HomeFeaturedWithin Temptation InterviewWithin Temptation Interviewby Chad BowarGuardarWithin TemptationSpinefarm RecordsWithin Temptation‘s latest album is Resist. At one point, it wasn’t clear if the band would continue, but they found their path and a musical approach that incorporates some new styles alongside what they have done in the past. I spoke with vocalist Sharon den Adel about the challenges of making the album, their upcoming North American tour, her solo project My Indigo and other topics.Chad Bowar: The future of the band was in doubt. What turned it around and set you back in the right direction again?Sharon den Adel: First I have to explain what was the reason for it, that it was going to be maybe that Hydra was the last album, just because lack of inspiration after that album. It took us five years to write a new album. And there were several reasons why we had writer’s block or felt uninspired. First of all, I had a lot of stuff in my personal life that was happening. And it made me realize I really had to think about, okay, I’ve been on this roller coaster for 23 years. Do I still want to do this for another 23? Do I want to do it differently? I missed out on a lot of things doing this. My big passion, and my biggest love, was to be able to be touring with a band all over the world and doing this.On the other hand, I missed out on a lot of stuff at home. Parents and friends, everybody’s got families. I missed out on a lot of stuff. So I just realized that after Hydra, I really had to make up the balance and stuff. And then, also what happened is I had writer’s block. It was all connected. But I wasn’t the only one having problems writing. Other people in the band who were also writing had the same problem. In the meantime, to get rid of the writer’s block and just doing something different sometimes really helps to get back to make clear which direction you want to go, also with your life.I did something else in between it, my solo project My Indigo. It’s a different kind of music. It’s singer/songwriter kind of songs. It’s more alternative, and a bit of an urban kind of influence. It has a lot of different flavors that I never used for Within Temptation, but it fit better in the time that I was going through all of this process, finding my new way for Within Temptation and deciding if I even wanted to continue with the band even. So I did this project in between. And it really helped us to find a new way. It helped me back to Within Temptation again. I could deal with a lot of stuff through My Indigo by writing these songs and doing something different, getting out of my comfort zone, looking at music in a different way again and also, to a different genre of music.And I think a lot of things that I learned from the project, not just me. The producer I was working with for My Indigo also worked on the new album for Within Temptation. We both made a development that helped us to do a different structure for Within Temptation, but also the songwriting was very different. Before this album and any album before it, we had different rhythms, we had a different way of singing. But also, the contribution of the singers that we eventually asked. Also, my own way of singing was very different than what I have done before. The timing is different.So many things really resulted from the urban stuff. We learned a lot from that, actually. We transformed a little bit into Within Temptation with some influences of that, which makes it sound more modern, in my opinion. We had a lot of things happening at the same time, not being inspired by any kind of music and eventually, ended up looking at different kind of music genres than typical metal or rock where we normally get our influences and inspiration from. We looked to different music scenes and that really helped us evolve a new direction for Within Temptation eventually. And that made it fun again, because that’s the aim that we always have is to find a new way of finding something that makes enthusiastic to write again. And it happened actually by listening to different kinds of music than we normally do.You talked about the guest singers, who are all very different.Yeah, totally. And that’s also very nice, because they all add something different to a different type of song. And also, because they all have a different type of voice. We asked Anders from In Flames because he’s more experienced with a screaming voice. And we needed his screaming voice on “Raise Your Banner.” And for “The Reckoning” we needed more of what Jacoby (Shaddix, Papa Roach) had. It’s intense, direct, but also a certain anger to it and also vulnerable, somehow. Jasper (Steverlinck) was more sensual and also very emotional. There are three very different vocalists, indeed.In Flames is a band like yourselves whose sound has evolved over the years.Yeah, but I think Papa Roach as well, actually. I was thinking about how they started and what they’re doing now is so different. Of course, they have the same kind of influences still. But they really evolved from where they came from. They went along with their time also.Another thing that’s new for you guys is the record label. Tell me how you came to sign with Spinefarm.We signed with them for America. We’re signed with Universal in the rest of the world. They really believed in the songs that we were presenting to them and we had a really good connection with them, how they responded to our new ideas for the new songs and what direction we were going. Eventually, we chose them for that reason. We had the right vibe or wavelength. They were very enthusiastic and liked our new direction.What led to the album being pushed back from last year to early February?There were some