iHeartRadio Canada: Amy Lee & Lzzy Hale on Tour, Memories of CANADA, Women in Metal, Being Kindred Spirits (23/4/2024)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpsmWbx9xIQEvanescence's Amy Lee and Halestorm's Lzzy Hale sit down with iHeart's Jesse & JD to talk about their new joint tour and their memories of Canada.
- Amy Lee and Lzzy Hale talk about the importance of touring with people they care about (like each other) and the keeping spirit of metal music going.
- Evanescence's Amy Lee and Halestorm's Lzzy Hale talk about their musical heroes from the past, and music they're just back in to.
- Amy Lee addresses Linkin Park rumours, and Lzzy Hale talks about singing for Skid Row.
- Evanescence's Amy Lee and Halestorm's Lzzy Hale tell Jesse and JD what they love about each other's music.
Transcript:
Jesse: Hey, it’s Jesse Modz and JD Lewis of iHeart Radio and we are here with Amy Lee of Evanescence and Lzzy Hale of Halestorm. Thanks for joining us guys!
Amy: Thanks for having us!
Lzzy: Of course!
J: A big tour just announced which is going to be awesome, with a stop coming to Calgary Alberta at the Saddledome on October the 18th. I know both of you ladies have been through Calgary many times over your careers. I’m just interested to see if you have a special memory or a story or something from Alberta or maybe even Calgary that you could share with us?
L: You know, they're all a little blurry but in an overall sense something on our end, there's always something chaotic, either with super fans or like we'll go out with like - I know we've done this before - where we'll find ourselves just going out with locals and then somebody gets their ass grabbed or somebody you know… it's like it's always fun. There's an overall respect in that regard but also like it's a lot of fun. Just to be somewhere new and and immerse yourself in the culture, so…
A: And where you can still speak the language!
L: Yeah.
A: Except Montreal.
L: That's true. You know, we can fake it through.
A: I love Canada. I got engaged in Toronto 16, 17 years ago. I don't know, it's such a huge place though. It's like… yeah, I mean, it's a country!
J: But hard place to travel for sure. But thank you guys for coming to Calgary, very excited to have you! And you know, Amy, it's been 15 years since Evanescence has done a headliner tour in Canada and you're going out with a great friend of yours obviously, Lzzy Hale of Halestorm. I was just wondering, what's it like for you guys going to work as such close friends on the road? That's got to be awesome.
L: Well, we're lucky that we do what we love and I think that it's just kind of icing on the cake that we actually get to like pay a morgage doing what we love, because we would be doing it anyway regardless, you know?
A: It's fulfilling time, it's quality time. When we get to hang out and also do what we love and even share in that together and maybe sing a song together. It’s the best.
L: It's the best you know, all the things wrapped up in one happy package and that's something that we end up fighting for a lot, now especially in these years where it's like yeah we could go out with anybody, but we really want to go out with people that we love.
A: I'm precious, I'm not going to waste my time hanging out with people that I don't love.
JD: Not the first time you've toured together, this friendship dates back over a decade, doesn't it?
L: Yes and this is how we tell time, by people telling us how long it's been!
A: I know! I feel so guilty!
L: I know.
A: I can't believe it!
L: Well, we're lead singers, we come by and on.
A: Yeah, right.
L: You know, time.
A: We just were kindred spirits from day one. We've gotten a tour together only a couple solid times but…
L: I know, we're both busy in our own right.
A: It feels like more, but just because we know each other. But we did a beautiful big tour together in 2021, it was our first tour back after the pandemic, but we didn't get to come to Canada. So this is dessert.
JD: How how cool do you think this will be for the next generation of female rock stars? Getting to see two kickass ladies like yourselves sharing the marquee like that and going across our country filling arenas?
A: I hope it makes everybody feel good.
L: Yeah.
A: I mean, I think that the spirit for me of what rock or metal is really supposed to be, is just unabashedly being yourself and not changing anything about who you really are for anybody else's benefit. And that's what we do, whether that looks exactly like everybody else or not - it's kind of better that it doesn't, in my opinion. So I hope, always, that people are encouraged to do the same in their own world.
