{"id":8192,"date":"2016-10-12T17:23:43","date_gmt":"2016-10-12T21:23:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.altwire.net\/?p=8192"},"modified":"2025-02-07T20:07:24","modified_gmt":"2025-02-08T01:07:24","slug":"interview-amy-lee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/altwire.net\/fr\/entretien-avec-amy-lee\/","title":{"rendered":"Entretien avec Amy Lee : sa formidable carri\u00e8re, son \u00e9ducation et bien plus encore\u2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of the biggest acts of the early 2000s, the rock band Evanescence<\/a>, fronted by Amy Lee<\/a>, came exploding onto the scene with their smash 2003 hit ‘Bring Me To Life’.<\/h4>\n

Buoyed by inclusion on the Daredevil Soundtrack, and constant rotation on MTV and rock radio, their tantalizing debut would go on to become 7 times platinum in the United States, selling an incredible 17 million copies worldwide, pushing the band (and their highly talented lead vocalist) to super-stardom.<\/p>\n

The band would undergo multiple lineup changes over the following 8 years (with vocalist Amy Lee now being the only remaining original member), all while releasing a live DVD and two fantastic follow-up albums – 2006’s The Open Door<\/em>, and 2011’s Evanescence<\/em> – before ultimately going on hiatus at the end of 2012.<\/p>\n

In the intervening years, vocalist Amy Lee would go on to compose the soundtrack for the movie Aftermath, as well as two solo releases, a covers EP called Recover, Vol. 1<\/em> and a children’s album titled Dream Too Much<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Now on the heels of their first US tour in nearly four years, Evanescence is gearing up to release a special Ultimate Collection<\/em> vinyl box set, featuring all of their major studio albums, a collection of rare tracks titled, Lost Whispers<\/em>, and for the first time ever…a re-issue of their pre-Fallen record Origin<\/em>, originally recorded and printed in 2000.<\/p>\n

The vinyl boxset can be pre-ordered here<\/a> and for a limited time, will feature a special Amy Lee autographed booklet.<\/p>\n

We recently had the opportunity to speak to Amy Lee on the future of Evanescence, her newly released children’s album Dream Too Much<\/em>, and a slew of other topics. Check out our interview below!<\/p>\n

AW: You\u2019re about to put out a vinyl box set containing all of your released music, including music recorded before the release of Fallen. You\u2019ve been quoted elsewhere as saying you \u2018hated and buried\u2019 your earliest music. What influenced you to finally re-release it after all this time?  When did you become comfortable with re-issuing those songs?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Amy Lee: <\/strong>I think part of it is just having enough time and space in-between \u2018me now\u2019 and \u2018me then\u2019. I\u2019m not worried at this point that somebody is going to be confused, and that\u2019s going to define me if that makes sense? I was asked \u2018do we want to or not\u2019 when I first started about making this box set thing, and my gut initial thought was \u2018No! No way, I\u2019m never going to release that!\u2019<\/p>\n

But then I thought \u2018You know what? As a fan\u2026I get why that\u2019s cool\u2019.  And I went back and I listened to it, and I was still cringing but I can see the beauty in it y\u2019know, as the very beginnings of what eventually became Evanescence, and me and who I am today. It\u2019s all those beginning little \u2018buds\u2019.<\/p>\n

So I don\u2019t know, I guess growing up a bit and having a little distance from it, I think it\u2019s really cool if I can step outside of myself and my perfectionism just a bit and hear it as a fan. As a fan, I want that y\u2019know, and I want to give that to our fans. There are a lot of requests out there for it and I want to make them happy. So, screw it! It\u2019s only vinyl! [laughs]<\/p>\n

AW: For the release of this box set you re-recorded an old pre-Fallen song, \u2018Even in Death\u2019. What was it like to revisit such an old track after all this time? Does it hold the same emotional meaning for you now as it did back then and could we see more old tracks getting this treatment in the future?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Amy Lee: <\/strong>[responding to last part of question] I don\u2019t know about that part, but recording the song was such a satisfying experience. First of all, I just listened to Origin in its entirety for the first time in many years, and I was just kind of searching for something. Because for all the other albums we have b-sides, there\u2019s songs that didn\u2019t make the cut.<\/p>\n

