Interview by Eetu Niskanen

Editing by Miriam C.

Interview with Lisy Stefanoni, singer of the Italian Gothic Folk Metal band Evenoire, in this interview we’ll talk about the 2008-debut EP “I Will Stay” that its review has taken the maximum rating score here at Femme Metal Webzine. Enjoy it!

How would you describe Evenoire’s music to people who have never heard you?

Evenoire’s music is a journey into enchanted realms, ancient legends, magical places; our music mixes the power of metal, folk ballads, oriental echoes and evocative atmospheres. The lyrics talk about legends, dark fairy-tales and historical people. The result is a special and fascinating sound enriched by flute melodies and different styles of vocals, which go from sweet and ethereal to powerful and aggressive. I call our music Oneiric Metal.

How would you describe your voice?

I think I’m an eclectic singer, I like to experiment with my voice and that’s the reason why I have no limits. I like to sing both in opera style and in modern style, I like folk and oriental styles, too. I try to create something unique mixing all these ways of singing. I have a good vocal range, which allows me to reach very high notes and my timbre is quite crystal clear, warm and high (I’m a light lyric soprano) and at the same time strong and powerful. It’s really difficult to describe a voice, it’s the first time I do that!

Did you always wanted to become a singer?

Yes, sure! I started to study music at the age of 6, attending music theory classes and flute lessons. Then I studied also guitar and piano, but my great passion was singing, so when I was at secondary school I started to attend courses of modern singing including rock and soul styles. At the age of 16 I experienced for the first time the live performances with my rock band and my acoustic trio, but actually I’ve always sang during music school performances, shows, competitions and local events since I was a child. Currently I’m studying operating singing: I love the world of Opera and Theatre and I hope to graduate soon at conservatory. I cannot live without singing, I sing because it’s the only way to be myself, the only way to express my emotions and my soul.

What kind of music do you listen yourself and how often?

I always listen to music! I love metal, especially gothic, symphonic, prog, folk and bands with female voices. My favourite bands are Therion, Opeth, Within Temptation, After Forever, Ayreon, The Gathering, Symphony X. I listen to hard rock, rock and heavy metal, too. I like so much folk, medieval, Celtic music, New Age, and Italian Opera of course!

Where does the name Evenoire come from?

We chose the name “Evenoire” because it’s really evocative and has different meanings: NOIR (black) is one of the colour of our music, EVEN (noire) because we like to express joyful colours with folk atmospheres. EVEN may also refer to the night, a dark night: the deep night is the moment of the dreams, of the dark creatures like ghosts and spirits, the moment of enchanted things and many legends, and we like to talk about all these themes in our songs. Evenoire may also refer to EVE NOIR, Lilith, a really fascinating and strong female figure who inhabits a lot of archaic and modern myths.

Could you tell us something about the other members of the band?

We are good friends, not only a band. During these years we had a lot of fun together and we reached a good level of musical harmony. Marco, the bass player, is the major composer of the band, even if everyone gives important inputs to the composition process and we all arrange the songs. I write all the vocal melodies and lyrics. Recently Giada, the keyboard player, has left the band because of work troubles. We are still looking for a new keys player and we will comunicate you as soon as possible news about the new line-up.

How did you get in touch with Femme Metal Records to be part of the compilation “Demonic and Demonic”?

Miriam, the chief editor of Femme metal Webzine, proposed and encouraged us to submit a song for the compilation: we thank so much Miriam and Carrie Sharp for this great opportunity!

What do you think about the compilation CD?

It’s a wonderful idea to support cancer research and promote female fronted metal bands. The bands included play great music, it’s a top quality compilation, a really interesting project!

Why did you choose “Aries” as the particular track to the compilation?

“Aries” is the song from our first EP that well describes our music and our style: powerful music, oriental and folk echoes, symphonic keyboards, prog riffs, different singing styles, and a melancholic acoustic end with a sweet flute melody.

How is the metal scene in Italy?

Not so good. I mean, there are a lot of good bands but it is really difficult to emerge from the underground, metal is not considered in the major music circuits. The clubs prefer tribute bands and cover bands and there is very few space to promote our music. It’s a really bad situation.

What are the plans of Evenoire for the future?

We are working on the full length and we are searching for a label to support our music.

