Interview with:Vibeke Stene
Anders Hidle
There are bands which can remain silent for some years and than arise as a phoenix from the ashes of fire. One of them is Tristania. The band made some impressive records but decided after the promotion of their last record called World of Glass (2001) to take some rest.
After two years the band performed at this year’s German festival: M'era Luna and now they’re on the road with Therion and Trial of Tears. Enough reason to think that they’re back. The most import thing for the band will be the release of the new record “Ashes” in January. After their show on November 2nd in Tilburg (NL) I had the chance to speak with front lady Vibeke Stene and lead guitarist Anders H. Hidle about what drives Tristania: motivation and devotion.
After the gig there’s some time to talk with them. Half an hour after the show, when they’ve had some rest, we had a long talk in the backstage room. In the meantime the other band members are taking a shower or are listening to Therion. I must admit that it was hard to prepare for this interview. The band who I never saw on stage, but loved since I was 15 years old. I decided for my emotions guide me. Happily Vibeke broke the ice and after Anders came in the interview could begin.
Vibeke is very enthusiastic about the tour with Therion: “We haven’t done concerts for two years and it was time to come back and it’s nice for us to go on tour before the release of the new record. Now we can do some tour training. Therion is very nice!” Anders also wants to say something about it. He says that they did a tour with Therion before and that it’s nice to be an support act. “We have the chance to reach some new fans.” When I wonder if they don’t have the feeling they have to work harder because they have to play before Therion both react with a loud ‘No’. It’s Vibeke who explains it. With her soft voice and little smile she tells me that they want to give a hundred percent with every gig they do. Anders gives a simple conclusion “We even will be a better live-band by doing these shows, because you get spoiled when you only do some headline tours. For us it is a very good thing. Our goal is to have the same energy on stage now as during our headline tour next year.”
To be on tour can be very hard: night after night a band has to give everything for the fans. Vibeke admits that there are some days that it’s difficult. What helps for her is to be with the band before they go on stage, do a sound check and thus motivate herself. For Andrew it’s important to get himself in a certain mental state of the mind.
To be on tour can be very hard: night after night a band has to give everything for the fans. Vibeke admits that there are some days that it’s difficult. What helps for her is to be with the band before they go on stage, do a sound check and thus motivate herself. For Andrew it’s important to get himself in a certain mental state of the mind.
Ashes
Before the process of this new album, there was a silence for some years. The band was very tired and wanted to sit down and decide what to do in the future. After that, they had a lot of new energy to make this new album. Anders eyes are sparkling when he talks about the new album: “It’s a direct album, much more straight in the face than the other things we have done. We’re very proud of it and we’re showing a totally new side of us and at the same time we still sound like Tristania. To compose this album it was a totally natural process. The creative process of Tristania is never easy, but it was a natural thing." The front lady interrupts him: “We still have those complex things like the keyboards but maybe in a more organic way.” Anders was looking for words and as soon she’s finished he almost screams: “It’s more aggressive and there are some common songs, but more focussed on what’s the key element of the songs.” The band had some discussions during the writing process of the album but everyone is happy with the final result. The reason is because all the members share the view how it has to be in the end. The band had a positive pressure during the process. Vibeke feels that very strong: “It’s more of a pressure to myself to do a good job. To stay there and do my best.”
She is very happy with the way things go at the moment. “I think it’s great to be on tour again, doing this new album and we can’t wait till it’s out. The new management from SPV helps us very well.” Anders fills in : “We have a stable package and the social chemistry in the band is better than ever and than it’s great to look the fans in the eyes and say: we’re back again with a great album and this is what we love to do, and we have the energy.” The choice of the new label was very important Anders says about it that they didn’t think “money wise” but more like they want to give Tristania all the exposure.
Complex music
For an outsider the arrangements they make with choir, keyboards, violin and three voices, seems to be very complex to make. When Anders heard this he looks shy to the table, but says clear that it all begins with a simple idea or a small piece of a melody line. Vibeke: “It’s like to build a house and try a lot of different things. We love to experiment and to work in the studio. The keyboard player has a good ear for harmony and arrangements. Actually it’s a very natural process. Well we never changed a lot in the past. I think that’s important. Even when we do something new it sounds like Tristania with the same basics.”
Wondering what the basic exactly is, Vibeke is very honest: “We have three different vocalists with each their own sound and also the keyboard is special.” For Anders is it the diversity of the keyboards and the and the different emotions. Vibeke interrupts him with a smile: “Yes when I listen to some old songs I played thousand of times still makes my flesh creep.”
When other goth metal bands like Within Temptation and Nightwish had more attention it became silent around Tristania. Vibeke has some regrets about that. Sometimes she wonders how it was when they didn’t take that rest. Anders doesn’t think that it is a small market where everybody fights for their audience. “Now goth metal bands are like nu-metal was a few years ago and I think it’s positive for all the bands. I think the mainstream is not bad for us because we’ll always be Tristania and that’s not because of the fans, we just want to be true to ourselves.” Vibeke adds to that: “That’s the way to make music. Only than can you put emotion in it and we don’t want to compromise.”
Motivation
The band started a long time ago in 1996, still I want to know what the source is of the motivation after all those years. Vibeke starts to laugh: “It such a long time ago. Well for me it was singing. I started to sing when I was very little and I love it. It’s great to do it with others cause than you get input. “ For Anders it’s more his devotion to the music: “We have all different kind of music tastes and that gives us the diversity we need.”
Vibeke more talks about the emotion: “For every part I sing I have another feeling. I am maybe a technically good classical singer but when I have no emotion with it I can’t do it. We never have been sure of anything. We never thought this would happen and that’s amazing. When you really want it you can do it.” Tristania asks a lot from themselves.
Anders is very happy with that conclusion. “Yes that’s why we had to sit down and to say ‘what we want to do now.’ Well and with Ashes some ideas are older than World of Glass but we had all the time and took a long time for we were happy because we had high expectations of ourselves. So it was a long process.” Both missed the touring part but wrote a lot of things during those years and the band has never been down. Anders: “This time I am very positive because the band works hard and is very creative. The goal will always be to live from Tristania and more devotion. Tristania is our live.”
Last words from the writer
First of all: Thanks to Tristania, organisation from the venue 013 and Carlos Reuter.
When I had this interview I wasn't working for this website. I don't know how it happend but I met a Italian guy who had a very nice webzine. He made a Italian and English version of the interview. You can read that on:
http://www.therockexplosion.com/Interviews/TRISTANIA%20Italian.htm http://www.therockexplosion.com/Interviews/TRISTANIA%20English.htm
Also I want to say that a lot of my interviews are in cooperation with an Belgium webzine. They gave me the change to do this interview, so I want to thank my chief editor for that. Under that copyright it was possible to publish it here, because I wanted to give you the change to read one of my dearest interviews and they allowed me to this under their copyright.
You can find the 'first' version of this interview on:
http://www.concreteweb.be/interviews/interviews_2004/tristania/tristania2004interview.htm
So visit their website also, because you can find there some great other interviews too.
- Silvia Deurwaarder -
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