There is a whole disc full of b-sides for that.  But there wasn\u2019t anything for Origin because it\u2019s, y\u2019know, our early stuff, and I didn\u2019t want to put a weird old demo on there. I wanted it to be something of some<\/em> level of quality [laughs]! So I listened through and I was like \u2018you know what? Is there anything here that can kind of still stand up enough for me to get behind it emotionally and re-record it?\u2019<\/p>\n

Even in Death was that song for me. I think that the production of the old version was really \u2018tinny\u2019 – like rough and cheesy because we\u2019re just sort of kids! We were just kind of learning and trying to experiment to find ways to get the emotion across that we were trying to express, and it was pretty overdramatic. But being able to listen to it through (or past) the production, and into the heart of the song itself and the lyrics, I still love it, y\u2019know?<\/p>\n

So I just stripped it down and did it in a new way, and treated it with the same feeling and emotion and ability that I have now, and did the same treatment that I would give any new song. And that felt really good to do because I\u2019ve only had that old version for so many years. I don\u2019t even know how long, it’s 2016\u2026so that\u2019s about twenty years ago, which is a really crazy thing to say.<\/p>\n

In fact, that is<\/em> how old it is, that song is 20 years old.  So to be able to take that 20 years later and create a version of it that I really love, and I\u2019m not just sharing all the mistakes \u2013 I shouldn\u2019t say mistakes \u2013 all the flaws and the things I wish I could change about it, well\u2026I just did! That like, to me, the song is redeemed and it might as well be new again, I love it again. So I\u2019m very excited to share that one, for sure.<\/p>\n

AW: With the addition of Jen Majura to the lineup, it adds an exciting new element to the Evanescence lineup as you were before the only female in the band (if you don\u2019t count your sisters on backing vocals!). Although it may be too early to tell at this point, how do you feel the addition of Jen will impact the sound of Evanescence going forward?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Amy Lee: <\/strong>That\u2019s interesting to say because we haven\u2019t really written any new material yet as a group. So with that part, it\u2019s hard to put it in those terms, but as for the live show, when you play live there is a \u2018sound\u2019. And depending on the lineup, the songs you\u2019re playing, all of it, each song live has its own \u2018life\u2019 every time you play it and especially every tour.<\/p>\n

So we\u2019ve played several little bursts of shows together now and I love the way we sound, I really do. Jen does have her own little sound and it\u2019s difficult to define or say how it\u2019s different but she\u2019s really talented. She comes from a lot of inspirations that are straight \u2018rock\u2019 like we\u2019ve shared and talked about a love of Aerosmith<\/a>, that kind of stuff.<\/p>\n

So there\u2019s this good solid rock and roll influence in there, but also she really gets into y\u2019know that classical, soft, \u2018metal\u2019 too which I think is important for being a guitar player in Evanescence, or a drummer. To have that backbone so we can take a sidestep into it once and a while.<\/p>\n

She\u2019s the whole package, and sorry if I\u2019m rambling but I\u2019m trying to think out how to best describe how it will be different. Sound-wise I\u2019m not sure yet, but I can tell you that the vibe when we\u2019re all together is really, really fun and positive. I think that our stage \u2018feeling\u2019 has already changed. She just brings such positivity and she\u2019s such a motivated happy spirit!<\/p>\n

She smiles a lot. Smiling on stage, can you imagine? It\u2019s wonderful! One thing that is literally different live is that she sings background vocals. It\u2019s the first time that we\u2019ve been able to have live background vocals going on in an Evanescence show. That\u2019s been really fun and exciting, just to be able to do things on the spot like that.<\/p>\n

AW: Given that your music often has been known to be deeply personal, emotional, and very revealing, how strange was it for you to tap into such a different vibe and range of emotions for \u2018Dream Too Much\u2019? Do you find it easier to write music like this, or does Evanescence\u2019s music come far more naturally?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Amy Lee: <\/strong>I do find it easier to write children\u2019s music if I\u2019m being very honest because it\u2019s all about hooks and repetition. But part of what I wanted to do with this is keep it from being just <\/em>hooks and repetition. I wanted to make it something that would inspire kids\u2019 imaginations and maybe teach them something. So we definitely took it to deeper levels than the most \u2018surface\u2019 level if that makes sense. In \u2018Little Bird\u2019 we\u2019re singing about different birds and we specifically talk about different kinds of birds, and we really use those real bird\u2019s calls [laughs].<\/p>\n