You also released your debut EP last year, how much work did it take?

It’s our first work and our first experience, so it took us quite time but now we have reached a very good harmony into the band, so that the composition of the new songs is faster. We can say we have found our musical dimension.

What is the story behind the EP cover, who designed it?

The cover is a painting created by Gabriella Ghisleri, the mother of our ex keyboard player Giada. The painting describes the spirit of a woman who hides her real face behind a mask. We chose this picture because it represents our songs: the spirit on the boat refers to the ghost of “Azzurrina” and the hidden face refers to “Mirror Lies”, which lets us know about the real identities concealed behind the mirrors. The general setting of the picture, the girl on the boat and the lights reflected by the sea, refer to the song “I Will Stay”, which tells the story of a girl who runs away from her pains on a boat and she perceives the reflections of a medieval feast through the water: that feast will make she smile again.

Is there anything the readers should know I haven’t asked?

For everyone interested in our EP and music please visit our websites for all information. Thanks so much to you Eetu for the interview and thanks to Femme Metal Webzine for the support!

Links

MySpace * ReverbNation * Facebook * Twitter * Site

Interview by Si Smith

From the gothic wastes of Québec, Canada, come a band determind to put some melancholy back in your day - Endless Night cite some of their inspirations as “traumas, suffering, murder and mourning”. Yet one listen to their debut CD “Haunted Lullabies” shows that not all is doom and gloom. There are also some hefty guitar riffs on here and some meaty solos. So what is it that drives Endless Night? I spoke to vocalist and keyboardist Emi to find out…

Firstly, thanks very much for the interview and a warm welcome from all at Femme Metal.

I also want to thank you! It’s an honor to be interviewed by Femme Metal!

Endless Night is a four-piece at present. It can’t be helped noticing however that a lot of the publicity focuses on you - how have you found it stepping into the role of front-person for the band? Is it a role that comes naturally to you?

First of all, I entered the band as a keyboardist. I had no idea I was about to become a frontwoman! But it soon became evident: we needed one. So I decided to give it a try. Since then, I have never stopped loving it! In everyday life, I am calm and introverted but with Endless Night I express myself and rock on! It’s because music is very much like storytelling; and I’ve got a story to tell.

As this is your debut release, many of our readers may not yet be aware of you. Would you like to introduce your fellow band-members to us, and maybe tell us how they all contribute to Endless Night?

Wared is the guitarist. He is the strength in Endless Night’s sound: pure emotions, no futile detours. He pays a huge attention to his sound. He is an excellent organizer and views the band not only as a member, but also with a manager’s eye. Franky is a self-taught bassist. He brings to us an energized and fierce sound. For him, Endless Night is not only about expressing suffering and darkness, it’s also an undeniable effort to bring his passion and music to a higher level. The drummer, Jay, is the most recent member of the band. He’s a well-grown musician we can always count on. He’s been studying his instrument for a long time now and knows how to bring a catchy melody to life. And as the signer, I am the member who is the most in touch with the band’s concepts and moods. Everyone takes part in the songwriting process, but I am the only lyrics writer.

The band was formed “officially” in 2008 with you on vocals and piano. How do you manage to put your all into the vocal performance when you are also the musician at the piano? Does it pose problems live?

I have learned the piano for more than eleven years now, so I am able to coordinate my hands with my voice without any problems. It just takes a little practice. But I don’t find it interesting to see a front person locked behind the keyboard, so we have most of the pianos and choirs on playback. I like to move on stage! 

You managed to get a track featured on the World of Glass compilation. In what ways did that help you?

It gives us visibility in a different context than MySpace or Facebook. Because it is an all women-fronted metal bands compilation, our music can be listened to by people who have more chance of loving it but would have maybe not find us without this. It also gave us some contacts with very great people we are very thankful to, Raquel Senra, for instance.

Your debut CD is self-financed, something that is becoming more popular these days. If you don’t mind me asking, what was the most expensive part of the process (just to warn any up and coming bands that might be heading that way) ? What were the main advantages or drawbacks of doing things this way?

The most expensive part of the process were the recording sessions. The main advantage was our independence:  we had the choice to do whatever we wanted to with our sound. Obviously, the main drawback is the production’s cost.

