"This album isn’t about pleasing the metal scene"

Melissa, in just a few weeks your first solo album Cherry Red Apocalypse will be released. How are you feeling right now – more excitement or more nervousness?

Melissa: Definitely nervousness! I consciously decided to release this album independently and do everything according to my own vision. Working solo is very different, because the responsibility is entirely on me. I had to make sure every detail was right and that everything came together in the end. On top of that, this project is very different from what I usually do with my band – and that’s exactly what makes it so exciting.

You deliberately chose to release the album without a label. Why was that independence so important to you?

Melissa: I really wanted to see how far my fans and I could push this together. At the same time, I wanted the freedom to work at my own pace and to directly see the results of my hard work.

A solo album doesn’t just happen overnight. When did the idea first become concrete for you?

Melissa: That’s a good question, because I actually wanted to start writing my own music back in 2020. I did start, but then things got very busy – especially with Ad Infinitum. I toured with Kamelot, did many collaborations and other projects. It simply took time until I could really sit down and fully commit to it.

The first songs that actually made it onto the album were written in January 2023. I kept working on it throughout 2023 and 2024, but the moment when I truly had the time to properly assemble the album was November and December 2024, and January and February 2025. It was a long process, but the clear and conscious decision to fully commit to the project came at the end of 2024.

During such a long process, was there ever a point where the whole plan felt shaky – where you thought you might have to start over?

Melissa: Whenever I return to songwriting after a longer break, the first ideas are rarely the best ones. There’s always that initial moment of doubt, where you think maybe you can’t do it anymore. But I keep going, I stay with it – and eventually it starts to feel right again.

It’s a bit like going back to the gym after six months. You can’t just continue where you left off, you have to ease back into it. Songwriting works the same way for me: first the creative muscles have to wake up again. Once that happens, the feeling gradually returns.

You’re also constantly learning new things – maybe a new plugin, or a new way of writing that suddenly clicks. At some point it starts to feel like a creative reboot. That can be discouraging at first, but once you get past it, it feels good and natural again.

When you compare songwriting for your bands with writing for your solo album – what’s the biggest difference for you?

Melissa: With Ad Infinitum, we’re four songwriters. There’s constant back-and-forth: I send an idea to Nik, he works on it, then we refine it together. Or ideas get passed around between all of us, or we write together in the same room. There are four creative minds pushing and complementing each other.

For my solo album, it was completely different. I often sat alone in my room, building songs from scratch – programming drums, recording vocals, playing guitar, trying everything myself. When I sent something to my producer Vikram, it already had to be a very clear framework. The direction, mood, and idea had to be immediately understandable.

That really pushed my songwriting forward. The demos were much more detailed and fleshed out than usual, because I had to fully embed my vision into them. It was more work, but incredibly educational.

What kind of freedom did you consciously want to allow yourself with this album – things that aren’t possible in your bands?

Melissa: I think it really came down to writing without boundaries. Even though we’re very open creatively with Ad Infinitum, in the end we’re still writing a metal album. The same applies to The Dark Side Of The Moon – there are stylistic borders we don’t cross.

With Cherry Red Apocalypse, that was different. A song like Highs and Lows simply wouldn’t fit on an Ad Infinitum album. And that’s exactly what excited me. I wanted to allow myself to be very organic in some songs, to almost completely strip away modern and electronic elements – and then do the exact opposite with a track like Snake Bites.

I knew that this variety might feel unusual to some listeners, because the album moves through very different moods and soundscapes. That’s why I asked for a lot of feedback and shared demos, specifically asking: does this make sense as a whole? Does it fit together?

In the end, it really did. The album feels like a journey – it goes to many different places, but still feels cohesive. It doesn’t sound like a random playlist, but like a connected body of work.

The album sometimes leans into much poppier territory. Who were your main inspirations there?

Melissa: Bands like Paramore and Fall Out Boy for sure, plus a bit of Olivia Rodrigo – more pop rock and pop punk influences. That music just has this sense of freedom. If you listen to Afterglow, you can really hear the Fall Out Boy influence. I can already see myself on stage with so much energy. Mama, Let Me Go has more of a Fleetwood Mac vibe. And of course, there’s still some metal in there – I simply can’t completely let go of metal.

Overall, I’d say Paramore, Fall Out Boy, Fleetwood Mac, and even a bit of Miley Cyrus were big influences.

How do you expect listeners to react to these poppier elements?

Melissa: First of all, with Ad Infinitum we’ve already done a pretty good job of annoying people – especially with Surrender – so that’s nothing new. But with Cherry Red Apocalypse, I knew from the start that this album wouldn’t meet everyone’s expectations. And that was actually the greatest freedom. I could fully trust my own instincts and do what felt right to me.

People who approach music openly, without strict genre boundaries, will connect with it. Those expecting a classic metal album probably won’t. This album is not an attempt to please the metal scene. It’s about creating something I fully stand behind and want to bring on stage with conviction – for those who connect with the emotions behind it.

