Category: Amy Lee

Amy Lee on growing up, being cool, and sexuality in music

Interview: For their next chapter, nu metal survivors Evanescence are orchestrating an ambitious reworking of their classics

In a world of generic warblers, the operatic swoop of Amy Lee’s vocal was the trump card behind Evanescence’s squillion-selling 2003 debut, Fallen. If this was a primal scream that spoke to the young, angsty and alienated, that’s probably because the Arkansas-born Lee was also a sensitive outsider who felt much of her audience’s pain. Fourteen years later we find Lee older, wiser, in a happier place and comfortable enough with her past to reinterpret the Evanescence catalogue with a full orchestra on their new album, Synthesis.

Synthesis revisits the old songs. Do you remember how it felt to be twenty years old and working on Fallen?

Unfortunately yes [laughs]. How would I describe myself back then? Wide-eyed, full of huge dreams, fairly insecure. But I think that’s pretty common. When we’re young we feel like we’re the only ones that kinda hate ourselves. I remember struggling with feeling like I didn’t deserve to be where I was. So definitely an emotional, hormonal moment. I still have a lot of big feelings, but it seems like the whole world is falling down around you sometimes when you’re a kid.

Didn’t being hugely successful make the problems go away?

No! Having lots of people all over the world touched by our music was a dream come true. But to have thousands, even millions, of people feel like they know you in an intimate way, it was difficult. I’m at a place in my life now where I think I’m pretty good at dealing with it. That whole thing, it’s not so scary any more. But it was scary in the beginning, for sure. [Source]

Amy Lee in Music Week Interview

Amy Lee spoke with Music Week about the music industry and Synthesis. Read what she said:

In the new issue of Music Week, we speak to Amy Lee about the return of multi-million selling rock phenomenon Evanescence and their highly-anticipated new album, Synthesis. Only their fourth studio release in 14 years, the record sees Evanescence – completed by bassist Tim McCord, drummer Will Hunt and guitarists Troy McLawhorn and Jen Majura – present new material alongside re-recordings of some of their most defining songs, all with orchestral accompaniment.

Lee told Music Week that while Synthesis explores the group’s latent orchestral potential with long-term collaborator David Campbell, it was also a chance to show how far their musical skills have developed.

“There’s a lot of musical skill that I personally didn’t have,” said Lee. “When we were writing Bring Me To Life I was 19! So just the musical ability that I had when I was 19 as a writer, as a singer, as an everything, I can do all that stuff better now because we’ve had all this time and experience. In addition, living inside those songs live for all these years, it just forever gives you ideas.”

Lee also opened up about the prospect of following the blockbusting success of her past, with Evanescence’s 2003 debut selling 1,324,026 copies to date in the UK according to Official Charts Company data.

Fallen happened in the way that it happened,” Lee told Music Week. “You can’t even talk about record sales any more, it doesn’t mean anything but we kind of got set in a way that I was okay. We made some money and I always have poured that money into the next project. I have this ability to use that resource and the fanbase that we got from all those people who heard our music in the first place and cared about it enough to stick around.  I can use that, I don’t have to start [a project] by going, ‘Help! I need to do a Kickstarter! I need to find a label!”

Continue reading

Interview featuring Amy Lee on Sonic Seducer

Watch the brand new interview of Amy Lee discussing the upcoming ‘Synthesis’ Album that is due for release on November 10th!

Amy Lee Awarded Attorney Fees In Dispute With Management Company

According to TMZ, Evanescence singer Amy Lee was awarded more than a million dollars in legal fees in connection with a lawsuit brought against her by her former management company.

110 Management Inc. sued Amy last year for unpaid commissions and fees. 110 originally sought $1.5 million from the singer, and eventually lowered the demand to $335,000. An arbitrator finally ruled the management company was owed only $4,863.66.

Amy asked the court to award her attorney fees from 110 for the lengthy legal battle, and the judge finally decided that she was entitled to $1,036,773.68. But, according to TMZ, that’s all going to her legal expenses — $885,000 in attorney fees, $72,000 for expert witnesses and other administrative costs.