On your Facebook page you quote contrasting bands such as Evanescence and Rammstein as some of your influences. In what way do other bands such as these influence your sound?

We draw inspiration form a great variety of bands, because every member of Endless Night has different influences. However, some of these influences are common. These show in subtle ways, sometimes in the musicality of the melodies, in the drum lines, in the “catchiness” of the guitar riffs, or in the visual aspect. 

Across the album you seem to have a preference for the lower register in your vocals. How do you think that assists in conveying some of the emotion of the songs?

This low register gives a heavy mood to the songs. It can express anger or sadness. However, since the album recording, my voice has evolved a lot, as has my higher register. But even in high notes, my voice is never crystal-clear, it always keeps a deep, round sound; I’m a mezzo-soprano.

“Hear This Now” is one of your heavier songs. What is it you would like us to hear in this song?

It talks about unhealthy habits that we all have that make our world worse than it should be; that make our world darker and darker, but also, this is one of our songs that, as of today, has been rethought a little bit to be more catchy to make a stronger contrast with the lyrics.

Like many bands before you, you have included a ballad on the album, “Burial (for My Mortician)”. As this is mostly you and the piano, does this song have any particular personal meaning for you?

Yes, it is the first song I entirely wrote the musical parts and the lyrics, as all my lyrics, have a deep meaning. They are basically a story of lost friendship.

As the album is quite a melancholy offering, how would you hope that a listener would feel after listening to your album?

We wish that the listener would enter into our mood and musical environment but not necessarily feel depressed: we only wish the listener to find himself and to travel in our music, so that he lives the story we tell in each song.

Bands often develop and mature as they produce more albums. How would you envisage Endless Night developing by the time of your next release?

Our next release will be less eclectic; it will have a more defined sound. We worked very hard on defining what we want to stand out in our music and in which way we want to tell our stories, but now, I think we have found it. A heavier sound with more catchy vocal lines, less experimental structures and powerful, but not overloaded drum lines is where we have headed.

The band has stated that its intention is “Établir un contraste entre l’enfance et l’horreur, la nuit”…how do you think this album fulfils that?

Lyrically, most of the songs fulfil this goal, for instance, “Trauma”, “Winter Cloak”, “Childhood Prejudice”. Musically, it’s the combination of soft piano melodies with more heavy guitars that brings us there.

I went on to Pixule.com where fans can vote for their favourite band on CD3 of the World of Glass compilation. (of course I voted for you…) The results so far is that you are third from the top!! Far above more “well-established” bands such as Pythia, Echoterra and Ancient Bards, who only managed to scrape 1% of the vote each. How does that make you feel?

Thanks for voting for us! We are pleased to see these results! It shows that we have wonderful friends and fans. We always try to make strong bonds with them, because the human experience is important for us. As I said before, that music can be about storytelling, but it’s also about giving, and we give all that we can!

One final question before we leave: you are a four-piece, but would you introduce us to the fifth member of the band that we see you holding in your myspace photo?

Haha!! This is a little doll we had for a photoshoot and we thought it showed well the innocence and the sensibility of childhood. However, we don’t have it anymore: it has been replaced by a teddy bear with a blue bow. It is on our album cover and I bring it on stage in every show, it is like our mascot! Haha!!

Thank you once again for your time, and we wish you well in the band’s future!!

Thank’s to YOU!!! I wish long life to Femme Metal!

Links

MySpace * Facebook

Label : BadMoonBad Music/Solitude Productions

Review by Tony Cannella

It is odd when a band comes out with a 28-minute compilation EP. Such is the case with “Apple of Discord” by the Russian band Canonis. After a series of Demos – their first of which came out in 1995 – and a single, the band has compiled some of those moments on their new 7-song, 28-minute compilation. Musically Canonis began as Doom Metal band but has since evolved into playing ethereal, ambient music and that is the style that is showcased on “Apple of Discord”. On “Apple of Discord” the general tone is one of dark and beautiful music. Their Doom Metal period is clearly in the rear view mirror for Canonis as the songs display an ambience and ethereal splendor to them. There is also a bit of a Celtic, Folk flavor to some of the songs. Throughout “Apple of Discord” I was most certainly impressed with the overall presentation, sound and most of all songs from this talented Russian band. Hopefully a debut full-length from Canonis is not too far off.

