Transcript of an interview I recorded with ELINA SIIRALA & ALEXANDER KRULL of LEAVES’ EYES - 20201017. Full article here. MAL-
Talking to Elina and Alex from LEAVES' EYES. Thanks for joining me today. ELINA- Our pleasure. ALEX- Yeah our pleasure, absolutely. MAL- It's good to have both of you on but first Alex if I can, if you could just briefly summarize the history of the band, sum it up as well as you can, as quickly as you can, if you like. ALEX- Yeah, LEAVES' EYES was formed in 2003. We are symphonic metal band, if you like to call it that way. I would say we do metal music with epic songs also with some folk approach here and there and we have a contrast in the music with like heavy guitars and the metal band and also big drums on one side on the other side you have like orchestration and also a lot of natural instruments like nyckelharpa, Celtic flutes and big drums as well. And then you have another contrast here which is of course the female melodic voice of Elina and myself as being the harsh voice in LEAVES' EYES. MAL- Elina came to the band in 2016. How did the transition go from Liv to Elina? I'm talking about reaction from fans. Did it go smoothly or ...just how did it go? ELINA- Well, I think it went as you would expect in that kind of situation. It's always going to bring up a strong feelings in everybody, in fans especially and for me, it was clear that I needed to come there as myself, as a completely different kind of singer/performer, bring my own versions of the already existing songs, and we played instantly a lot of live shows. We also recorded stuff. So it was kind of very organic and fast-paced way, I guess. For me personally. I never had any bad experience with the fans. They always been very kind to me and very welcoming. So yeah, but I mean obviously as you know with NIGHTWISH and all these bands it's bound to bring emotions in people always. ALEX- We just had as interview with Russia yesterday and they were thinking compared to other bands it was going very smoothly with LEAVES' EYES. So if that is the case, we are happy because for us this kind of transition felt very natural. From the start we were super lucky to have a singer like Elina not only with the opportunities also with the singing and the singing techniques and abilities and skills, but also as a band member, as a human being, you know to go and tour as Elina said we were traveling really around the world. We were in Asia and North America, remember Elina it was not always easy in the wintertime stuck somewhere in situations, you know, not like the pandemic now, but, you know could compare it. And then yeah, we were going through absolutely highlights as well like Wacken Open Air with fantastic shows, and cruises and all these kind of things. So yeah so far it's like four or five years now, we are absolutely happy. MAL- So we've got a new album coming out very soon. 'The Last Viking'. When did the work start on this? When did the writing process start? Where did you record it and was it delayed in any way or inconvenienced because of the lockdowns? ALEX- The writing process if you say so started already with 'Sign Of The Dragonhead' because the topic of that concept album was the like the last song 'Waves of Euphoria' off 'Sign of the Dragonhead' was like the introduction what will come next with this album. And yeah, so I think with all the shows in and having the tours in the back, it was the perfect push for us to write these powerful songs for this epic saga as a backbone and when we recorded it here at Master Sound Studio. That's like our headquarters where we doing our albums, but I also worked as a music producer here. And yeah, that's like the headquarters of LEAVES' EYES and also our other band ATROCITY. So yeah that is a place where we can record in peace. ELINA- Yeah, so we were pretty much locked in the studio for a month or even longer and then obviously the planned release had to be moved a bit because we couldn't film the videos on time. And then we were supposed to do a great release show at the Summer Breeze which obviously got cancelled as well. So yeah a little bit delay for sure. But I mean I would think we have to be very very happy and feel lucky that we are where we are now because things went pretty smoothly considering. ALEX- Yeah, and also regarding the studio lockdown just want to add something and that was really a hard time also for a lot of artists when they are on tour on the road and maybe get stuck somewhere and cannot even return to their homes. We had friends that happen to them. So for us it was also stripping the whole thing down to one thing which is the music which will unite us. It was like, you know family, friends and the band, you know, we were like really sticking together in these times. We were really in a studio lockdown and we were also having that kind of bound. Okay, we have the music, we have this we have the metal family. We have our fans. We also want to give our fans something back in this harsh times, you know some special something to enjoy and maybe to shut down, at