production problems. I didn’t really get into exactly what it was, because I was like, “Yeah, it’s only six weeks, it’s not months and months, luckily.” But something went wrong with the production and they had to reproduce the whole thing again.Has what you expect from a record label changed over the years?I think the music industry has changed a lot. They’re still doing more or less the same thing, but I think it’s slightly changing. Nowadays, instead of getting on the radio, it’s now better to get you on music platforms which is more important nowadays than radio in most countries. It’s the same, but it’s not the same. For us, a record company has always been more or less the same in that they never were involved with any decisions that we made for the future or for any music that we made. We always had the freedom to make and do whatever we wanted, because nobody really understood what we were doing. They didn’t understand the scene we were in most of the time. But it’s always nice to hook up with a more metal or rock or alternative kind of label, because they are more used to bands like us so they know how to present us in the right way and to the platforms that are out there.Another thing that has changed a lot over the years, especially with the development of social media, is how your albums are promoted. Back when you guys first started, maybe you released one single and then, the album came out. Now, it’s videos of you in the studio and lyric videos and regular videos and several songs come out before the album release. Do you like the transparency or you miss the mystique?There are more tools to make people aware that you’re out there, that you’re releasing a new album. But in the past, it was one single like you said. But essentially, when the album was out, nobody was interested any more to talk to you or the band. Okay, it’s out there, so what else can we talk about? And now, you can have a real nice build-up to a certain point where everyone’s really excited. And you can release little snippets and stuff. I like the technology, because it makes it actually, for me, more exciting to watch the band release something more than just one single and then the whole album.Of course, you’re excited for the whole album to come out. We play five songs live during the tour that we’ve been doing before the album comes out. And it’s not the same as it is on the record, so it’s always going to be different. But still, if we wouldn’t have done that, then the surprise would have been bigger, but I think it did make people aware that we were releasing a new album. And I think all of our fans are ready to go.You are getting ready to come back to tour in North America. How are you doing when it comes to building your North American fan base?We go there the same way as we did before. We play three weeks to six weeks. That’s what we did in the past, and we’re coming over again for three weeks. And we’ll see if we’re coming back again. It depends on what else comes our way. It’s such a big country. It’s hard to travel. It takes so much time. And the world is so big for us. We have so many countries where we are a little bit bigger. We’re playing on different stages here in Europe and in Russia and in this part of the world. But I think there’s a certain capacity of how many fans there are that like a type of music. And I think we’ve reached them.I’m really happy that we’re able to come back every time and still sell out the shows. And that’s the biggest thing. And these are nice venues that we play. It’s not like it’s very small. It’s just really comfortable and beautiful places that we get to play. It’s just a pleasure for us to come over and enjoy your country and to enjoy our friends during these shows. It’s very relaxed, for us anyway. I’m enjoying it.With In Flames on the bill for your North American tour, can we expect a nightly performance of “Raise Your Banner” with Anders?I hope so. I’m really looking forward to that. I didn’t ask him yet. The chances are quite good, I think, to get them on stage.How challenging is it so many albums in to construct a set list that you guys like to play and that the fans like to hear?It’s challenging, because you always disappoint somebody who has a favorite song that you’re not playing. But what we’re doing is taking songs from every album and those that are the fan favorites. We think we know which ones those are. And sometimes it depends where you’re playing, which country, which song did better there. We make a nice combination of both the new album and old albums. And it depends a little bit how long you play. Most of the time, we play one and a half hours. There’s always a lot of opportunity to put a lot of old stuff in there, as well. And we try to vary it little bit here and there.You can’t please everyone, but you can make a nice mixture. And I think we’ve done that this time especially, because we have a different sound with this album. We tried to fit older songs together that fit our new album as well to have a nice red line between the songs so that it all fits together and feels like one thing.You mentioned the My Indigo album before. Do you anticipate doing another one at some point in the future?I hope so, but it’s more something that I’m going to do on the side, because I do realize that having a project of this size with Within Temptation is very difficult. I’m a writer for both, so I’m writing My Indigo and I’m one of the writers for Within Temptation. So it’s a lot of work and a lot of effort. But I’m looking forward to doing both. But My Indigo will be a second plan, of course, because it’s something that I do on the side. It’s a project really. And Within Temptation is my first band. That’s something that I need to focus on mostly. But if I have time, I’ll try to give it another go for another album, because I really enjoyed the first one. It was very precious for me to be able to make that album. And it was very personal, also. But I think there’s more to write and I think that it’s good to keep continuing that, as well.I know music is very much a family affair for you. Are the kids getting into music yet?Yes, my son is. He’s nine. He’s playing really well and writing songs already, but it’s something that I don’t want to be involved too much in. We encourage him, but it’s very difficult to be in a music scene. Whatever you do, just do it as a hobby and you’ll see. Whatever comes out comes out. Just enjoy it, the fact that you can make music. That’s the thing that we’re trying to emphasize.(interview published February 2, 2019)