Rating - 85/100

Tracklist

1. Apple of Discord
2. Memoria Vasta
3. Arkhaim
4. The Cold Sea
5. Snow River
6. The Aquarell
7. Amalgama

Line Up

• Julie White – Vocals
• Emily A.Saaen - Vocals
• Tim Spirit – Guitar, Flute, Programming
• Mike Deblin – Guitar, Keyboards 

Links

MySpace * Site

Interview by Erwin Van Dijk

An interview with Michelle Loose from Brave. On June 1st the compilation double cd “Demonic and Divine” is released by Femme Metal Records.. The cd is to support the Macmillan Cancer support and Cancer research UK. Brave appears with the song “Driven”. This song originally appeared on the album “Monuments”. Brave is a Progressive rock/metal band from Washington DC (United States). This interview is with Michelle Loose, who is responsible for the keys and vocals.

For starters: How was the gig with Cynic in Springfield?

It was amazing! Definitely a dream come true to play with Cynic. We’ve been huge fans of theirs since the early ‘90’s. They put on a great show. They are so good live, so talented.

Did you always wanted to become a singer?

I’ve always loved music and singing but I never dreamed that I would actually be a singer. I’m a pretty shy person so I never imagined that I would actually sing in front of people. I was really forced into singing for the band – but I’m so glad that I was!

Who are your favourite singers and musicians?

Tori Amos probably tops my list. Other singers/musicians include Lisa Gerrard, Ann Wilson, Geoff Tate, Ray Alder.

And to what kind of music do you listen yourself?

I’ve really been on a proggy metal kick lately. I listen to a lot of different bands but right now I’m really digging Dream Theater, Cynic, Fates Warning, Metallica. I also frequently listen to The Gathering, Lacuna Coil, Genesis, Faith No More, Tori Amos.

Did you sing in any other bands before Brave and do you any other bands right now?

We were previously known as Arise From Thorns which includes the same core lineup of myself, my brother Scott Loose on guitar and drummer Trevor Schrotz. I did a brief part on a demo before joining AFT for another band but that’s really it. I’ve done a few recordings here and there for other artists including Power of Omens, David Gallegos, While Heaven Wept and Project Failing Flesh.

You also play piano. What do you prefer, singing or playing piano?

I probably prefer singing. I feel more confident singing rather than playing piano.

You have been active in Brave (and Arise From Thorns as the band was called in the early days) since 1997. What are the highlights for you so far?

We’ve had some really great live performances opening for bands that I’ve longed admired like Fates Warning, Cynic, Lacuna Coil, Opeth and others and that has been amazing. We’ve been so fortunate to get on these gigs. I’d also say that meeting and working with so many other music lovers has been wonderful. I never would have had these experiences without being in the band. We’ve truly met a lot of great people, fans and professionals.

And did you have any negative experiences?

We have had some not so good live performances, nothing terrible but some nasty club experiences. Overall we’ve been extremely lucky and fortunate not to have too many negative experiences.

Why did you choose Brave as the name for your band?

We decided to change the name from Arise From Thorns back in 2000 because we wanted a less dramatic and more memorable name. There were a few serendipitous events that took place with the word “Brave” and it’s always had personal meaning for me. I have to remind myself to be ‘brave’ daily whether it be in my regular day to day life or when singing in front of people. I try to be brave and grow personally and professionally all of the time. It’s a strong word with powerful meaning.

How would you describe Brave’s music? Because Progressive Rock/Metal covers a lot of music these days, from Stratovarius to Epica.

We’ve always been somewhat difficult to pigeon hole in terms of labelling a specific style. We have our moments when we are more on the prog/metal side of the spectrum but we also have songs that would be considered slightly more contemporary or commercial sounding. We try to really vary up our style and sound. We don’t think about what kind of music we want to write, it just comes out the way it is and we keep it that way. For us the joy in writing music is writing whatever we want and not creating any musical boundaries.

And what makes Brave different compared to all the other female fronted bands in the world?

I would say that our sound is unique, passionate and dynamic.There are definitely a lot of female fronted bands out there so we stand out amongst all of the bands with our own sound.

Can you introduce us to the other members of Brave?

