„Everyone has their fears, demons, self-doubts“

Only a few days left until your album release. In terms of name, the new album isn't too different from the last. But: A new era begins, moving from the “Abyss” to the “Surface” and finally to “Elysium”. Storytelling seems to come naturally to you. How do you manage to connect all your works so seamlessly?

Especially for “Abyss”, it was a way for me to let some emotions out. For the previous records, we were always basing the songs and the lyrics in history. There was always a way to incorporate ourselves, but for “Abyss” and this new trilogy I've had more opportunities to use personal experiences and feelings. By doing so, I guess, it feels more true and personal. 

Can you tell me more about the process behind your trilogies? Do you finish one album, or are you already working on all three albums ahead of time?

We planned ahead, so we could have a full picture of this trilogy. We worked on the whole concept for the three albums, we worked on the visuals for the three albums. Not that they are completely done, but we had to give an overview to the people, who were working on, for example, the artworks, or the videos, so that they would have a complete overview to create the material while having in mind what’s coming next. In terms of songs, we started writing for the next one already. But it’s not like we wrote the three albums at the same time. We focused on Abyss, and we wanted to give ourselves the time to create the next one, but also to let Abyss live its life. So a bit of both, yeah.

You've described the new album as “ominous darkness,” and in the lyrics, it feels like the Abyss also refers to the human psyche and its abyss.

Yeah, I think, it’s a metaphor for the parts of the mind that are a little darker. You know, everyone has their fears, demons, self-doubts. Those are things, that everybody goes through in their lifes and has to deal with. That’s how we came up with the title “Abyss” - we think, it’s a metaphor for the dark place. 

There’s a noticeable shift in your music. The songs and music videos are different from your previous albums. Why this change?

It felt right to us. When I wrote the first half of the first album, I was alone, and it was more like me plus the producer and the influences I had back then and that was more symphonic. And then the guys came, and we continued to write together, but the direction was more symphonic. And now we are evolving as musicians and as people. We decided, we wanted to go towards a more modern direction. And for the second and third record, we were doing it already, but in a more conservative way. We thought “Oh, we started out as a symphonic band, we cannot completely change.” But you can already see, we were taking steps towards modern metal. And for this record we were like „What do we really want to write? If we don’t take into account, where we started and expectations and boxes, what do we really want to write?“ And though symphonic orchestrations make sense in the music that we are writing today, it turns out very little amounts of orchestrations or symphonic elements made it into this album. And it just feels right. It feels like it represents us today.

In your last interview for Dark Divas in March 2023, you hinted at moving in a different direction—something “special,“ as you said. How long has this album been in the works?

That’s a good question. I don’t remember how far we were in the thinking process back then. But we’ve been talking about this concept for a long time. We started properly working on songs in the second half of last year, and then we met, in the beginning of december. We did a songwriting retreat, and then we got together again this year to really properly work on the songs. But we’ve been talking about the concept for quite a few months before starting the writing process. But I don't know exactly… If You say that, I was already hinting at some stuff. (laughs) Maybe we were already talking about some changes, perhaps not the whole thing, but some changes we’ve had in mind.

In “Surrender,” you showed off your choreographed dancing skills. Singer, songwriter, and dancer—a triple threat! Where do you find the energy?

I don’t know. (laughs) I have to give credits to Nick for the choreography idea because he saw some stuff that he liked in some different genre, or I don’t know exactly what it was. And he was like “Oh, it would be cool to do this.” Because it’s not very often that you see that in metal. I would not say ever because there’s been some - but you would not see that on a regular basis. So he was like “Why don’t we do this”, and I happened to have a friend, Joséphine Remy, we grew up in the same village, and went to the same schools and she’s now a professional dancer and choreographer in America. And I was like: “I know the person for this!” and that was the first time we actually collaborated professionally with her art and mine. She is a fantastic person. But that doesn’t really answer your question, I’m sorry. (laughs)

That’s okay, it’s so cool that your childhood friend is also a part of your art. And your energy seems to come naturally to you. It’s just in your blood. 

Eat, sleep and sunlight. (laughs)

And music.

And music, as well! (laughs)

The song and video end on a cliffhanger—I’m talking about the robotic eye, and you stop singing mid-sentence. Can you tell me a bit about what happens next as a little teaser?

We have a new video coming out, I'm pretty sure, it’s next week, and you will already see some hints. Because we have been planting some easter eggs in each video that hint to the next one. I say “we”, but it’s actually the video director, because we told him, like I said, “This is the concept for the three albums and we want to connect each video to the next for the three albums” And he came up with a concept. So this robotic eye, you will already see a hint in the next video - but it will make a lot more sense in the video after the next one. It comes out after the album release. Kami (Zero), who did the makeup and costumes for a lot of videos, transformed me completely, to a point where you don’t even recognize me. That was so much fun. There were so many steps to this transformation and every time I took pictures for my husband and he was like “that’s not you anymore”. (laughs) I was looking at myself in selfie mode on my phone, and I was like “Woah, woah!” (laughs)

You have three tours lined up for the end of 2024 and early 2025—two with Ad Infinitum and one with Dark Side of the Moon. 

Actually, we just announced one more tour with Dark Side of the Moon. It’s very fresh.

Oh, wow! Do you enjoy being on tour? 

Yes! Especially when you tour with people you appreciate. Like for example now we are going on tour with Blackbriar, with whom we have been touring already last year, with Kamelot and Frozen Crown, and there’s a good energy. When you work with people, who have been on the road too and understand how it feels, there’s just a good vibe. We help each other and we interact with the fans. Which is the biggest reward, when you’re a musician and you get to share your music all around the world - I say the world, we have visited two continents so far (laughs) - But when you work so hard on something that you love and then get the chance to get on stage and then you see, that people are actually enjoying it and singing along and all of that. So it’s really empowering. It is exhausting, it is demanding on the mind and body. Because you are on the road, you don’t sleep in your own bed, but ultimately it’s what our little selves, 20 years ago, were dreaming about.

Do you have a tour ritual to get back in the zone?

When it’s not a good day, I have some songs that make me feel better. It depends on the latest releases but for the last tour, I think, it was some Bring Me The Horizon song or Bad Omens – but it could also be Dua Lipa. (laughs) With the band we have a playlist, I'm not sure if I'm supposed to say this (laughs) but it’s called “Ad In-Booty-Bounce”. (laughs) And we play it before we go on stage sometimes. We all contributed to this playlist, so they are songs we all like.

The year isn't over yet, but do you already know which experiences you would call your milestones for 2024?

I guess, for me, the easy answer is Ad Infinitum going to America for the first time. Our first North American tour - that is definitely your milestone, that we were looking forward to for a long time, and it’s been, kind of, postponed, and we finally did it and had such a good time. That would be the one. 

And your Solo Career is also starting off.

Yeah! That’s also a milestone, actually. I’ve been wanting to release one of my songs for a long time and been writing for a long time too, but I always prioritized my bands. And finally, I got the chance to take the time to properly work on it and I released ‘Gravitate’ this year. And I have more songs coming. You know these are all songs that would not fit Ad Infinitum and Dark Side of the Moon and nobody had any expectations of me doing anything, so I can just do whatever, it can be Pop Rock it can be whatever, and I have fun with that. So my goal is to release more on a regular basis.

Thank you, Melissa!