First of all thank you for the opportunity for this interview.
Ah, you`re always welcome! No problem.
What are the responses you get about the recent album Fire and Ashes?
Sofar the response is overwhelmingly good. The reactions on Fire&Ashes are even better than the ones on the Sacrificum album. Seems we have done something right.
What is the most embarrassing moment that has happened in recording the recent album?
Embarrassing? Well the recording process went very, very smooth and quick, no need for embarrassment! Maybe that were done way before the actual deadline this time.
Why did you chose for 3 own tracks, 2 re-recorded and 2 covers?
We wanted to make a very diverse and colourful EP. Maybe try a couple things that wouldn`t work in an album context. So we divided the album in 2 parts: a Fire and an Ashes part.
The Fire part consists of those 3 new songs Voyage Of The Fallen, Unembraced and In Remembrance, while the Ashes part contains the Meat Loaf & Sonata Arctica coverversions as well as the remakes of Ravenheart & Now&Forever.
Could you tell us more about how the new songs are formed?
Those 3 songs were exclusively written for this EP. We actually had already written a couple of songs for next album and just wanted to take 3 of those songs. But on the other hand those songs were meant for the album that we are going to record somewhere in 2016 and we also didn’t want to touch them… So we decided to see if we could do 3 brand new ones that are as good as the ones that will end up on this next full length album.….
What do you all do for living and how do you combine that with touring and songwriting (recording)?
Today it is very, very tough to live completely on your band. Some of us live on music, means being teachers. Some of us have an more or less ordinary 9 to 5 dayjob. Everything that goes along with the band happens in the time other people call free time or holidays J
Not always that easy to manage, but hey what can we do. Anyway as the band is growing and everything gets bigger and better. We already see a light at the end of the tunnel!
Are there any influences from other bands in this album?
Not really. You have always the same ingredients: good old 80ies metal, classical music, those cinematic soundscapes mixed together with a modern, up to date twist et voila… this is Xandria!
If you are going on a tour what happens then in the tour bus?
Oh! The wildest parties you can ever imagine. Hahaha! No not really.
An ordinary day on tour mostly looks like this: I am usually the 1st one to get up and to go downstairs to make some coffee. Then one after another of the band and crew are going to join me. Till we arrive at the venue everyone is doing his or her own thing. Means watching some DVD`s, listen to some new music (on the last tour the latest Maiden album has been the No.1 hot topic) or even doing some work…
At the venue we set up, do soundcheck and wait for the show in the evening. Maybe do some sightseeing.
After the show and a few aftershowbeers and chats with the people everyone usually disappears back into their bunks.
So you see nothing too wild or special. Just an ordinary day at the office 😉
How is it in having a Dutch singer? How does the communication go?
Well to be honest there is no big difference between having a Dutch, German or whatever singer. Most important thing is that you get along well with each other and with Dianne this has been the fact since day 1.
Though Dianne understands everything we say in German, we usually talk or write in English. Just makes it easier for everyone. We are still trying to teach us each other’s languages. But to be honest Dianne is doing so much better in learning German than we do in learning Dutch J Damn, still a long way to go for us boys 😀
What’s it like to tour with the band through Europe and other places in the world?
Hey, this is the reason why we are doing all this. This is our life! A dream come true. Believe me, it can`t be better!
What are the future plans of Xandria now?
After completing the Powerwolf tour we are currently on, we will play a few single show here and there. Also the Femme Festival in Eindhoven on October the 17th! Then in December we will tour Asia for the first time. China, Japan, Taiwan and maybe a few others.
In February we will embark on a co-headlining tour through Europe with our friends from Serenity.
And then well, it is about time to start working on the next album.
Busy schedule. It won`t get boring!
Is there anything you would like to add to this interview?
Thank u all so much for your love & support! We really, really appreciate that! See you somewhere on the road my friends!
(All questions answered by Steven Wussow)
Check the review we did about Fire and Ashes here.
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