Scott Loose: Guitars, founding member of Arise From Thorns and Brave - Matt Kozar: Guitars, joined Brave in 2007 and has been a wonderful addition to the family both personally and musically. -Trevor Schrotz: Drums, founding member or Arise From Thorns and Brave. - Ben Kelly: Bass, joined Brave in 2003 and has been a long time friend of ours and a great addition to the band - Suvo Sur: Violin/Keys, joined Brave in 2003 and has really defined our style with the added instrumentation of violin. Suvo is an amazing musician and we’ve so enjoyed working with him.

You and Scott are brother and sister. Does this make things easier in the band or not?

Fortunately we get along pretty well so there are no dramatic family fights or anything like that. I find that we are both really on the same page musically so I think that helps to have that connection. I’m also married to our drummer Trevor so it’s definitely been a family affair for a long time.

Why did Brave choose the song “Driven” for the “Demonic and Divine” album?

That’s one of our favourite songs from our recent CD “Monuments”. It’s fun, heavy and uplifting so we wanted to include this on the compilation.

And how did you (the band) got in touch with Femme Metal?

I believe my brother Scott actually started talking with them. Caz and everyone at Femme Metal have been wonderful to work with. We were honoured that they wanted to release a 10 year anniversary CD for us.

Is song writing teamwork in Brave or is there a mastermind behind the music?

Mostly it’s a team effort, we all add our own spices to the mix if you will. Most of the main riffs and ideas are written by Scott but we all get to add our own styles to each song. It’s definitely a collaborative effort.

Washington D.C.’s progressive/rock band Brave signs deal for a 10 year anniversary album with Femme Metal Records from England. The album, entitled “Lost in Retrospect” ,will feature selected tracks from all of the Brave and Arise From Thorns (former band name) albums, including some songs that are long out of print. “Lost in Retrospect” was released February 20, 2009. Brave’s singer Michelle Loose said about the album: “We are very excited about this collaboration for a 10 year anniversary CD with the new record label, Femme Metal Records. We can’t believe we’ve been making music together for 10 years now and are glad to be able to re-release some of the older songs that have been long out of print. We are so happy to be working with Femme Metal Records and thank you for your support with this collaboration.” Can you tell us something about the songs on “Lost in Retrospect” ?

It was a hard decision to select songs from the last 10 years. We really just picked out our favourite and most meaningful songs to us and narrowed the selection down to what we could use with the time that is allotted for CD. We then picked songs that we though would flow well together and this is what we came up with. It’s a good overview of AFT/Brave over the last 10 years.

What is the idea behind the title of the album?

The title is actually from the song “Lost in Retrospect” which was on our CD “Waist Deep in Dark Waters”. That song was written by a dear friend of ours who was also in our band at the time, Tom Phillips from While Heaven Wept. The title seemed to work perfectly for what we were creating.

And what is your favourite song on “Lost in Retrospect” ?

Probably “Candle in the Dark”.

What are Brave’s plans for the future?

We have a few live performances coming up so we are focused on those for now. Eventually we’ll probably write again and go from there.

And the last question: Is there anything the reader should know that I have not asked?

Please feel free to check out our music samples at www.myspace.com/braveband if you’d like to check us out. Thank you so much for the interview!!

Links

MySpace * Site

Interview by Connie Bach

What is the expression people have? Where they feel they’ve heard a song before, and it has a flavour all its own. While some elements are reminiscent of Tarja, others stand out as different from all others. Being both familiar and fresh shows quite a bit of talent.

Hi, Dianne. What’s going on with Ex Libris at the moment?

We’re very busy planning new gigs, writing songs for the new “Medea” album and rehearsing the songs we’ve already completed. We’ve set ourselves a deadline at which all of the writing should be finished but there’s still loads to be done. We want the music on our new album to be a challenge for us as musicians, an inspiration for the listeners and a feast for the crowd. The “Amygdala” album already gave us a great start but there’s more to come in the epic album that “Medea” will be.

I looked up the Latin translation, recognizing Ex Libris as a Latin phrase. It translates to “from the books”. How does the actual meaning relate to the band’s choice of name?