L: It's a feeling. It's a feeling that we are capturing and exuding and giving - in your [Amy’s] words: a voice. Using your voice for the voice listen. And that can look like so many different things. There is an element to being a girl and I remember knowing what that feels like to see yourself reflected in someone and have someone be on stage saying
oh wait, they're doing it, I can do that too. But like Amy said, it is a sanctuary for everyone.
JD: Do you remember who gave you those feelings, Lzzy? Just go back to that for a sec, like who was that for you growing up? And Amy, you as well, I'd be curious to know.
L: I grew up a lot of my parents music so a lot of the first females that I was listening to was Pat Benatar and Ann Wilson from Heart and Joan Jett and all of that. But this was again in the late 90s when nobody really - all of my young friends, my young girlfriends - didn't. I would be like:
Listen to this Alice Cooper CD! - Oh, who is she? 
A: Not into it. Yeah. It’s funny. (laughing)
L: There was a growth point from that and then actually, very similar to you, enjoying then the Bjork’s world and I know there was Skin from Skunk Anansie who was doing some heavier stuff and realizing it's possible - but when music grabs a hold of you as a child, I was not thinking
oh wait, I can't do this because I'm a girl. I was not thinking about it in that way. I wasn't warned in any way that there was a hindrance. It was just a feeling and it was something that I loved. Regardless of whether it was Tom Keifer from Cinderella or Bjork or whoever else, it's like that's [it], you want to be a part of that magic in whatever capacity.
A: That's cool. That's so true. I didn't never think about that. I was fully… I would have told you
I was GRUNGE.
L: Yes!
A: In the 90s when I was in high school and middle school I was big into alternative music and there were actually a lot of really cool women in that world. Bjork was my number one, still just a hero of mine, such an innovator and such an incredible voice. Shirley Manson, Garbage, huge still to this day, very awesome. Veruca Salt, people don't talk about Veruca Salt!
L: Nobody talks about that, they were amazing!
A: I know and their second album is really amazing and nobody talks about it, everybody just remembers like the one song. I'm like,
there is so much more! I just was on a big trip about that with my band recently and made them listen to a bunch of, they're like,
holy shit, this has been here the whole time?! L: Did you ever get into PJ Harvey?
A: Yes.
L: I didn't get it and now I am, just now.
A: It’s like that, yeah! Oh and Tori Amos.
L: I'm just now starting to really appreciate that and get into that, so it comes full circle.
A: Tori Amos was the big, deep thing for me, I don't know
Jesse: Amy, normally I wouldn't ask you or any rockstar a question about rumors I hear on the internet, but I thought this one would be interesting to get your take. So a couple weeks ago we heard there were some rumors going around that Linkin Park was looking for a female singer. And when you start digging into those rumors, your name keeps coming up from Linkin Park's fan base, saying if this is true, we want it to be Amy Lee, and we think she would do such great honor to Chester Bennington and his music and singing it. So first of all I want to know, is that rumor true? That you're going to be stepping in singing for Linkin Park? And if it's not, how does it feel knowing that you know your late friend’s fan base trusts you with their music?
A: That is an INCREDIBLE compliment. I have not heard that, no. I have not been contacted or anything like that. But I’m huge fan and I feel like our worlds, our fan bases, are lot of the same people. That's really sweet. We never… well, did we play shows? I don't know if we were on a festival together or whatever… We met, we were in the studio at the same time when we were making Fallen, and I just briefly got to have a conversation or two with Chester, who was really sweet. But no, it's not true. But that's awesome. They should ask me about that. I don't have a ton of free time but I might go in part-time. (smiling)
L: I could see that happen.
J: Lzzy, you're also getting tons of respect in your own in the rock world, not only with Halestorm but you're singing with Skid Row as well. I want to know, is that a temporary thing for you or is it something that you would want to make more of a permanent situation? What's your situation in your deal right now with Skid Row?
