EVANESCENCE's 'Synthesis' Album Is 'Very Much Taking It To The Next Level Musically,' Says AMY LEE

Kaaos TV conducted an interview with EVANESCENCE members Amy Lee (vocals), Tim McCord (bass) and Jen Majura (guitar) before the band’s June 10 concert at Rockfest in Vantaa, Finland. You can now watch the chat below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On EVANESCENCE‘s forthcoming album called “Synthesis”, which will reimagine some of the band’s past catalog with full orchestration and electronic backing:

Amy: “It’s mostly music from our catalog, all three albums — different songs from our history of doing stuff plus two totally new ones, recorded completely anew in a new way that is very much about symphony orchestra. We just recorded the orchestra, and it sounds so beautiful. It’s very much taking it to the next level musically. But it’s that and all programming. They’re both big elements that have always been a part of our sound, and actually a lot of the origins of EVANESCENCE, in many ways, when we were first making music, it was… we were more of a studio band than a live, playing-rock-shows band. It was just me and a guy making music in our parents’ houses and making drum beats. We had this idea [about recording with] an orchestra, but, obviously, we couldn’t afford it at the time. So [we were] just writing music. But we wouldn’t have had the ability to do what we’re doing now as kids, so it’s really fulfilling a big dream that is very much from the core of the idea of this band. So we’ll be in the studio recording some cool, very interesting, different guitar synthesizer and different instruments and vocals after we get off this tour. I’m very excited about it.”

On how the idea for “Synthesis” came about:

Amy: “During the recording process, our sound has a lot of layers — it’s got the programming, it’s got the big, distorted guitars, it’s got the big rock drums, it’s got the strings, it’s got lots of background vocals; just a whole lot of layers. And as we record, there’s always a point where there’s so much stuff that you can’t quite hear all the nuances of what’s going on. I always wish that I had different versions… I remember saying when we did the last album, ‘I wish I had a version for myself that was just programming, vocals and the strings,’ ’cause it sounds so amazing like that. And you actually can’t hear all the cool, crazy David Campbell string arrangements and stuff once we put everything else on it. But then, of course, you love all the other stuff too. So I actually had an idea before… I’ve had several ideas about, ‘What if we put everything out, next time, in pieces?’ So you can, like, create your own style — like, if you wanna just have the different stems or whatever. That’s too complicated; nobody’s gonna spend that kind of time. Not everybody’s like me. But, anyway, that idea turned into, ‘Why don’t we take the opportunity to go back and not only revisit but upgrade a lot of these things and just have fun with it?’ Not every song works that way, and we’re not just picking out the singles or the hits. There are different songs that we have that really lend themselves for that epicness and that vibe.”

On whether EVANESCENCE is also working on music for a “proper” follow-up to 2011’s “Evanescence”:

Amy: “Yeah, we have a couple of ideas already started that I think will go towards that. We’ve had a couple of songs sort of in the mix since, I don’t know, the last go-around. We had a lot of songs that didn’t make it on the last album, so there’s a couple there to kind of draw from. And in addition to that, while writing for this album, ’cause there is some new music on it. Some of them weren’t the right fit stylistically, but I think they’re really good. So I think that might be the next thing.”

In support of “Synthesis”, EVANESCENCE will embark on a special tour this fall which will see the band performing with a “full orchestra.”

EVANESCENCE debuted a previously unheard song called “Take Cover” during its North American tour last fall.

Lee also released a solo single called “Love Exists” in February, while a second solo song, “Speak To Me”, appears on the soundtrack for the supernatural thriller “Voice From The Stone”, which came out on April 28.

Majura joined EVANESCENCE in August 2015 as the replacement for Terry Balsamo.