘Guys, dream it, believe it, see it. Because it could happen.'”

Lee said she is thrilled and a little anxious about performing Evanescence songs such as “My Immortal,” “Lithium” and “Everybody’s Fool” with new orchestral musicians in each city they visit.

“It’s a beautiful tightrope live,” she said. “It’s weird and it’s scary. Anything could happen.”

Lee said she has wanted since she was a teenager to perform with a full, live orchestra, but always thought it was too expensive and difficult to organize until her new management team came along and helped her realize her dream.

“I simultaneously wanted to be in a rock band and wanted to be Danny Elfman and score film and the sound of the band really is sort of a combination of those things,” she said. “It just felt like it would be so fun and fulfilling to finally show a whole other side to the music that I really feel very connected to.” [Source]

Amy On Evanescence’s Success: ‘I Feel Proud When I Look Back’

From blabbermouth.net: Amy Lee and guitarist Jen Majura were recently interviewed by Belgium’s RTBF. You can now watch the chat below.

Asked how she looks back on Evanescence‘s success so far, Amy said: “I feel proud when I look back. I look back to those early times and see my face, especially if I see an old an interview or a performance when we were on that ‘Fallen’ tour, and I look like a kid. I was a kid; I’d only lived outside my parents’ house for, like, four years. So I see it and I’m, like, ‘Woah! What an incredibly crazy thing to happen.’ And I know that, behind it all, I was juggling a lot, just adjusting emotionally and trying to keep the band together and everything else crazy that goes along with doing this.

“This has been a very retrospective era for us,” she continued. “We made this box set of our history, and now we’ve done ‘Synthesis’, which is a beautiful reflection of our music throughout my career, and then adding some new things in it.”

Evanescence and acclaimed electronic violinist Lindsey Stirling will embark on a co-headlining 2018 summer amphitheater tour across North America. The trek, produced by Live Nation, will kick off July 6 in Kansas City, Missouri at the Starlight Theatre and will make stops in 31 North American cities. The tour will wrap September 8 in Ridgefield, Washington at the Sunlight Supply Amphitheater.

Both artists’ shows will be accompanied by a full orchestra, highlighting both acts musicality and their incredible performance abilities that continue to blow fans away. The orchestrated performances will also perfectly accent the astounding amphitheater venues across the U.S. and Canada that the two will be performing in, making for a magical summer evening.

The two artists recently collaborated on the song “Hi-Lo” from the latest Evanescence album, “Synthesis”, which features a virtuosic violin solo by Lindsey Stirling.

“Synthesis” was released in November. The disc sees many of Evanescence’s songs reworked in new ways, incorporating orchestral and electronic elements into the original compositions.

The “Synthesis Live” tour launched in October and like the album, it features a full orchestra and electronics.

 

Jen Majura Made No Compromises On ‘InZENity’ Solo Album

Evanescence guitarist Jen Majura spoke to Lords Of Metal about her recently released second solo album, “InZENity”. The disc features guest appearances by Mattias IA Eklundh (FREAK KITCHEN), Jeff Waters (ANNIHILATOR) and Alex Skolnick (TESTAMENT).

Said Jen: “The big difference [between] ‘InZENity’ [and] my first solo album is mainly that I decided to not make any compromises this time. On my first solo album, I tried to find a compromise of how I do wanna sound and of how I am expected to sound for the music industry. That, of course, went totally wrong, and for ‘InZENity’, I didn’t let anyone tell me what I can or cannot do, how I do have to write songs, etcetera. I listen to a lot of diverse music, so why should I limit myself with staying in a genre box?!”

Majura also talked about the musical direction of “InZENity”, which covers everthing “from pop to hard rock to metal with death growls,” she said. In addition, it “contains background vocal work in the style of EXTREME, QUEEN or KING’S X. But the intention for me as a musician is always to write a solid song, and if the song doesn’t [require] a guitar solo, then there won’t be one. Many people expect a whole lot of shredding guitars when they listen to a guitarist’s solo album. My goal for ‘InZENity’ was to put out an album that is just entertaining, honest music instead of showing off on my instrument.”