L: Well, here's how it began so I I've known uh Rachel Bolan and Snake for the kiddos - that's the bass player and guitar player for Skid Row - for the better part of a decade now, living here in Nashville. And a couple months ago we were at a mutual friends birthday party - for Nick actually - and we're just shooting the shit as we do, and like,
oh what do you got coming up? and whatever and Rachel turns to me. He's like,
Hey, I've actually been thinking about something, would you ever consider fronting our band for a couple dates and so? Of course, he's my buddy, so I'm like,
yeah dude, let me know, I'll see what I can do. Two weeks later he calls my bluff and calls me up and he was like,
hey, this is happening, you know Eric's moving out and we need to fill up these dates. And so I called the adults
[management(?)] and I'm like,
Hey, I really want to make this happen, let's put the these dates aside. So we got everything set. And what we didn't realize was when they announced the leaving of Eric and then bringing me to fill in those dates, and I didn't realize how much bigger it was than even all of us put together. Because not only are we swinging this back around to when I was a young girl in middle school listening to Skid Row, and I grew up in Pennsylvania, so right next to Jersey there's still, you know, Gods out there, so it's like that was the foundation. But then also it came about so organically that everybody views it as
oh yeah, these are just friends helping each other out. There is a little bit of pressure on myself, because I have to learn multiple sets and I have to front a band other than my own and really honor all of the vocal inflections and their legend that precedes mine, so it's a mishmash of all these happy and beautiful panicky feelings. And everyone's already set that it's going to be great, so now I'm like
we haven't even done rehearsal! I'm like I better be good! So it's going to be a lot of fun, and yeah, it's an honor to be a part of that.
JD: You both seem really excited to be hitting the road together with each other's bands.
L: Oh, yeah!
JD: So I wanted to ask both of you, what do you admire about one another and each other's bands? Lzzy, what do you dig about Evanescence? And Amy, I'd love to know what you love about Halestorm as well?
A: Lzzy is an incredible singer and I, you know, naturally, predictably, am a fan of that. I’m kind of into singers, kind of into female singers. (laughing) When we met that first tour that we were on together, I was really blown away watching her side stage. I'm always going to check out the other bands when we play a show. It was really fun to watch, and it's good when you're like kind of taking notes. I think you [Lzzy] still can like hit full voice a little higher than I can, which hurts, but you know, respect! (laughing) She's an incredible frontman too. I feel like the part of my show that actually makes me the most nervous and I feel the least comfortable with is talking to the crowd, and it just looks so completely effortless with you.
L: Ah, if you could have seen me in the early days when I couldn't even look anybody in the eye.
A: I was the same! Completely eyes closed entire time.
L: Um, thank you by the way, you're far too sweet to me.
A: I'm sorry I'm not talking about you as a guitar player.
L: No it's okay. It's like, everybody has their own opinions and it runs the gamut about me and guitar, but that's a whole other can of worms. (laughing) But I mean, with Amy - not only is she one of the purest souls that I've met on the road and still somehow maintains to be a great person through everything that we've all had to grit our teeth and go through…
A: (shakes her head) That’s not true. (laughing)
L: Well, you know. (laughing) We all have our moments. But she has one of the purest tones that I have ever heard, regardless of male and female. It's such a joy to listen to her. And it's something that's so incredibly unique and I know, everybody, you all know this, but for someone who really has a hunger for something that is so incredibly rare in this business, to have such a recognizable voice, have such a resilient voice by the way… ‘Cause I've watched her sing these songs and hit those high notes every single night without fail. Talk about taking notes! You know - I'm sitting there, I'm like, Jesus, this happened! It's happened again!
A: You do it too, every night. And that's impressive.
L: But it's just so beautiful to be able to stand next to that and see it in real time, and that - in a world where everybody is just trying so hard to be heavy, they're trying so hard to be whatever it is that's popular at the moment - you've just maintained this beautiful light, and [you’re] again unapologetically yourself and I admire that a lot.
A: Thank you.
L: And she's just a lot of fun to hang around too, you know. It's just it. You're dude, bro, you know. (laughing)
A: You too, bro.
JD: Thank you both for your time today, we really appreciate it and we can't wait to see you at the Dome in October.
A: Can't wait to be there.
L: Yes, good!
A: It's gonna rock!
L: Thank you guys for taking the time.
Jesse: Thank you.
A: Yeah, thanks. See you soon!
JD: See you!
