Amy Lee with Evanescence
Exclusive Interview with Amy Lee with Evanescence
By Leslie Terhorst
It’s very rare that I get to do an interview with someone I truly respect and admire, not only as an artist and a singer, now after talking with her, a person. I’ve been a fan of Evanescence for some time now, so when I got the chance to talk to lead Goth-Queen Amy Lee, I have to say I was a little more than overjoyed. To interview someone who’s music you know and love, is great, but to hear the excitement and genuine love for the music her and the band have created; well that’s just the icing on the cake. I hope you enjoy reading it, as much as I did doing it.
RIS: I have to start out by saying how excited I am to talk to you. You are one of my favorite artists, and have probably one of the best female voice’s I have ever heard.
AMY: Awesome, that means you’re going to have some real questions for me, no pressure.
RIS: Yeah, I’ve got some real questions for you. What’s your favorite thing to eat? Ha, just kidding. Let’s start with, it’s been 5 years, how does it feel to finally get this album finished?
AMY: It feels great! We’re in a really good place right now. We definitely have been working on it for a really long time. I’ve been working on it little by little for a long, long time. But we as a band have spent the last two years solid. Wow; it really has been a long time. It’s really cool to hear the songs back, but scary and exciting knowing there aren’t going to be any more changes. We are very proud of it, all of us, and more than anything, it’s been a long time in the coming and we’re ready for the next adventure.
RIS: I was just listening to it, and I am very impressed. You had such success with ‘Fallen’ and with the span of time in between albums; did you find it difficult to make a follow-up album?
AMY: To me, the way that I look at it isn’t the numbers. We had great success with Fallen; a lot of people loved it. So, to me the most important thing was credibility. To make sure that the next album was even better on an artistic level. I feel like we’ve been so blessed, and so lucky with the success we’ve have had, because our music is so different from the mainstream. It is so cool, there are so many fans, now that we’re coming out of the woodwork, so are they. All over the world, fans are so excited, and they remember who we are. That means so much to me. So much more than a million spins.
RIS: So when you took the hiatus back in 2007, you had stated “you needed to get your heads in the right creative space.” What did it take to get you from that moment, to this moment?
AMY: For me, I didn’t have a plan for the next record; I didn’t even think we were going to make another one. My life had revolved around Evanescence since I was a teenager, by the time we finished touring The Open Door in 2007, I really needed to break away and find myself, as Amy again. I had just gotten married that year, and I really wanted to spend time with my husband, and for him not to have to share me with four other guys. So it was really cool just to live my life as an adult. We live in New York, in an awesome place full of culture and music. We just really “lived” for a while, and I think that’s exactly the kind of thing that “puts your head in the right creative space.” Being able to take the time, and having the freedom to go find out that you are as a whole person, with or without this giant thing. It was really good for me. What’s really cool about it now in light of this record is that I realized how much I love it. Not because I need it, not because it’s time, because it’s a big part of my heart, and I wasn’t finished with it, and I’m not burned out. I’m ready to go out on tour.
RIS: Back in 2010 you were suppose to release the album, then you had a falling out with producer Steve Lillywhite, you stated “Steve wasn’t the right fit.” How has working with Nick Raskulinecz (who has also produced for Alice in Chains and the Foo Fighters) made a difference?
AMY: Nick was the perfect fit. He understood our vision. I feel like that’s such an important thing. We had the body of work, so we said “ok,” “this is it, and we have more than enough music, so let’s find the perfect guy.” I remember I had a list of a few guys. So I decided to go and meet with Rick first in Nashville. I really wanted to get the vibe for him at home. I brought him a demo. I really felt like he knew what I wanted, even though we haven’t recorded it like that yet. Does that make any sense? It was like he really knew Evanescence in the first place, and he could really see where we wanted to take it. I knew right there, he was the guy that was going to take us were we wanted to go. He was really challenging. The whole process has been about stepping out of my comfort zone and trying new things. When Nick talked about “our process” he talked about putting us into a room, and for us not to rely on any production. He likes to have the band sit in a circle, kind of garage band style and work through the songs, changing the arrangements, and getting the tempo right. Even writing songs. It’s a very raw process. Everyone has to be able to keep up. Luckily we have a band full of great musicians and it worked. I think it made the record stronger, and it made us as a band, much stronger.
RIS: One of my favorite songs on the alum is ‘Lost In Paradise, can you tell me about that song, and what are some of your songs that you are most proud of?
AMY: I do love that song too; it’s very close to my heart. I really didn’t expect it to become the song that it did. Originally it was slow, just my voice and the piano. I did a lot of writing on my own, so I have a lot of demo songs that I have recorded on my iTunes. I never expected to record ‘Lost in Paradise,’ it was never suppose to be an Evanescence song, it was just very raw and natural. But, I think sometimes those are the best moments, when you’re not trying to do anything and it just happens on its own. I really just kept listening to it because I liked it. When we were in the pre-production stage in Nashville, I remember thinking that I have to show this to Nick. I was like, “hey listen, I really love this song. I know we have a lot of ballads,” which we were working on a lot at the time. He listened to it and said, “we have to do this song, but I think the band should come in at some point.” I was like, “No Way, that’s totally wrong, don’t turn it into that song.” Then as soon as we taped it, it was like magic, it was exactly the song it was meant to be. Listening to Nick brought it to a whole new level. That is definitely one of my favorite parts of the album.
RIS: So what are some of the other ones?
AMY: I really love ‘Never Go Back’
RIS: That’s so funny, it is second on my list.
AMY: Awesome, so you’re someone that likes the extremes as well. One of the main things I love about music is its contrast and extremes. I think ‘Never Go Back’ is a great example of that, its huge and epic, and I love that. I can’t help it, I’m dramatic, it’s really cool, because its different, and you are really getting the sound of the band. I actually wrote it about Japan. When the tsunami and earthquakes were going on, we were watching it on the news while we were writing songs, and I just started writing lyrics and realized kind of half way through, that I was writing about this, so I just went with it and let it happen, because that’s what was in my heart at the time. So it has a little story telling, and it’s not all about “MY” experiences.
RIS: Awesome, now ‘Sick’ was another one that stood out for me. Tell me about that one?
AMY: I really love that one. That was the first one we wrote with WIl, our drummer. It was the first time we had really gotten together as a band to write. You never know if that is going to work, and it totally worked. We were able to get in a room, and jam. We started coming up with some cool ideas. I remember when we came up with that song, we were in a recording studio in Orlando, and as soon as we finished it, we put a demo together. We were listening to it in our car yelling “Heck Yeah, We’re Back! We’re Doing This!”
RIS: Your amazing talent and powerful voice influence a lot of young artist. Who has been and influence on you?
AMY: Bjork has always been my number one. I love her, I have all her albums, and she is a huge influence on me. She is incredibly brave musically. She is a true artist, and she has an incredibly powerful voice. Tori Amos and Nine Inch Nails have been big influences on me. Depeche Mode, Tears for Fears, oh and Michael Jackson big time, and Portishead. Hum, I’m trying to think; I have to throw in some rock, Soundgarden, and Nirvana as well. Basically, I like the 90’s Grunge and Alternative era. I miss it. There are a lot of great artist now, but you really have to hunt for them. I really like M.I.A. She’s super powerful.
RIS: What are the plans for Evanescence in the future?
AMY: We’re just focused on this record, and playing this record. This is the thing we’ve been obsessing over forever. It’s time to go show it to the world!