least for the moment, you're listening to your favorite music, shutting down the horrible situation we are facing now, and as we cannot play any shows at least the people can enjoy our music now. MAL- Tell us about the story, the historical story that the album is telling. You mentioned the saga, tell us about that. ALEX- Yeah, this is about Harald the third, which was called Hardrada, so called 'Last Viking' and when this Norse King died in 1066 at Stamford Bridge in England for the fight of the English Throne. He lost his life in that battle and then you know history-wise the Viking age was over. So a very decisive Saga but also absolutely epic, maybe the most epic Saga there is, very colorful because it's not happening only at one place so he has to flee as the young Viking out from his country fleeing from the battlefield and as a refugee making his career. He went through Sweden down to the land of Rus and in Kiev serving at the court of King Yaroslav, falling in love with his daughter, going to Byzantium, serving as a Varangian Guard making a huge career there, becoming a war hero in ...... land the land of the saracens. And also Bulgaria fighting around in the Mediterranean area. So you see, it's based in completely different territories where you might think the Viking Saga comes from, then also having like a dramatic love story included that the Empress Zoe from the Byzantium Court. He rejected her, (she) put him into prison, on a spectacular raid, he is escaping and marrying the Russian queen, returning to Norway, fighting for the Norwegian crown. And after that he was becoming sole King from Norway fighting for the Danish crown. And yeah the end fighting for the throne of England, you see that's a lot. It's very hard to tell it to you in one or two sentences. So I think people to check out the album. For us as artists and musicians and metal musicians especially, it was the perfect background for LEAVES' EYES. It's feeling so good to write an album like this with powerful songs, but also with atmospheric tunes also with all the instruments we use on top of the metal group here with nyckelharpa, big drums, whistles, pipes, fiddles and all this kind of things, so good to this. And of course the orchestral epicness on top of it all. MAL- Elina tell us about your work on this album. ELINA- We worked pretty much similarly as with the previous album. So the guys Thorsten, Alex are responsible for the music and lyrics and everything and then we go through the songs. We look where the melody sit, how the keys are working for my voice. Sometimes we have to change less, sometimes a little bit more and then we work on backing vocals and so on we go into very small details recording the vocals and when I have the pilot down then we go to the studio and we record the final versions and for this album, I had the pleasure also to play and kind of arrange the piano version of the 'Dark Love Empress'. So that was also quite nice, and we did some other acoustic versions as well, which is great. MAL- So we've got the last Viking coming out October 23. You're with AFM records these days. Is that correct? How are you going with them? How's that relationship going? ALEX- Great experience so far as, you know, the boss of the company I know since my youth days, so when we were having this conversation, I remember very well about now, where do we want to go with LEAVES' EYES after fulfilling our contract with Napalm records. It was maybe time after 10 years to find a new home just to spice up and you know to get into a new routine. So he was calling me up, 'Alex old buddy. I would love to sign your band LEAVES' EYES. What about that?' So yeah, we started with that conversation and ending up now with now the third album, and I don't know how many singles? I don't know ten signals or something and EPs and all that. So yeah, that's going really good and we are really very happy and really at that moment, I know a lot of labels also struggling from that situation. It's not only the bands, their crews and the in the live scene. It's also the labels itself, and I think everybody is just sticking together and trying to do their best I know that now as our album is coming out we are already facing some difficulties as you know, in the world it's like the second wave of covid-19 around and yeah, it's not so easy even with distribution of music and stuff like that. So fingers crossed everything will be fine when we get through this and everyone is up on the top and that's what I wish for the whole metal scene. We have all to stick together and support each other. That's what I can say. So it's great to work with AFM records for us. MAL- It's been great chatting to you, Elina and Alex from LEAVES' EYES. New album coming out 'The Last Viking'. Thanks so much for your time without talking to me today. ELINA- Thank you so much. ALEX- Thank you and greetings to Down Under. We miss you guys. You want to tour their again. Bye. Bye. Comments are closed.
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AuthorMetalhead who hates bad parking. |