Lee is currently on the road with EVANESCENCE in support of the band’s next album, “Synthesis“, which is due on November 10. The disc features two new EVANESCENCE songs in addition to fan favorites re-recorded with a live orchestra and electronica.

[Source]

Amy Lee Talks About Lindsey Stirling’s Appearance On ‘Synthesis’

The fourth in a series of webisodes featuring footage from the making of Evanescence’s next album, “Synthesis”, can be seen below. In the latest episode of “Inside Synthesis”, we explore the making of “Hi-Lo”, one of the two new tracks on the album, featuring a guest performance by famed violinist Lindsey Stirling. “Synthesis” is due on November 10. The effort features full orchestration in a completely synthetic world of beats and sounds, with help from arranger and composer David Campbell.

“Synthesis” contains two new Evanescence songs in addition to fan favorites re-recorded with a live orchestra and electronica. The “Synthesis Live” tour launched on October 14 on the West Coast. Like the album, “Synthesis Live” features a reimagining of some of Evanescence’s best-loved songs with the spotlight on full orchestra, electronics combined with the band and frontwoman Amy Lee’s virtuoso piano and voice.

“This is a total passion project for me. There are so many layers in our music, underneath the huge drums and guitars,” explained Lee. “I’ve always wanted to shine a light on some of the gorgeous David Campbell arrangements and programming elements in our songs, and that idea snowballed into completely re-doing them with full orchestra, not just strings, elaborate programming and experimentation.

Continue reading

Message from Amy Lee about VIP Tickets

Amy lee has posted on her facebook an explanation of the VIP tickets, how they work and what is included in them. You can visit her FB page here!

Good Enough (Live at Steinway & Sons)

Amy Lee took part in a question-and-answer session and one-song live performance Tuesday night (October 3) at the Steinway Hall in New York City. EVANESCENCE’s new album, “Synthesis”, is due on November 10. The effort features full orchestration in a completely synthetic world of beats and sounds, with help from arranger and composer David Campbell.

“Synthesis” will contain two new EVANESCENCE songs in addition to fan favorites re-recorded with a live orchestra and electronica. The album includes guest performance by famed violinist Lindsey Stirling on “Hi-Lo”, one of the two new tracks on the album.

The “Synthesis Live” tour will launch on October 14 on the West Coast. Like the album, “Synthesis Live” will feature a reimagining of some of EVANESCENCE’s best-loved songs with the spotlight on full orchestra, electronics combined with the band and Lee‘s virtuoso piano and voice.

“This is a total passion project for me. There are so many layers in our music, underneath the huge drums and guitars,” explained Lee. “I’ve always wanted to shine a light on some of the gorgeous David Campbell arrangements and programming elements in our songs, and that idea snowballed into completely re-doing them with full orchestra, not just strings, elaborate programming and experimentation.

“This will be our first time touring with orchestra and I’m so excited to perform this way — really focus on the vocals, and the emotion and the story we’ve built over the years. I’m also really excited about the new material on the album. Besides the two new songs, there are some really beautiful instrumental in-between moments. The whole thing flows like a big, dynamic soundtrack.”

[Check out the Media Vault to see more]

Evanescence Vocalist Amy Lee Explains ‘Imperfection’

Evanescence is gearing up to release “Synthesis,” an album featuring re-imagined songs from the group’s discography with electronics and a full orchestra. The set will arrive on Nov. 10. In addition to the reworked songs, the album will feature two new tracks. One of those new songs, “Imperfection,” has a distinct electro-pop vibe. Listen to “Imperfection” via the YouTube player below.

“Imperfection” and the previously unleashed “Synthesis” version of “Bring Me to Life” are both available for download via the typical digital platforms. Lee explains in an official statement that “Imperfection” is “for all the people we’ve lost, all the people who we could lose, to suicide and depression.”

