Vampires And Spooky Moods Inspiring Evanescence

Whimsicality · Jun 15, 2004

SOURCE

SANTA MONICA, California — Amy Lee is the first to admit her sources of inspiration lately have been "kinda silly."

"I saw 'Van Helsing' in the movie theater last week," the Evanescence singer recalled recently. "Oh my God, it was so cool. I love vampire movies, and that was like the best one I've ever seen. I went home and I was so inspired."

Like a vampire, Lee stayed up all night searching for fresh ... songs on her piano.

"I just wait until I get inspired, which has been a lot lately, and I just sit there and let it go and I turn on the recorder," she explained. "You go back the next day and you try to weed through it and find the big parts and put it together."

With less than a month to go before Evanescence are due back on the road, Lee plans to see a lot of movies and write a lot of songs for the group's next album.

"Just because there's still singles coming off from the last album doesn't mean we're not working on this new one at the same time," Lee said. "It's just kind of buying us time, I guess, more than anything. And we're taking our time and I'm having fun writing. It's my favorite part."

Lee has a hard time describing her own music, but she thinks her new songs are darker than most of the material on Fallen.

"It still sounds like me, but I've been in a spooky mood lately, so I think it's gonna be kinda spooky," she said. "I'd like to use more organ. I wanna make it heavier and softer at the same time."

"I want to go in a lot of different directions we didn't go on Fallen," she continued. "I want to get different emotions across. Obviously I think there's a spectrum of emotions on Fallen, but I think it's still limited in a lot of ways."

Lee hopes to build on the extraordinary success of the band's debut, but she has no expectations of topping it saleswise. "I don't think it would be possible ... to be honest," she said. "If that happens, I'm gonna be shocked and happy, but it's not really the goal. What's cool about Fallen is it really worked as a springboard, and we have the opportunity now to branch out and grow and do something different. I really don't want to put out the same album again."

Lee originally planned to broaden her horizons by collaborating with other musicians, including former Limp Bizkit guitarist Wes Borland (see "Wes Borland Puts Eat The Day On Hold, Hopes To Hook Up With Evanescence").

"We talked about writing some stuff together, which I think will be fun, but the more I've hung out with my band in the past six months or so, and the more that I've heard what they've been writing, the more inspired I am just to work with the band," Lee said. "We're actually having a lot of fun as we are and I don't really feel we need the help, but I think it could be fun just to experiment with a couple of collaborators."

Lee has been writing with boyfriend Shaun Morgan of Seether (see "Don't Expect Many Collaborations From Amy Lee, Shaun Morgan"), but not necessarily for Evanescence's next record. "It's like he hears me in [the piano room] jamming and he'll jam with me," Lee said. "It's really fun, actually; it's one of my favorite things that we do."

Lee and Morgan will be together plenty this summer when Evanescence and Seether hit the road (see "Your Bus Or Mine? Evanescence And Seether To Tour U.S. In July"), but Lee doesn't anticipate many songwriting sessions.

"It's hard for me to write on the road 'cause I don't carry around a big piano," she said. "We have keyboards and stuff, but it's not the same. And it's hard especially to find a free moment between doing interviews and getting ready for the show and doing meet-and-greets and all kinds of stuff."

In what little time she does have while touring, Lee likes to sightsee and work on her other hobbies, like clothing design. "What's cool about fashion — I hate the word fashion, it's so cheesy — but it's cool because it's just another form of art," she explained. "I love to paint. I love to sculpt and make things. And my favorite subject is the human body. So to actually use the human body and make it into something, it's just like painting a picture."

While it would certainly be easy for Lee to follow in the shoes of P. Diddy and other musicians-turned-fashion-moguls, that's not on her agenda. "I don't wanna say no, but I don't think so," she said. "It's hard for me to imagine making a [clothing] line, which means making clothes that people could wear day-to-day and making it affordable and using cottons. I like leather and lace and I couldn't possibly go down beyond that. I think it might be fun to have a show and have one of each thing — just have pieces, like pieces of art, that's the way I feel they ought to be. That, I might do someday."

Evanescence launch their summer North American tour July 7 in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Click to expand...

Joe · Jun 15, 2004

Hopefully Amy's inspirational moments will lead to an amazing next album, i really think that taking the next album in a more harder direction can only be a good thing too. I'm personelly looking forward to new material from Evanescence.

Chris. · Jun 15, 2004

I can't wait! It sounds awesome, their first album was great IMO and a "spookier" more dark/heavy approach to the next album sounds like a great idea!

Alacrity · Jun 15, 2004

Can't.Wait.

Andrea · Jun 15, 2004

This is awesome. I really can't wait to hear their new album.

Mark · Jun 15, 2004

She liked Van Helsing? . Now Underworld, that's a great vampire flick. Very moody too.

This is definately one of my most anticipated follow-up albums for any band I've heard.

May · Jun 15, 2004

sounds awesome. can't wait to hear her inspirations from Van Hansling since that was a good movie.

Phantom Duck · Jun 15, 2004

Dah. They'll need a HUGE improvement to impress me.

allison · Jun 15, 2004

you got that from vh1.com didn't you? I got an e-mail from vh1.com saying the exact same thing.Not that it's bad or anything but I was just saying I knew it looked familiar.

The Doctor · Jun 15, 2004

Originally posted by allison@Jun 15 2004, 02:22 PM
you got that from vh1.com didn't you? I got an e-mail from vh1.com saying the exact same thing.Not that it's bad or anything but I was just saying I knew it looked familiar.
Click to expand...

Did you not see the little link that says "SOURCE" on it?

ass_kicker · Jun 15, 2004

great news. i think it might be even better than the last one. probably more darker. and more weird, if you get me. but i hope they'll keep their music style.