The album explores a new side of Within Temptation with new urban influences that take a step away from the band's signature symphonic metal sound. Resist explores current universal technological and political issues and drives home the idea that a wakeup call is needed to break free from fixed patterns and find a way to live life in freedom.Last week, Within Temptation frontwoman Sharon den Adel spoke to AXS from her home in the Netherlands where she was spending the day promoting the new release.AXS: You have the new album coming out this week. What do you feel Resist represents for the band? Sharon den Adel: I think for us, we feel that this album, which I'm sure you hear from every band, but I feel this album really steps away from what we've done before both musically and production-wise. It's not the typical symphonic metal that people know from us. We have new influences in our music. I think in some way it's unrecognizable as Within Temptation and we have a lot of new things in there that we haven't done before. There's some urban stuff and also some hip hop and reggae rhythms and ways of singing, but not where we are completely doing that, but where we are using parts and implementing that into our music and our signature sound.I think that gives us a nice crossover appeal without losing our own identity. I think that's a big step forward from the previous albums that we've released.AXS: Have you been happy with the reaction to the first couple of singles?SA: Yeah and we've also been playing five of the songs live so we are getting that direct reaction. That's a great reason to play them live. Of course, there are some songs that are explosive and then some songs that people take a while to get used to. Sometimes certain songs come across differently on an album than they do live, but so far the reactions have been really good. We're looking forward to hearing more when the album is out. We've already had some really beautiful reviews, but we are really anxious to hear what our fans think.AXS: You've talked about the fact that you and the rest of the band went through a period where you weren't sure that you wanted to continue. What was it that inspired you to head back in and record this album?SA: The thing was that after the release of our last album Hydra, we toured a lot and we didn't have any breaks. We tried to find that time after the tour to rest and usually a couple of weeks after you get back from tour and come down a bit, you're ready to get back into the studio and create something again. You're ready to express yourself in a different way and have something fresh that you can be excited about again. However, this time after Hydra, nothing happened. We didn't feel inspired. We were worn out and especially me because I'd come to a kind of crossroads in my life and with the heavy touring schedule we had, we all needed a break.For me, I found that I was burnt out and having a writer's block and it was also a combination of other things. My father got really ill just before we ended the tour so it was emotionally heavy for me to be away from my family. So all those things really pressed on me and were a bit heavy for me while we were on the road.So when I finally did get home, nothing came out of the writing sessions I did. I felt lost because I couldn't express myself and I really needed to do that. What I did was I said that maybe I don't have to write for Within Temptation, maybe I can do something else in between and maybe I'll eventually end up again being inspired for Within Temptation. At that time I really didn't know if that was something that I wanted to do again because I'd been doing it for my whole adult life and sometimes you really need a change. What came out that was my solo album called My Indigo and it was a different kind of music. It's urban alternative and it has some indie pop influences and at times some eighties influences, but also a lot of modern influences as well. So I put all that in a blender and that album was the result. It was something very different from Within Temptation and it was nice to be able to make it.I learned a lot from it and moving forward in time it ended up really helping us get back to Within Temptation because I learned so much from it and having those urban influences and those different rhythms and those different productions began to influence the Resist album. We started writing together again and we came up with a mix of Within Temptation and this urban stuff and even some hip hop here and there and it really made us enthusiastic about music and Within Temptation again. I think it was a necessary step to make. Before I started My Indigo, I had no idea this would be the outcome, but I'm really happy that it did.AXS: And Resist has a powerful message running through it, which is timely right now with all of the turmoil throughout the world. Was that something