In a separate interview with Make Weird Music, Jen said that the black-and-white “InZENity” artwork was inspired in part by the music’s diversity. “It’s ‘InZENity’ because you find your inner peace, your inner zen, as soon as you accept and acknowledge all those opposites inside of each of us, like black and white,” she explained. “You have mellow and happy, fast and slow, and all those different opposites together give you that inner calmness. That’s my inzenity that I found in this album, because the opposites are not only in the black-and-white artwork, it’s in the songs that I picked to record, it’s in each song. I tried to be very dynamic. A lot of songs nowadays lose dynamics, so I really wanted to keep the verses so smooth and sweet and then go, like, ‘Oh my God. Here’s a big chorus that changed the entire song!’ and then go back to the very sweet verse. So, it’s the whole philosophy in everywhere.”

Regarding the differences between performing with Evanescence and being a solo artist, Jen said: “[Being] in Evanescence, you know, it’s a gig you might get once in your life when you’re really lucky. It’s a great, great world I was allowed to dive into, but, to be honest, as a guitar player, what I’m playing in Evanescence is not as challenging, like some stuff that I played before. But that is mainly because, like I said, I want to play guitar that supports the song. A lot people ask me, ‘Are you going to play the songs different now in your style?’ I’m, like, ‘Hell no. Somebody wrote that song. Show respect to that somebody who wrote that song.’ Because the way that it’s been written is perfect the way it is. So why would I change it? So it’s not a sort of creative process in Evanescence right now for me when it comes to playing guitar. We’ll see about that in the future, but for right now, I’m literally having Troy [McLawhorn] show me what to play. And, of course, I try to keep my sound and my style, but it’s not that I’m changing anything. So it’s a whole different ballgame when you get to play what’s just coming out of you. It’s, like, ‘Okay, here’s me and a guitar. Let’s do something.’ It’s a different approach than, ‘Okay, show me what to play.’ So you can’t really compare it to each other.” [SOURCE]

Will Hunt: “Synthesis has done is broadened our horizons”

“When I’ve gone into all these different projects, I’ve always tried to be the chameleon. I feel like… I’ve actually conformed to the music,” Evanescence‘s longest standing drummer Will Hunt admits, struggling for the right phrase. “Whereas in Evanescence, I’m encouraged to be myself, and be okay with that.”

He’s talking from the perspective of having played with bands from Black Label Society, to Device and Crossfade. But by the time he joined the group – fronted by iconic vocalist Amy Lee and formed back in 1995 – for third album Evanescence, he was ready to dive into the inherent challenges: complex rhythms, classically-based composition, and Lee’s penchant for originality.

The band’s latest release Synthesis from November, a masterpiece re-configuration of past classics with orchestral and electronic composition, is no different.

Ahead of the quintet’s nearly sold-out Australian tour in four days, Hunt sat down to chat about being thrown into the deep end with these orchestral shows, relating to rhythm guitarist Jen Majura‘s initial struggles after joining in 2015, and embracing his imperfections.

Amy’s described getting to play the Opera House as a dream come true for her. Do you feel the same way?

“It doesn’t matter if you’re from Australia, if you’ve ever been there or it’s something you’ve seen in person. I think as a musician and performer… Even in America, I grew up seeing pictures of that place and knew what it was from a very young age. I remember being in Australia back in 2012, and we were staying across the street from there [the Opera House]… I saw it and was just like, ‘Wow, man! What an incredible-looking building’.

“I was never thinking in the back of my head that in four or five years I’d be playing there… I was thinking about everything that’s happened and the people who’ve performed there. Now we’re doing it. I remember when our manager said that we have sold-out nights at the Sydney Opera House, and I was like, ‘Hold on a second, you said what?’. It’s very surreal (laughs).”

There’s this raw live energy created from you guys only having 30 minutes with the band and orchestra before a show, which is awesome! Was it more invigorating or challenging?

“Yeah the orchestra thing is very different for us, and no-one’s really doing this the way that we are. Therefore there’s not really a road map where we can take cues from other bands and make it ours. So for us, going into this initially, it was – I don’t want to say scary – exciting, but also like, ‘Whoa, what do we do here?’.

“We’ve had a lot of shows with orchestras now. We’re in a really good place where we’re happy and comfortable with the show, and having a lot of fun with it. It is very cinematic, but we’re having a good time. It’s a cool thing. [Source]

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