Yes, if you translate the word Ex Libris you will find that it means “from the books” but an Ex Libris is also an object (like a seal, stamp or a brand) which is used to indicate ownership of products of a guild. You could say that by naming the band Ex Libris we would like to brand our products as our own.

If you envision the future, what would be the dream venue for Ex Libris? What other bands would appear in the same show?

I don’t think that there is one dream venue for us. There are too many awesome stages, concert-halls and festivals where we wish to perform one day. This also goes for the bands with whom we would like to share the stage but we surely wouldn’t say no to performing with Opeth, Devin Townsend, UnExpect or Freak Kitchen.

If the members of Ex Libris could all agree on three influential artists, who would they be? Why?

We all have very different backgrounds and our taste in (metal) music is not always identical either. For example: the bands I would often listen to when I was 16 years old were Skunk Anansie, Nightwish and Muse. For me all three singers of these bands were a great inspiration for the vocal styles and techniques I now use with Ex Libris. Peter tells me that he was influenced especially by Symphony X and the older music of Stratovarius and Metallica. And Paul says: “It’s impossible to name just three bands. Let alone name three bands only within the metal genre. As I was thinking about this question my music player randomly picked Coldplay, Nevermore and Toxic!”. With Ex Libris we compose music that has a good feel for us, without thinking about bands it may sound like. It is as Paul also said: “It’s up to the listeners to decide which other bands come close”.Out of all the awesome tracks on “Amygdala”, why did Ex Libris decide to contribute “Destined” to Femme Metal’s upcoming release? 

I really like the feel of the song: it’s fast-paced yet eerie. Sometimes it is hard to do both. Ex Libris pulls it off quite well. Thanks, I like the song very much myself. It’s a funny piece of music that could resemble a strong ballad when looking at the lyric vocal lines but doesn’t reveal itself like that because of the guys playing fast riffs and solos.  It’s a song with two faces that really connects with the lyrics and amplifies them. The lyrics to “Destined” are written by our drummer Joost van de Pas and tell us about the inner struggle to overcome grief and move on to better times.

If there is one track in particular that has a personal story behind it, what is that song and what is the story behind it?

All the songs on the “Amygdala” album represent a different aspect of me growing up and reaching adulthood. The lyrics on the album are about problems I have been dealing with, thoughts I had and statements I wanted to make.
“Dawn Of Sugars”, the first song on the album, is about me becoming an individual. Getting rid of all the ideas that are pressed upon you by the government, religion and others. In the song I also try to encourage other people to start thinking for themselves and dare to be different.
“Love Is thy Sin”, is my “sorry for dumping you” song in which I try to explain to my former girlfriend that she and I were not able to survive together. The lyrics say that it would have been better for us to never have loved each other so that I didn’t have to hurt her by breaking up.
“Breathe With Me”, the third song on the album, is about a power play between two people who feel attracted to one another and the emotions you feel when someone is yearning for your body.
The songs “Sail…”, “… Out to Farewell” and “Death Becomes Us All” are combined into one epic and resemble the end of my 3.5 year relationship with our drummer Joost van de Pas.
In the song “Sail…” a fisherman’s wife watches her husband set out to sea, knowing that this is their goodbye. “… Out to Farewell” tells the tale of death who’s coming to get the fisherman. During these two songs you’ll hear the fisherman (spoken by Koen) writing his goodbyes in a letter to his wife. “Death Becomes Us All” is an instrumental song which is the closing piece of the epic. The last song on the album “The Day Our Paths End” is about me becoming an atheist.

“Amygdala” is an intriguing album name. How does the name represent the collective strength of all the songs together?

The Amygdala are almond-shaped groups of nuclei located deep within the medial temporal lobes of the brain. They perform a primary role in the processing and memory of emotional reactions. Since every song on our debut album is a memory or emotion set to music, we could not think of a better name.

Turning to your own personal career, tell me a little about your background as a vocalist.

