Romanian Rock FM talks to Amy: "BMTL Will Always Bind Us"

[rionka]

Amy Lee from Evanescence: "In Romania I filmed the video for the song "Bring Me To Life". That will always bind us."
Posted on April 27, 2022 at letsrock.ro - translated by google, edited by rionka

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Rock FM had a chance to talk with Amy Lee, the beloved singer of the band Evanescence. We will see Evanescence again on stage at the Romanian Arena in Bucharest, with the supporting band YONAKA from Great Britain, this summer on June 7, 2022.

Below is the discussion I had with Amy Lee.

Rock FM: I'm glad we can talk again. It's been a long time since the previous meeting.
Amy Lee: When was the last time we saw each other?

In 2012!
That's right. I can't believe time passed so quickly.

Tell me if you're ready to start the interview.
No problem. Let's go.

This is not the first time you come to Romania. Tell me if you remember anything about the previous shows in Bucharest.
Well, I remember ... it's a wonderful place. I was really wondering if we would still play there. It looks almost like a colosseum. Like an old Roman construction. Do you have any idea what I mean?

Yes. The place is called "The Roman Arena".
Exactly. I don't think we'll play there this time.

Yes. That's where you'll sing.
I've been there once or twice in the last few years and it's been great. I remember we were all sweating badly. And I kept saying to myself that I didn't know it was so hot in Bucharest. (laughs) It was very nice. I would even say that there was something magical. We always find beautiful places full of history in Europe. It's extra special. And in Romania I filmed the video for the song "Bring Me To Life". That will always bind us. After I got my passport, Romania was the first country I went to.



I think you're tired of this question, but I want to know how the pandemic affected you. How has your new record been influenced?
It has really affected us. We were supposed to go on tour with Within Temptation, we had started working on the new album ... Even if we didn't have all the songs composed, we started releasing them. It was the last time we saw each other face to face for many months. Luck made us record some ideas and we practically had the singles ready when the time came. We had to stay away from each other, but that only made us want to go back on stage. No one knew what would happen next, or how long it would take. We decided to release singles periodically and hope that everything will pass as soon as possible. During this time I worked a lot on new songs from home. We came up with a lot of ideas, and then we put it all together. All the luck made our producer live quite close to me. I was able to work pretty much without any problems. We sent demo versions by email, we talked, that's how time passed. On a deeper level, I felt that the pressure from all over the world was almost tangible. There was so much to say, so much to feel.

Did you feel pressure from those who kept asking you when a new Evanescence album would be released?
No. No way. I didn't feel that. Do you know what I mean? I always thought it was true, but to be able to write music, I wanted things to come naturally. Without forcing anything. I don't think you can do a good job if you force things. Even in life. It is good not to force certain situations. We all had various other projects. And I have more sides besides what I play with Evanescence. It's good that we could try different ways. But right now I'm very happy to be able to write something new with my bandmates. It was the right time. We really wanted to.

What's "The Bitter Truth"? What lies behind this name?
We're all going to die one day! (laughs) That's about it. Even though this is the basis, I have touched on many other topics. It is good to know, no matter how hard it is, that we are better aware of a painful truth than to enjoy a happy lie.

Is it hard in 2022 for a woman to play metal? Be such an important part of the rock scene?
No, it's awesome. Superb. It really is. I felt different a few years ago. But things have changed a lot over time. Many new bands and artists have appeared. People relaxed. There is nothing more amazing. We are unique in our own way. We are not trying to imitate anyone. We don't want to fall into a pattern.

When you started Evanescence, did you suspect that you would get this far?
No way. We were young. It's unbelievable that this happened. It's good to believe. It is good to dream far away, but you never have the guarantee that it will reach such a level. My main goal was to write music the way I could hear it in my head. I didn't think of stadiums and thousands of people. I just wanted to be able to put the ideas in my head into practice. I know what my music means to me. I also see the way our audience resonates. I am happy to know that this is how I have always been with people from all over the world. It is my greatest achievement. Except for my son.

I saw that Journey and Toto are selling entire stadiums in the United States right now. Motley Crue and Def Leppard also sell entire arenas. Metallica or Avenged Sevenfold sell tens of thousands of tickets for every show in the States. Please tell me if rock has started to return to America. In recent years, most rock artists have complained that the media no longer wants to broadcast this genre of music in the States.
It's hard to tell exactly. We're talking about mainstream here. It's just an impression that rock is no longer listened to in America. The numbers are not always important. Many people think that you can only get big if you get on the radio. Or if MTV broadcasts you. Rock is out of the mainstream almost completely. If you watch all the important events you will see that the rock appears small somewhere in a corner. But that doesn't mean there isn't a large audience that still listens to metal. New generations of listeners are appearing and extraordinarily good new bands are appearing. But I think you're right here. You can best see this at concerts. There are bands that sell out huge stadiums. It is clear that many musicians break through even if they do not broadcast on MTV.

Tell me what your biggest dream is. Related to music.
Aaaaaa. Let me think. Ready! We didn't get to play at Madison Square Garden ["The World's Most Famous Arena" in New York City, editor's note]. We will arrive at O2 Arena in the winter, the concert is part of the series of shows postponed due to the pandemic, but I don't know when we will arrive at Madison. I went on stage there for 3 songs at a festival, but it doesn't work! No no! I want to get there with a whole concert! Come on! I know it is possible !!! (laugh)

You have the last word! Tell me what you want to tell to all the Evanescence fans in Romania.
We love you so much! We look forward to returning. We can't wait to be friends again, to sing ... We love you, we missed you, and I can't wait to see you again!

Thanks a lot, Amy!
Thanks too! See you soon!

So, don't forget, on June 7, 2022, at the Roman Arenas in Bucharest, see you at the memorable Evanescence show. YONAKA from Great Britain will play in the opening. Tickets can be found in electronic format onwww.iabilet.ro.