I elfte timmen dagen före Sweden Rock Festival fortsätter vi serien med “Inför Sweden Rock 2015”. Bland dom sista banden ut i vår intervjuserie för i år är THE SIRENS, bestående av tre av den melodiska metallens största sångerskor: Kari Rueslåtten från The 3rd And The Mortal, Anneke van Giersbergen från The Gathering och Liv Kristine från Theatre Of Tragedy och Leave´s Eyes.
Rocknytts Kjell Ögren fick chansen att ställa några frågor till The Sirens Kari Rueslåtten.
First of all I would like to say a very warm welcome to Sweden and Sweden Rock Festival this summer. What are your expectations for this event?
Thank you so much, it will be a blast. We are really looking forward to playing! For now the sirens have been playing live in europe and latin america, this will be first time on scandinavian ground – that is super, close to home.
The Sirens – what a fantastic project, bringing us three of the most renowned and respected female singers in the metal world performing together on the same stage. Tell us a bit about how this all started.
Thank you for your kind words! It started with Anneke and Liv meeting up at a festival where they were both playing two years ago, promising each other they should be doing something together in future. Then Anneke and I had at the same time talked about doing something together too – and then the idea surfaced that the three of us should gather our forces.
The band playing with you, are they also friends from your past or have you chosen new musicians to play with you on this tour?
It is Annekes band, a fantastic bunch of musicians. Speaking for myself – the way that they have lifted those The 3rd And The Mortal songs out of their originals back in 1994 and into 2015 is just wonderful – so fresh, but still true to the old sound.
As I understand it, you will be giving us songs from your earlier bands and from your respective solo careers. Have you also been making any new material, together? Could we perhaps be expecting some The Sirens records in the future?
Yes, we all bring into the project songs from our old bands, our solo-songs from solo careers and three brand new the sirens songs! It is too early to say, but we have no plans for recording a The Sirens record just now. We are all three really busy with solo-projects or other projects. I am just about to release a new solo-album that will be out in October. I have a new single out, “Turn, turn, turn” (a cover version of the old the byrds-classic hit from 1965), and I will also be touring in the autumn and 2016 with the new album.
You were all in a way among the first in this genre, paving the way for many newer female-fronted bands to follow in your footsteps. What are your thoughts on this, do you think this kind of music has moved in the right direction? Are there many worthy heirs on the scene today?
Oh, yes indeed! A lot of water has run under the bridge since i first entered the stage as the vocalist in The 3rd And The Mortal on the first gig – and the audience were waiting for the vocalist to come to the stage, and didn’t know what was going on when it was only me. Having a sole female vocalist was not common at all, it was always alongside a male vocalist. It is very good that it is different these days. In general there are more women now in the scene, not only on stage but as managers, booking agents and other roles as well, and that is great.
Finally: The lineup of the festival is – as always – very good. Which bands would you like to see when you are not playing?
Oh, so many excellent bands!! It seems that I am only going to be at the festival for our own gig-day and that is Saturday, so the bands I am totally certain to check out Saturday is my all-time favorite My Dying Bride, and I am also going to see Eluveitie and I have to pop by Extreme too.
Thank you for taking the time for this. Again, very welcome to Sweden in June. We look forward to seeing you at Sweden Rock Festival in June.
Thank you for the interview!! Hopefully see you all saturday!!!