Kids love learning, it’s fun! Jack really lights<\/a> up when he\u2019s learning something. He loves to learn, and I think that\u2019s just how kids work. They\u2019re learning all the time, and especially at that young age.  It was and inspiring to me watching him enjoy it, and we tried to incorporate things that would stimulate the mind while we were making the music. So it wasn\u2019t the simplest of things, but making a giant, complex \u2018200 tracks in a Pro Tools session\u2019 Evanescence song is definitely more work.<\/p>\n

AW: How do you think the birth of your child has changed your outlook on life? Comparing your mindset to your 2011 self-titled, where would you say you are at now mentally?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Amy Lee: <\/strong>It really helps me put things in perspective. I get overwhelmed sometimes. It feels sometimes like things get shifted, it\u2019s the end of the world. Or if anyone thing goes wrong with a project or things don\u2019t go as planned, it just gets to be a lot of pressure and there\u2019s been lots of times, lots of times for sure, during every album cycle where I get overwhelmed.<\/p>\n

Now that there\u2019s something in my life that\u2019s far more important than my career, I don\u2019t get overwhelmed in the same way. I don\u2019t feel like my whole world is falling apart, even if my album is falling apart \u2013 not that I have an album right now that\u2019s falling apart right this minute \u2013 but you know, there\u2019s a point like this all the time.  <\/p>\n

For every one thing you hear from me, I did ten other things that you didn\u2019t hear. So [laughs] there\u2019s plenty of disappointment! You just got to get back out there and keep going! That one didn\u2019t make it into that film; ok well\u2026make another song! And that\u2019s okay. That\u2019s part of it, that\u2019s part of the process.<\/p>\n

I think having Jack just makes things less scary for me. I have more confidence and a little bit more of a light heart in terms of what\u2019s going to kill me and what I can handle. It\u2019s more about him; he\u2019s a little bit more in my center of focus all the time and it makes me really happy. I just know that as long as everything is alright with me and him, that everything else is less important so it\u2019s okay.<\/p>\n

\"1\"<\/p>\n

“(On how her son Jack affects her outlook in life)<\/strong> I think having Jack just makes things less scary for me. I have more confidence and a little bit more of a light heart in terms of what\u2019s going to kill me and what I can handle…”<\/em><\/h4>\n

AW: Dream Too Much was created as a gift for your father. Growing up in a family of musicians, how would you describe your family\u2019s influence on you as a musician? How big of a role did they play in shaping you to be who you are today?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Amy Lee: <\/strong>Aw that\u2019s so sweet! What a great question! My dad was my hero as a kid, and I mean he still is. Musically my dad was just one of those guys that could pick up any instrument, work on it for a little while and be able to play it. And I don\u2019t think that\u2019s really me, but that\u2019s what I\u2019ve aspired to be like.<\/p>\n

My dad plays the drums, my dad can play the guitar, he plays the ukulele and we moved to Arkansas when I was 13, and O Brother Where Art Thou came out and he decided \u2018oh cool I want to play the banjo now!\u2019 He got really inspired and practiced for 2-3 hours a day for a year until he became this great banjo player \u2013 just for fun!  Not for any reason, not because he was in a band, but just because he loves music.<\/p>\n

That was a big inspiration for me, all of that, growing up. He was a big influence to me and he\u2019s a big influence on this record in a very tangible way. Like \u2018Goodnight My Love\u2019 was my lullaby growing up, me and my siblings. \u2018Rubber Ducky\u2019 was a song he played for us a million times, usually in the Ernie voice [laughs] but I made him drop the Ernie voice for this.<\/p>\n

And then the other songs which are inspired by Jack, y\u2019know they have their own world a little bit, but since my dad, and my sisters and my uncle were all a part of it, I really wanted to keep in all the realm of my family and my roots. What we sound like (only better) when we\u2019re jamming together.<\/p>\n

My parents got me piano lessons, and encouraged me to be in a band and be a musician, even though I was making music as a teenager that disturbed them a little bit, they would always drive me to the pizza place to put on a weird show in the middle of the day and support me the best that they could and I love them for that.<\/p>\n