Songs like Afterglow will have an insane amount of energy live. It’s going to be a huge party – and I’m really looking forward to that. Funny enough, I actually booked the first show for this project during this very interview.

Congratulations! And speaking of the live implementation: do you already have concrete visuals in mind for how you want to design your shows – in terms of stage setup, outfits, and the overall atmosphere on stage?

Melissa: Yes, absolutely. It’s very important to me to consciously do something different from Ad Infinitum – this project needs to stand clearly on its own. My vision moves away from a very modern aesthetic. You can already see that reflected in the album artwork with the tree in the background, which captures that direction quite well.

I imagine a combination of dark, more classic metal elements – black, depth, a certain heaviness – paired with something very natural and organic. Branches, natural structures, flowers are absolutely essential for me. You could almost say: hippie meets metal (laughs).

Was there anything you learned in the context of your solo work that you now automatically take with you into your band projects?

Melissa: Yes! I spent an incredible amount of time refining the vocals down to the smallest details – even the parts that might seem insignificant at first glance. That wasn’t just about the lead vocals, but also about harmonies, subtle nuances, and delicate vocal effects. Those kinds of elements often only emerge when you consciously take the time and plan them intentionally.

I’ve since brought that approach into the songwriting for Ad Infinitum as well. I especially enjoyed treating my voice more strongly as an additional instrument – not just as a lead, but also in the background, through vocal layers, textures, or small effects. It’s not strictly necessary, but when it’s there, it adds an extra layer of depth to the songs. And honestly: now that I’ve worked this way so intensely, I can hardly imagine going back without it.

For Cherry Red Apocalypse, you also brought in vocal support – and with Yu Umehara, you very deliberately integrated a Japanese voice. When did it become clear to you that “Snake Bites” needed exactly this facet?

Melissa: When I wrote “Snake Bites”, something very spontaneous happened. I was scrolling through Instagram and came across a quote that roughly said: “The poison of the snake cannot penetrate the skin of the dragon.” That sentence immediately caught my attention, so I slightly adapted it in my head.

I grabbed my little lyric notebook and wrote down: “You can’t kill a dragon with a snake bite” – and instantly felt how well it flowed. I spontaneously recorded the line on my phone with a slightly rap-like feel. At first, I thought I’d come back to it later because I was actually working on a different song. But then it was clear: no, I have to do this now, while it’s still fresh. So I took two days and focused entirely on this song.

While I was programming samples and working on the arrangement, an increasingly strong Asian vibe started to emerge. That’s when the idea came to me that a second verse in Japanese would fit perfectly – especially with this dragon and snake imagery.

I reached out to Yu and explained my idea: that I really wanted Japanese lyrics in the song, but couldn’t write them myself, and asked if she could imagine singing on the track and helping me with the translation. Thankfully, she immediately said yes.

I’m incredibly grateful to her because she did an amazing job. She sent me several lyric and vocal variations and even recorded demos so I could get a feeling for the flow. When you read Japanese, you often have no real sense of how it will sound. In the end, we chose the version together that felt the best, and then she recorded the final vocals. That’s how the feature came to life.

Alongside the more traditional songs, the album also features the special “Crescent Moon Interlude” with Adrienne Cowan (Seven Spires) and Fabienne Erni (Eluveitie, Illumishade) – less of a musical transition and more of a very personal dialogue. How did this idea come about?

Melissa: It was important to me to create a conscious moment of pause on the album – a kind of breath between songs. The idea actually came from an Ariana Grande album. There’s a track on it where, if I remember correctly, her grandmother talks about planets. I really loved that concept: no traditional song for a moment, but still something meaningful, something that stays with you.

When I wrote the interlude, I knew from the beginning that it should feel more like a conversation. That’s why I asked Adrienne and Fabienne. I feel like the three of us are at a very similar point in our careers. We’re roughly the same age – Fabienne and I are even just a few days apart – and even though Adrienne is a bit younger, we belong to the same generation of metal singers. We share similar experiences, go through comparable phases, and build our careers in similar ways. For me, that simply felt right.

Content-wise, I also designed the interlude so that it flows directly into the next song, “Spellbound.” You can already hear the music coming in, the first vocals appearing – it gently transitions into the next chapter of the album. Overall, I wanted to create something very intimate and personal.

Which song turned out to be the biggest challenge for you during writing or recording?

Melissa: Definitely “Mama, Let Me Go.” That song was especially demanding because it has a strong Fleetwood Mac vibe – a sonic aesthetic from a completely different era. Capturing that feeling was exactly what we wanted, but it’s not easy to do.

Even during the writing process it was challenging, because the song is extremely stripped down. There are no dense arrangements, no layers of instruments, samples or effects. Everything is very bare and pure, and that means every single note, every hit really matters.

