HM: So, let’s start with question about your new album, “Vervain”, that was released in the end of October on Napalm Records. My first question will be – where did that name come from? Are U a fan of vampire stories and tales?
LK: Yeah, but older ones, like those really
black and white movies, “Nosferatu”
and that stuff. That’s my favorite kind of thing, and we used that as
inspiration for “Theater of Tragedy”,
my former band. But actually – “Vervain” is the perfume of my husband and I just discovered one morning.
AvG: No way, that is so cool!
LK: Well, of course I know his perfumes, but I
just realized – “That is such a
wonderful-sounding word”, and I just loved the sound of it, it’s good,
it fits. And that is the story,
that’s all. There is nothing big about it.
HM: On this album, there was a lot of collaboration, for example with Doro. Do U enjoy working with someone
or are U more of a “solo” person?
LK: Well, so far I haven’t released an album
with just me and a sort of triangle around me. I enjoy working with my band and do cooperation. That’s very important to me, actually, because I
gather a lot of influence from cooperation and duets. And also “The Sirens” – it’s very inspiring to me. U discover new facets
to yourself and when it comes to singing – U do it in different situations,
like 3 female voices on stage, and also U have to include everything and
everybody when U are recording on tape. It’s very inspiring, I do love
cooperation. And it doesn’t really matter to me who it is, how big it is – the
most important thing is the sound of the voice and if I like the song. It might
be a garage band somewhere from Honolulu.
AvG: That’s sound cool, a garage band from
Honolulu.
LK: Yeah, could be an inspiration.
HM: Back in 2004 U did vocals on Cradle of Filth’s “Nymphetamine”. In my opinion, and no offense meant to any other
singer, no one did better than U with the concept of “beauty and the beast”, which U introduced years ago. How did U come
to work with Dani?
LK: The management
of Cradle tried to contact me and I
kept putting their emails in spam because I thought it was a joke. There were such names as Tori Amos, Kate Bush and Cristina Scabbia
and I thought: “Yeah, right…”. And then the phone rang and it was management:
“We’ve got to deliver tomorrow. Can
U do it?”. I was like: “Ok, send me the song”. I was in a moment of just
becoming a mom and Dani had young kids himself. I called him up in his London
studio and said: “Ok, I’m gonna do it, and this is my idea. I wanna do this
Kylie Minogue and Nick Cave kind of thing”. Dani was absolutely happy, he was over the moon. And then something
happened a month later. I was driving in my car to pick my song from grandma
and they said on radio, that some
singer from Swabia area in Germany have been nominated for Grammy in LA. And nobody had told me! So I heard it on the radio.
Motorhead got the Grammy, but it was very nice thing. That’s also one big inspiration for me.
HM: Last historical question. On first Leaves’
Eyes, there was a song called “Norwegian
Lovesong”. To my ear, it sounds lots like another Norwegian band called
“Immortal”. By any chance, was there influence?
LK: “Leaves’ Eyes” is absolutely purely solely
based on my Norwegian broods and
heritage and my love for Viking mythology and history. “Leaves’ Eyes” is
just something that appeared as idea during morning run. And I told my husband
and it clicked – we went to studio and that was “Leaves’ Eyes”.
HM: Back to you, Anneke. U already had lots of collaboration throughout your career.
Do U think it’s possible in future to set up something like “Women of metal” project/show (not like
Metal Female Voices) with variety of female vocals? Would that be of interest to U?
AvG: I think so and actually I know some
people, who are working on this. And
as far as I know – they are thinking of making it more modern, so to say.
Nowadays U have these kids, these girls, that do massive good singing, but they
also like growling and screaming, so they do like everything.
I think that is really cool to include these guys with such a show. Because
emphasis always go on something like opera style, but it could be cool if U
make a show with this ladies, because they have also massive singing voices, they are really great.
HM: U’re talking about someone like Alissa White-Gluz from “Arch Enemy”?
AvG: Yeaaaah, for instance, as she is massive. I know people are working on
it, they are Dutch based, as I know. I think in one or two years, they are
gonna make something cool, just like U proposed.
HM: Since we last met in Nov 2013, what has changed for U like a musician? Some amazing plans? Any new projects?