AW: This is the beginning of the return of Evanescence. You guys will be going back on tour in the US for the first time in years. While you have not commented publicly on a new album being in the works, what are some of the fun things fans can expect on this upcoming tour and in the year ahead? Have you guys begun work on the early foundations of some new songs?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Amy Lee: <\/strong> I don\u2019t want to give it away, because here\u2019s where we\u2019re at: we\u2019re in the phase where we usually spend the month or two months leading up to the tour, talking about the setlist, getting ideas, asking fans on the internet what they\u2019d like to hear and mixing that with our own desires of what we\u2019d like to play and what we know works live and what hasn\u2019t in the past.<\/p>\n

We take in all those things and start building a setlist plan, and then we all practice on our own. We\u2019re going to have a week to practice at the beginning of the tour and hammer that all out. See what works when we come together and what doesn\u2019t, so I at this point don\u2019t exactly know what we\u2019ll end up playing.<\/p>\n

Because we\u2019ve built kind of a bigger setlist than what we\u2019ll actually play. We\u2019ll practice things, cut out the weakest two songs, and throw in something that we didn\u2019t think we were gonna play, y\u2019know all that stuff happens in rehearsal.<\/p>\n

So, our goal always is \u2013 when you\u2019re playing shows and you don\u2019t have a new album that you\u2019re touring at the same time, you have to find ways to make it interesting. Because we have a lot of really die-hard, wonderful, lifelong fans who come to all the shows. So I don\u2019t want to do the same songs, I don\u2019t want to do the same setlist that we did when we played a couple of months ago or last October. They\u2019ve got to be something different somehow.<\/p>\n

So in light of all this box set stuff, and revisiting history, we\u2019re going back to the vault and looking for songs that we haven\u2019t played for a long time, or haven\u2019t played before and seeing how we can spice up the setlist with some things that will make the fans very happy. So without getting too<\/em> specific, let\u2019s see where that takes us.<\/p>\n

AW: That\u2019s awesome! Well hey, thank you for taking the time out to talk with us, I know you have a busy schedule today so\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

Amy Lee: <\/strong>[interjecting] that\u2019s everyday man! Now that I have a child it’s work, work, work, and then later there\u2019s a different kind of work, work, work [laughs]. Get up super early, stay up super late. I still have time to go sifting through my attic, because I don\u2019t have anything to wear! For the tour! I just realized three weeks out I usually design a thing or two, and I am working on that with a friend kind of, but I\u2019m getting close and I\u2019m like \u201cokay! I have to put outfits together!\u201d<\/p>\n

Usually, I\u2019m ahead of this, and I\u2019ve been digging through all this old stuff that I\u2019ve had from the beginning and it\u2019s so fun to look at! I\u2019m so glad I got to keep so many cool things. So yeah, late at night after the baby has gone to bed and I\u2019ve done everything else, I go digging through closets and try to put outfits together before I fall asleep. So that\u2019s a fun project for me.<\/p>\n

AW: That\u2019s hilarious because one of my other writers Amanda wanted me to ask about your potential outfits for the tour if I had time to ask, so you just answered that question for her. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Amy Lee: <\/strong>There\u2019s always gotta be something new! Just because I have to face the internet, and have them be like \u2018she wore the same thing last time\u2019! I can\u2019t do that. I gotta be cool, I gotta be fresh, but my whole inspiration for this tour right now is a fresh twist on the history of the band, if that makes any sense. A throwback in a new way.<\/p>\n

So it\u2019ll be cool to be able to go through the old stuff that I\u2019ve used before and kind of twist it and change it and alter it and maybe, I don\u2019t know, mix and match. I\u2019m going to do that plus some new stuff, so yeah! There\u2019s always the clothing element, and the visual element part of the whole thing so I enjoyed it a lot. So there! You got your bonus question!<\/p>\n

AW: Thank you! That was awesome. Thank you for taking the time out to speak with us today.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Amy Lee: <\/strong> Thank you!<\/p>\n

BONUS:<\/strong> Check out the interview<\/a> we did with Amy Lee a few months after this.<\/em><\/p>\n

Amy Lee – “If You’re A Star” (From Her Children’s Album ‘Dream Too Much’):<\/h1>\n