“For me, this is the most important song on the album,” Lee said. “I struggled with the lyrics for a long time because there was a lifetime of work to live up to and I wasn’t sure what to say or how to be good enough. When it finally started pouring out of me, it was undeniable.”

“We are all imperfect, and it’s precisely those imperfections that make us who we are, and we have to embrace them because there’s so much beauty in those differences,” she added. “Life is worth fighting for. You are worth fighting for.”

The other new song on “Synthesis” is called “Hi-Lo.” That song features famed Internet sensation and violinist Lindsey Stirling.

In other news, Evanescence is scheduled to headline a North American tour to promote “Synthesis” starting Nov. 14 in Las Vegas.

[Source]

Splice Provides Editorial, Color & VFX For Amy Lee’s “Speak To Me”

The creative team at Splice combined forces with Evanescence’s Amy Lee for her latest music video, “Speak To Me,” the original song written for the “Voice From The Stone” feature film soundtrack. The music video pays homage to the film’s tonality and mood by taking us on an intimate journey around an Italian castle rich with character, eclectic architecture and stunning landscapes.

To view the new music video, go here: http://splice.tv/pith/amy-lee-speak-to-me/

Shot on the same location as the film in the Italian region of Tuscany, the piece bodes as an enchanting reflection of the landscapes, ethereal ambience and melancholic themes observed throughout Director Eric D. Howell’s “Voice From The Stone,” starring Emilia Clarke. Splice also contributed editorial, color and VFX to Howell’s film, which was released in select theaters and through streaming services this spring.

“I was very moved by the movie, and after having my first conversation with Eric and composer Michael Wandmacher, I felt a surge of inspiration and immediately began writing,” says Amy Lee. “It was an honor to be able to work with Eric on the music video as well, which was shot outside Sienna, Italy, at the same beautiful location as the film. We conceived the video as a parallel and backstory to the film, which explores the strong bond of love between Malvina and her son, and the belief that love is stronger than death.”

“I’ve been a long-time Evanescence fan, often listening to Amy Lee’s music when editing or rendering late nights throughout my career,” says Editor Clayton Condit. “It was a huge honor to get her talent and musical genius behind the project. ‘Speak to Me’ really sums up the spirit of the film. The opportunity to cut an Amy Lee music video was just one more bonus for the Splice team and for the film.”

“Having a single stop post house that not only handled the film and its promotional needs, but also collaborated wonderfully on the music video was just another example of the professionalism and expertise Splice brought to this project,” concludes Producer Dean Zanuck.

[Source]

Amy Lee Loves to Sing Her Own Songs at Karaoke

Amy Lee became sublime the moment she stepped barefoot out of a window, to precariously scale a tall building as the wind howled. The “Bring Me to Life” video all leads to her, a figure somehow both Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas and goth Ophelia in a nightgown, slipping from the ledge because a man has thrown open a window. Holding on by her fingertips, she hangs there, as he steps out in baggy jeans and not one but two thick chain and padlock necklaces, and delivers the most iconic rock-rap since Papa Roach’s Jacoby Shaddix told us he’d reached his last resort in 2000.

Evanescence is the band everyone in their 20s and 30s remembers for their 2003 debut album, Fallen—the cover was a close-up shot of Lee’s face in electric blue and black. It reached number one in the UK album charts and has sold millions of copies worldwide. Since all their songs are essentially the Swedish songwriter Max Martin pop bangers with disgusting nu-metal riffs, they appealed to every punk kid with access to MTV. While they might have only kept the rock following—I still listen to Evanescence and love doing the previously mentioned man rap at karaoke—after nu-metal and emo fell out of fashion, their later albums have been just as haunting.

Ahead of their double headline show in London recently (which featured Lee wearing a cape of feathers and playing a grand piano), I drank as much of the free coffee as I could, waiting for her at her label’s office and then got jittery when she floated in wearing a huge dress, wearing the same electric blue and black as the Fallen cover.

[Read More]

Page 4 of 6 1 2 3 4 5 6