AvG: Well, actually, the project with Arjen (Lucassen, “The Gentle Storm”) is my next thing which I’m focusing on. It’s
coming out in March so we are busy
with preparations.
HM: You are hitting the tour after that?
AvG: Yeah, we are going to do some festivals, also clubs, all over the places, so 2015 will be mostly based on that.
And, actually, we’re doing some festivals with “The Sirens”, like 4 of them.
HM: OK. Who’s your favorite singer of all
times? Both male and female.
AvG: Well, I have few. Can I have few, haha?
Well, I’d say Freddie Mercury, he is
one of a kind. I love singer of “Faith No More” – Mike Patton. For female – I’d say Kate Bush.
HM: With both of your husbands being part of
the band – does it help? Or
sometimes, on the contrary, it’s like a distraction?
AvG: Well, I personally love having Rob
(Snijders) around. He knows me, he knows what I can do best, he knows what I
cannot do best and he is very honest with me. I’m not with my head in
the clouds, I’m much more focused
because of him. How about you, Liv?
LK: Absolutely!
If somebody can see through U - that’s a good thing. U don’t have a manager, that goes “Oh yeah, she looks
good”, but a person that is being honest and it’s not like U have a dollar sign on your forehead. That’s
also what differs from what manager may do, whereas husband knows
all sides of U. And also, in my case, he is the one who pushes me that last 1% when I do 99%.
HM: Liv, in one of your interviews, U mentioned
“Anathema” and “Paradise Lost” being inspirational for U. Do U think there can be
some project with them?
LK: Oh, yeah, absolutely, I’d love that.
HM: But who introduced U to those bands?
LK: Oh, we were young, we were kids partying up
there in the darkness of Norway,
eager to find things about new bands.
So we hung out to the local record
stores and every time there was something – we would spend all of our pocket money on it. So we were really searching and digging for
new bands.
HM: Back
in 2004, you took part in project called “Genius”
– a rock opera. Have you ever been
offered to participate in other super-groups and projects, like Avantasia or Aina?
LK: Well, that would be awesome, because it’s
great to use your voice in different
manner, to feel the atmosphere, to get on stage. Sometimes U need to change your vocal settings or singing manners
and I think that’s what U learn from. Your experience when everything is set in
a new frame and installation –it’s a challenge and it’s good. I think it makes
us who we are with all experiences and still going on after all these years. Experience is everything – the studio,
the stage, everything.
HM: Anneke,
how did it happen with “The Sirens”?
I remember, it was initially yours idea? U both have lots of collaborative
projects, but how have U decided to work all together?
AvG: Oh, you know, we met at one festival and
then we said: “We know each other for so-o-o long, but we never really worked
together”. That day we decided we
should do it. That was like ideas sprung from that moment. And we also took a picture together, put it on Facebook
and things exploded like: “Oh, holy shit, Liv and Anneke, together?”. And then
we decided – we definitely need to do something together, because people
apparently like us together. Then we called Kari (Rueslatten) in a deal, because there are a lot of duets, but
to have a trio – that is more
unique, in a way. It’s like 3 tenors, but then it’s us.
HM: That leads me to question for Liv. U have a younger sister – Carmen – how is it so, that we haven’t heard a duet yet?
LK: Oh, U know, I’m on her latest album with
her band “Savn”. And she was
appearing every now and then on “Leaves’
Eyes”, but she just became mom
for the second time, so she has been busy.
HM: The last question. You are both moms, of
your respective works, you would choose as a lullaby for your children?
AvG: I did once a lullaby song with “The
Gathering”, that is called “Lullaby”
and I still love that song, because it’s sweet
and with good message, like “Sleep,
close your eyes, everything is gonna be fine in the morning”, a classical
one. Did U ever make a lullaby, Liv?
LK: Not really, but the same kind of thing you,
Anneke, did with “Lullaby”. It’s with “Leaves’ Eyes” and it’s called “For Emily”. The thing is – first I
thought my baby is going to be girl,
and that was supposed to be Emily. But then I realized, after the song had been
recorded, that it’s Leon, it’s a boy!
But he knows the story and he’s OK with that. So, “For Emily” is actually “For
Leon”.
HM: Thanks you so much, ladies, it has been a
pleasure. See you on stage!
LK, AvG: Thank you too, see you, guys!