During the drum recordings, we realized we needed to take a step back. We put the song aside for a while and focused on the other tracks. Jacob (note: producer Jacob Hansen) then had the idea to use a different drum kit – an original 1970s kit he happened to have in the studio at the time. It had a completely different sound.

Morten (note: Morten Løwe Sørensen, drummer for Amaranthe and The Dark Side of the Moon, and husband of Melissa) first recorded the drums for all the other songs. Then the original kit was taken down and this special collector’s piece was set up. After that, we tested several versions, because with this song you hear absolutely everything. Every hit has to be placed consciously, and there’s very little room for fixing things later.

Structurally, it was also demanding: deciding exactly where the song begins, where the energy shifts, and where it needs to pull back again. And finally, the vocals were challenging too, because every detail is exposed. All in all, “Mama, Let Me Go” was definitely the biggest challenge on the album.

And behind that “nakedness” there’s also a very specific story. What did you process emotionally in “Mama, Let Me Go”?

Melissa: The song is dedicated to my parents and is based on a very clear, almost cinematic memory. It’s about the moment I left home – the decision to quit my job, leave Switzerland behind, and seriously try to build a life as a musician.

Switzerland is a very expensive country, and I felt that I would have better chances somewhere else, at least at the beginning. Today I live in Denmark, but my first step back then was Austria. I packed my car, a friend helped me find a place to live, and I gave up a well-paid, secure job that my parents were actually quite happy about.

They always supported me, even though the question was obviously there: Is this really the right decision? But for me it was very clear, because I was simply unhappy in that job in Switzerland. It wasn’t the life I saw for myself.

The song captures that exact farewell moment: everything is packed, I’m standing by the car, my parents are standing in the doorway, waving goodbye. It’s an incredibly emotional scene. I remember very clearly how hard I tried not to cry, because saying goodbye is difficult – especially when you’re leaving your home and moving to another country.

When things become this personal, outside feedback can feel even more intimidating. Which voice in your head was the loudest right before everything was finished?

Melissa: As long as an album isn’t out yet and you don’t see real reactions, there’s always this lingering uncertainty: Will it find an audience? Will people like it? And in the end, will they actually show up to the shows?

When you are part of a band, or even several bands, and then suddenly step out on your own, there is an extra layer of judgement added. That feeling quickly appears of: “She’s the singer of band X, now she’s doing her own thing let’s see what she can really do on her own.” The focus shifts much more toward whether you can stand on your own without the familiar environment around you.

One of my biggest fears was exactly that: whether I could convince people that I can do just that. Over the years, it has always been important to me to show that I do more than “just” sing. Of course, it is completely valid to be only a singer many people want exactly that, and that is absolutely fine. But for me personally, it mattered to make visible that I am actively involved, that I put in the work and that I am part of the creative process.

Especially with female singers, I often feel there is an extra spotlight pointed at them: “Can she really do more than just sing?” That is precisely the image I have always wanted to challenge. And this solo project is also a way for me to show what I am capable of on my own, standing on my own two feet.

What do you hope the album will trigger in people who truly allow themselves to engage with it?

Melissa: I hope that people feel strengthened and seen. Many of the songs deal with emotions that I believe a lot of listeners can relate to. Whether it’s feelings like those in “I’m A Monster” or “I Don’t Like You”, or simply that moment when you read the lyrics and think, “Okay, I’ve felt this too.”
If someone listens to the album and realises that they’re not alone with these thoughts and emotions, then it has achieved exactly what I hoped for.

It sounds like an album that doesn’t just show who you are to the outside world, but also works inward. If Cherry Red Apocalypse were a mirror, what would you see reflected in it?

Melissa: I think it would show a version of myself that has become calmer and has learned from her experiences. A version that accepts the world more as it is. Many of the songs reflect these life lessons I’ve gathered over time. They help me look at situations with a bit more distance, especially when things don’t turn out the way you hoped they would.

You mentioned earlier how strongly this project is carried by the community. With that in mind, what would you like to share with people before the album is finally released?

Melissa: What’s important to me is to emphasise that this truly is an independent release. That means the success or even the failure of this album depends directly on how much people love it and support it.

And so far, that support has been incredible. We have a fanbase that is unbelievably engaged and genuinely committed to helping the music travel further. That’s anything but a given.

Not to brag, but simply to illustrate how strong that support is: the vinyl sold out within two weeks which was actually my entire stock planned until the release. I then had more pressed, one coloured version and one classic black version, and the coloured vinyl sold out again within just a few days. That support means so much to me, because I think people see that I’m doing this without a label, completely on my own and that’s exactly why they help carry the music out into the world.

Especially in a time where you’re constantly fighting algorithms, big companies and rigid structures, this shows me something really important: fans still have the power to push an album, to make an artist visible, and to make music truly heard. And for that, I’m endlessly grateful.

Cherry Red Apocalypse will be released on 26 January 2026. You can pre-order it here.