In
the masculine, testosterone-fuelled universe of rock, singer-songwriter
Amy Lee fits right in. She brings her goth girl self to the
table and to the recording studio, no questions asked. The co-founder
and lead vocalist for Evanescence lets her unrelenting strength
and sheer determination push through an intoxicating downpour
of adrenaline-amped guitar riffs with her soothing, classically
trained piano stylings.
Evanescence—with Terry Balsamo and John LeCompt (both
on guitar), Will Boyd (on bass), and Rocky Gray (on drums)—brings
to the forefront heart-pounding musical compositions fronted
by Lee’s ethereal yet reality-crashing vocals. With the
debut of their sophomore album, The Open Door, set to bombard
stores on October 3rd, Lee contemplates the journey that led
her to this point of selfrealization. In the commonly prepackaged,
pre-scripted, pre-authorized, and heavily styled world of musical
“geniuses”, Lee stands out, simply because she realizes
that it’s worth going on your own. Her mantra: Trust yourself.
Believe
in yourself.
In keeping with their tradition of supreme independence, the
Little Rock, Arkansas, band didn’t follow the tried and
tired route to becoming a stadium pleaser. Ten years back—while
others were busy tweaking their teen angst— then 14-year-old
Lee and former co-founder Ben Moody paired up and focused their
energies on creating a new sound. They decided to go on their
own and build their band up slowly and fiercely. “The
two of us would buy gear and record crappy demos and make a
sound. A lot of bands would get to where they are by playing
live shows. We didn’t do that.” Blazing their own
trail, Evanescence slowly built their lineup and started experimenting
with their sound before playing the occasional small show.
Fate didn’t come knockin’, but rather it practically
blew the door off its hinges in the spring of 2003 when Evanescence’s
debut album, Fallen, hit the airwaves. And it hit hard. Fallen
sold more than 14 million albums globally, spent over 100 weeks
on Billboard Magazine’s Top 200 chart, and was certified
gold or platinum in over 35 countries. Oh, and one more little
thing: in 2004, Evanescence was nominated for five Grammy Awards.
They snapped up two, including the biggie, Best New Artist,
gleefully beating out heavyweight 50 Cent.
And the Grammy experience? “It feels like you are in high
school collecting all of your awards at the end of the year.
Only this time you have Pharell sitting in the audience,”
Lee laughs. “I really appreciate those who took the time
to understand
our sound. I was stoked.” When she heard their name called,
“I didn’t expect it,” Lee remembers. “I
had my shoes off, so, of course, had to put them back on.”
And the name? “We just picked it randomly,” Lee
mused. “We wanted a word that is not heard in everyday
life, something unique and original to us. It gives a visual
picture.” For those hardcore Scrabble players, evanescence
means “a dissipation
or disappearance like vapour.” (Just thought you’d
like to know.)
Now armed with their second album, set to debut this fall, and
its first single, with the priceless title, “Call Me When
You’re Sober,” Lee talks about her natural growth
as a female artist and coming to terms with her artistic freedom.
“I didn’t want to make the same album twice. Terry
really pushed me to better 
myself
and to not be afraid. Before, I was holding back for security.
And now I was allowed to grow and that gave me confidence as
an artist.” Under the watchful eye of longtime friend
and producer Dave Frontman (Bif Naked), Lee’s unrelenting
fearlessness is evident in the new album, which explodes with
unconventional experiments on an epic scale, combining hard
rock, gothic flair, and classical flavours, bringing a whole
new sense of music to the surface.
The lyrics explore truth, consequence, redemption, and the sweet
taste of empowerment—sentiments that mean the world to
Lee today. “I don’t have anything to prove. I don’t
have to prove what my sound is like. I’m not afraid to
say what I want to say anymore.”
Lee’s unwavering sense of self transcends to her unique
fashion style. Lee calls it “spooky cute”. Sitting
cross-legged on the sofa in her black Ben Sherman skirt, Lee
proudly points out her
own personal touch: an intricate cupcake she sewed on herself.
The outfit is topped off with a grey T-shirt (complete with
little red hearts across the front) and a simply fabulous pair
of kitten
earrings. “I love Victorian fashion, the goth look, and
mixing it up with something fun. For me it’s all about
fun.”
Now, with The Open Door on its way to an iPod near you, as well
as a club/theatre tour in the fall, Lee, at the ripe age of
24, is a well seasoned artist who knows exactly what she wants.
As to her advice for women trying to break into the biz, she
stands firm. “You have to feel what is right in your heart.
If someone is telling you to do something just because it’s
good for business, it’s a lie. Just trust yourself; it
may take longer, but not everybody knows what they are talking
about.”
What’s
on your iPod?
Our album! I can’t help it, it gets me excited about what
I’m doing. And the new Beck song, “Girl”.
It’s really cute.
What’s your favourite golden oldie?
“Everything She Wants” by Wham! (An oldie
for me is something from the ’80s.)
What’s your guilty pleasure?
“Everything She Wants” by Wham! (laughs)
Favourite reality show:
I would rather watch the static on television than watch a reality
show.
What are the perks of the business?
Getting into Nobu [the hottest sushi stop for celebs and the
like] at the last minute.
Biggest pet peeve:
People who think they are so cool because they are famous.
What do you do in your spare time?
Play with my cats.
Celebrity crush:
Hyde from That ’70s Show.
Most memorable part-time job:
Animal control. I was like a janitor. I would clean up cat poo.
Most regretted fashion moment:
I went to the Video Music Awards in Miami and it was really
hot. I wore this short skirt with fur winter boots. I looked
stupid. I’m making myself a wall of my worst-dressed moments;
I’ve got three and I’m working on
three more.
What three things would you bring to a desert island?
My piano and my two cats.
Words of advice:
In this industry and in life, you have to trust yourself. Do
what feels right in your heart.
|
FYI:
Lee
contributed to The Chronicles of Narnia soundtrack, and
was even
offered a cameo in the movie; she eagerly requested that
she play a
character who gets killed.
The songs “Bring Me to Life” and “My
Immortal” were both featured on the soundtrack for
Daredevil.
Lee is a classically trained pianist; she started playing
at the age of 14.
Fellow Grammy nominee 50 Cent spontaneously decided (to
the shock and confusion of onlookers) to join Evanescence
onstage when they accepted their award for Best New Artist
during the 2004 live broadcast.
Lee dreams of opening her own boutique in Seattle, featuring
her own style— but each item will be one-of-a-kind,
as she doesn't like repeating herself.
The band didn’t get a warm reception at first—rock
station DJs initially
resisted playing their music. A few tracks made their
way on air before the door was finally flung wide open. |