Well, I had my first singing lesson when I was four years old – a birthday present from my parents, who had noticed my interest in music and singing. At the age of 7 I sang my first solo with the Concordia Fanfare during a Christmas concert. Over time I was taught by several teachers and joined various choirs. When I was 17 I sang at a prom concert with the Gildenbonds Harmonie Orchestra where I met conductor and vocal coach Sef Pijpers senior who offered to help me enter the auditions at the ArtEZ Institute of the Arts, School of Music in Arnhem where I was accepted. During my bachelor years at ArtEz I was taught by soprano Elena Vink, did a short internship at the Nationale Reisopera and received master classes from Barbara Hannigan, Barbara Schlick, Claudia Patacca, Lodewijk Meeuwsen, Riekje Bakker en Felix Schonenbaum. After completing the bachelor programme I auditioned for the master programme and was accepted. Currently I am in the second year of the master program where I specialize in classical music written between 1850 and today. I receive my singing lessons from Elena Vink, Wiebke Goetjes and Constantin Nica. Apart from this I also take composition classes, write poetry for other composers and I’m chairman of the New Artez Student Association, a group of master students who organize interdisciplinary classical music concerts. I hope to sing my final exam in June 2011.

Opera and metal contrast very well. Is this where you saw yourself in the long-run?  

I don’t know. I’ve always known that my future lies in music but which direction my path will take I don’t know yet. For now I am very happy with the way my career and Ex Libris can develop side by side. I love both and need both musical styles to complete me as a singer.
I firmly believe that mastering different styles of music enriches you as a musician.

What do you want to achieve in the future, as a metal vocalist?

Mastering many more different styles of singing but always with a healthy voice. I wish to be an inspiration to many young singers out there and want to let them know that you can sing (almost) anything  as long as you keep your voice in good condition and be aware of the fact that a good voice comes with a good support of breath.

Part of the beauty of the metal genre is that bands and fans are so connected, so genuine. So what would all of the members of Ex Libris like to tell your followers?

It’s so very true that metal fans are deeply connected to the music! I’ve done concerts in many different music genres but never were the people in the audience more devoted to the music than those I’ve greeted at an Ex Libris concert. It really is the biggest thrill ever when the audience is right there in the music with you! This being said I can only say that we would like to invite all our fans and followers to visit our concerts, experience our music and propose a toast to metal with us.

Links

Ex Libris : MySpace * ReverbNation *  Facebook * Twitter * Site

Dianne van Giersbergen : Facebook * Site

Interview by Connie Bach

Raven Tide offers an energizing, yet soothing blend of driving guitars with a strong bass line, and balanced orchestra. The result is dark, warm, dreamy, and flowing.

Hello, Cheryl. “Ever Rain” is an awesome EP. I can’t wait to check out the new album.

Hi Connie! I’m very glad that you gave me the chance to talk about raven tide and it’s awesome to hear such good words about our songs!

What’s going on with the band these days?

Good question Connie!! This is a very intensive period for us. We’re trying to find the better way to promote “Ever Rain”, choosing few but relevant events where we can show what raven tide really is. We’re also working for new songs and our days are full of studio sessions and writing. It’s not easy, in fact, to spend energies in the right way, especially when you have so much to do in so little time!!!

Raven Tide has been featured on several compilations. “Doom Revealed” will appear on “Beauty and Brutality” and “Lucifer Bliss” appears on “Rock for Haiti”. I love the charity aspects to these two compilations. What made Raven Tide decide to contribute?

It’s wonderful. I think the idea of creating compilations of good music and use the cash to charity is a wonderful initiative. In fact, you get a double benefit. For the bands is certainly an excellent opportunity for visibility and expression, while using the music and its power, you bring more people to a social problem, making them participate by simply listening to a song.
in the past we have often thought of organizing lives and events for a charitable purpose but it is not easy for band to be able to set up this type of event…so when the opportunity to participate in this initiative came, we didn’t think twice!! Especially when it comes to a quality product  like “Beauty and Brutality”.

Raven Tide is such a young band, yet has such a polished sound. What brought the members and their various skills, together?

Indeed, although the moniker Raven Tide is dated 2009, all of us for many years were part of a previous musical project, a tribute band that has enabled us to acquire over time a deep musical and personal understanding and improving through long live experience. Over time, of course, came the need to express ourselves with original music and create something where everyone could put their ideas and influences.

Turning to the recent release of your EP, it is a lovely taste of what is to come in the future.  The name Ever Rain suits it. Where did the name come from?

Ever Rain was, in truth, the first moniker of the band, replaced with Raven Tide for reasons of homonymy with another band. After this, we decided to use it anyway, as the title of our first EP, maintaining continuity with our first idea. The reason for both names is, however, to evoke a particular image that remains a feature of all our work.