that you wanted to address heading into this or was that something that just evolved in the studio?SA: Well you really can't get around it. It's like everywhere in your face all of the time. The consequences of what is happening in this world is prevalent in the papers and all over the place. So we already had that in mind when we were writing and we were inspired by it because we were also very angry and fired up about different subjects like freedom of speech and also fake news and all the examples of people trying to influence things like voting. Even here in the Netherlands, we had to go back to paper and a pencil again in the elections because of the fact that we don't trust computers anymore. It's a problem in big cities everywhere. Technology is working against us nowadays more or less. It looks so great on the surface because you can use your social media to communicate with everyone out there, but at the same time it's feeding out a lot of information about you so anonymity is lost.So all of this was a good inspiration for us to write about. We all have families and we want to have a better world where we can leave something beautiful behind. It's really going in the wrong direction and it's sad. I do think that people are realizing it, but it's too late to go back in time and change technology, but there are ways to fix it with new privacy laws and thinking about how we can make it work without losing our privacy.AXS: Have you seen the message from Resist connecting on that level?SA: Yes and I think because it is all around you that everybody has an opinion about it so they can draw that connection.AXS: Over the years, you've done a number of collaborations. For this album, you've got the first single "The Reckoning" with Jacoby Shaddix (Papa Roach,) "Raise Your Banner" with Anders Fridén (In Flames,) and "Firelight" with Jasper Steverlinck (Arid.) How did those come about and do you usually know who you'd like to work ahead of going in the studio?SA: It usually not something intentional, but rather something that grows when you're writing a new song and something seems to work for another voice. Usually, it starts out 100 percent with my voice, but as you move along and the story begins to flow, sometimes it's really nice to have a different take on the song to provide that energy. We are always pro-collaborations, whether it's a feature on our album or a feature on someone else's release. It's always nice to meet new people who are more or less of the same music genre as you are, especially since you never really get to know each other because you're out on different tours. So sometimes you like their music and you write a song and you think, hey, what the heck, it could be really cool to have them or him or her on this song because their voice would really bring something new to the song. So that's what happened this time. That's why we asked the three that are on this album. It could have been ladies as well, but it turned out to be men this time! [laughing]AXS: Looking at your solo album, what did you find to be the biggest difference for you in the process?SA: It was quite different because I also worked with different people. I did work with the same producer, but I had other musicians participate in the writing process. It was great to learn from new people because I'm always usually with the same people and for me, it was really like an adventure. So it was a chance to grow again with the lyrics and how you write music and how you look at music. It was one big musical adventure that allowed me to find myself again and, in a way, reinvent myself.AXS: And the North American tour is rapidly approaching. What should your American and Canadian fans expect this time out?SA: Well we're developing a new stage setup. It's going to be different from the European one. It's going to be a mixture, of course, of the new album and us playing around with some of the older stuff. We've really found with the European tour that you have to fuse the old songs with a new sound because you want it to really flow. Plus it's nice for people to see something old but in a new way. So we hope to play around with that every few shows or so. That would be cool I think.AXS: And what's the plan for the rest of the year?SA: There's a lot of festivals coming our way so when we come back to the Netherlands we have at least thirty shows that we are going to do throughout Europe and one in Russia even. We are going to be all over the place in every country so just more of that and after the summer we will have to see. We have the option for a new European tour in bigger venues with another band and we are thinking about South America and we can always write again too so it's really open for whatever we want to do. We also believe nowadays that there's a different way of touring and writing songs in the future for us I think. We don't have to tour for two years in a row to promote a new album. Maybe we cut out in between and take a few months and write. Then we can go on tour again with the same album, but also release some new stuff to keep it exciting. You have to adapt to changing scenery and industry.AXS: Anything you want to say to the fans who will be picking up the album over the next week?SA: Well I really hope they will like the album and hopefully they can send us a picture of them with it so we can put together a nice display of everyone across the world. It will be a great way to connect everyone in one big post. That would be really cool.I'm really looking forward to the North American tour because it's been a while and we really enjoy to come over and see all of the beautiful places again and meet all of those beautiful people. We are finally going, yay!!