Logan · Jun 15, 2004

And with less effects right?
Now that moody is out of the band
And didnt he make all the effects?

ProJecT NotHinG · Jun 15, 2004

Originally posted by Mark@Jun 15 2004, 10:45 AM
She liked Van Helsing? . Now Underworld, that's a great vampire flick. Very moody too.

This is definately one of my most anticipated follow-up albums for any band I've heard.
Click to expand...

I thought Underworld kicked more ass too!

Anyways, this looks like a promising sophomore record from these guys

Casual D · Jun 15, 2004

Originally posted by Nate+Jun 15 2004, 01:38 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Nate @ Jun 15 2004, 01:38 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin--allison@Jun 15 2004, 02:22 PM
you got that from vh1.com didn't you? I got an e-mail from vh1.com saying the exact same thing.Not that it's bad or anything but I was just saying I knew it looked familiar.
Click to expand...

Did you not see the little link that says "SOURCE" on it? [/b][/quote]
You tell her Nate.

Will · Jun 15, 2004

Why couldn't Linkin Park be like Amy Lee? She's intent on not putting out the same album twice... Linkin Park obviously weren't.

Anyway, I can't wait for the album. It's going to be awesome, especially if it's going to be "heavier and softer." And Wes Borland may be a good guitarist, but I'd prefer it if he wasn't on the album, honestly. I just don't really like the guy.

Hybrid_Bunny · Jun 15, 2004

Originally posted by Mark@Jun 15 2004, 11:45 AM
She liked Van Helsing? . Now Underworld, that's a great vampire flick. Very moody too.

This is definately one of my most anticipated follow-up albums for any band I've heard.
Click to expand...

Both were okay flicks, in my opinion...but whatever helps inspire Amy. I can't wait for this new album. Too bad they won't have any new songs yet to play for fans this summer, but I know they'll still put on an awesome show though.

Casual D · Jun 15, 2004

Originally posted by Will@Jun 15 2004, 04:31 PM
Why couldn't Linkin Park be like Amy Lee? She's intent on not putting out the same album twice... Linkin Park obviously weren't.

Anyway, I can't wait for the album. It's going to be awesome, especially if it's going to be "heavier and softer." And Wes Borland may be a good guitarist, but I'd prefer it if he wasn't on the album, honestly. I just don't really like the guy.
Click to expand...

This might sound stupid, but I think Amy also wants to make the best record she can to prove that she doesn't need Ben Moody to succeed. I know if my first record had a lot of songs I wrote together with an ex-band member, I'd want to make a record that totally kills the first sound and lyric wise.

But anyways I'm very excited for this record and I'm glad they got rid of the whole "full on electronica" idea that Ben was suggesting.

LP are like Amy Lee, just one album too late . They are only changing because they realized they have to increase their creativity or their fans are going to hate them.

Will · Jun 15, 2004

Or she might just want to make a better record.......

User Name · Jun 15, 2004

Originally posted by Will@Jun 15 2004, 01:31 PM
Why couldn't Linkin Park be like Amy Lee? She's intent on not putting out the same album twice... Linkin Park obviously weren't.

Anyway, I can't wait for the album. It's going to be awesome, especially if it's going to be "heavier and softer." And Wes Borland may be a good guitarist, but I'd prefer it if he wasn't on the album, honestly. I just don't really like the guy.
Click to expand...

Leave my brain alone, you thought stealer.

allison · Jun 15, 2004

Actually I didn't see that untill after i wrote that............so yeah........sorry. I know i'm dumb no need to tell me

Log in or Sign up

Vampires And Spooky Moods Inspiring Evanescence

Whimsicality I broke the dam.

Joe It's all the same to me LPA Administrator

Chris. LPA Super Member Über Member

Alacrity don't stop talking to me; i haven't been listening LPA Super Member

Andrea best friends. LPA Addicted VIP

Mark Canadian Beauty LPA Administrator

May Ambient

Phantom Duck You are my detonator. LPA Super Member

allison Banned

The Doctor I wear a fez now. Fez's are cool. LPA Super Member

ass_kicker Banned

Logan Well-Known Member

ProJecT NotHinG Banned

Casual D I WON'T BE YOUR CASUAL D. LPA Administrator

Will LPA Addicted VIP LPA Addicted VIP

Hybrid_Bunny Super Member LPA Super Member

Casual D I WON'T BE YOUR CASUAL D. LPA Administrator

Will LPA Addicted VIP LPA Addicted VIP

User Name Angry Marines. Always angry, all the time. >:C LPA Super Member

allison Banned

Share This Page

Log in or Sign up

Vampires And Spooky Moods Inspiring Evanescence

Whimsicality I broke the dam.

Joe It's all the same to me LPA Administrator

Chris. LPA Super Member Über Member

Alacrity don't stop talking to me; i haven't been listening LPA Super Member

Andrea best friends. LPA Addicted VIP

Mark Canadian Beauty LPA Administrator

May Ambient

Phantom Duck You are my detonator. LPA Super Member

allison Banned

The Doctor I wear a fez now. Fez's are cool. LPA Super Member

ass_kicker Banned

Logan Well-Known Member

ProJecT NotHinG Banned

Casual D I WON'T BE YOUR CASUAL D. LPA Administrator

Will LPA Addicted VIP LPA Addicted VIP

Hybrid_Bunny Super Member LPA Super Member

Casual D I WON'T BE YOUR CASUAL D. LPA Administrator

Will LPA Addicted VIP LPA Addicted VIP

User Name Angry Marines. Always angry, all the time. >:C LPA Super Member

allison Banned

Share This Page

Useful Searches