MySpace says that “Ever Rain” is a preview of a full-length album in the works. Why did the band decide to release a “preview”? I love when bands do that, it is kind of like the smell of baking before the bread comes out of the oven.

To be honest, we’ve never thought of “Ever Rain” as a preview…. it was simply a demo cd to present what we are. Then, he started receiving more and more confirmations becoming an EP and with the precious support of our promotion agency (Alkemist Fanatix Europe) was distributed in most of Europe and the major online music sites overseas. It was a good surprise!

I love the song “Lucifer Bliss”. What is the story behind the lyrics?

The message of “Lucifer Bliss” is that everyone in this life hae to face bad moments and suffering and sometimes, when the pain get deeper, there’s an instant in which we wish to get heartless and we’re tempted to lose ourselves denying the good we have inside. I guess is another way to describe the fragile nature of humanity, and the constant danger to fall down to Lucifer. Especially in these violent days, it seems easier for us to forget what’s important in our existances. Sometimes lucifer may seem enchanting but if we look inside ourselves, love is always the better way…How did it come about that you and Joe Bardazzi worked together? His growls and clean vocals are demonic in feel, perfect for “Lucifer Bliss”.

This sounds like “the answer is in the question” Connie!! Since the writing of this song, Lucifer was a sort of dialogue between good and evil. We were looking for a voice that was deep and strong enough to play the “lord of night” part. So, during a live show in a pub of our town, we listened Joe’s performance and we just undesrtood he was perfect! We talked with him right that night and he was immediately ready to go! Amazing!

“Stillness” is purely orchestral and is a nice opening. Why did Raven Tide decide to include a bag pipe solo in this song?

It gives it a lovely celtic feel. We really think that bagpipe sounds are extremely powerful and absolutely perfect for an “ouverture”. “Stillness” in a sort of hymn, where we’ve tried to mix our gothic inluences with the idea we have to create something new using electro samples and movies soundtrak effects. We’re really happy you like it!!I have the feeling that live shows are pretty explosive. What is one experience you will carry with you from performing for the rest of your time?

Well…thinking about it, I can’t really say which of my live shows I will carry with me forever…
each one have won a special place in my heart, ‘ cause everytime there’s a different mix of sensations and everytime you get back home with a different vision…
What I know is that I’ve always done my best to reach the heart of people, no matter if i was on a little stage of a little town or in front of the crowd of a great location.  
I must admit that I’ll always remember our shows at Alcatraz in Milan. We performed there before Raven Tide’s birth with the tribute band and it was exciting, I was scared to death before my entry on stage!!! Now i’d be very happy to back there and present Raven Tide…who knows???Where is the one place you dream of performing at? What makes it special in your mind?

Oh …I really adore big festivals like Rock Am Ring, Wacken etc…
I think it’s a common dream for rockers to sing in front of such a crowd but personally I also think that nothing is more evocative than an acoustic set with an elegant design, soft lights and contact with the people. We’ll try to provide both experiences with our music, just keep on follow us!!!

I’ve always been music addicted. I’ve always “needed” music. At fourteen I completed piano and composition studies privately, then i’ve been part of a poliphonic choir as half soprano for 8 years. During that period i’ve always had experiences in rock bands, as singer or playing piano then it came the tribute band and finally… Raven Tide.  

“Ever Rain” brings amazing images to mind. I’d like everyone in the band to contribute to this one if possible. What is the symbolic value of music? Why is it so valuable?

I think it is undeniable that music is an indispensable element in the lives of everyone. It’s like a constant soundtrack that follows us even if we don’t pay attention or are busy in our business. It has the great power to communicate with our intimate and it does so without barriers, nothing can stop it. I think this is the great magic of music.Shark: Hello Connie, is a pleasure to talk with you! Well, I agree with Cheryl about the importance of music, personally I could not think of my life without music, is simply a great form of expression, perhaps the most universal.

Thank you so much for this special occasion Connie!! It was great to share with you part of our world! Thanks to femme metal for the wonderful work and for believing in us! The Raven Tides promise you all big news shortly! Keep on following us and…stay metal!!!

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