Page 28 - Black Velvet Issue 90

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hen ‘Lucidity’ was released on Sep- tems go. The band will perform at the Paradiso course it’s kind of awkward because although
Wtember 4th, 2006, it had been a project in Amsterdam on December 10th. Prior to that everybody’s practised the songs, the way we
by keyboardist Martijn Westerholt, previously of show, there will be a VIP birthday party, which write songs we don’t all get in a rehearsal room
Within Temptation. He had joined forces with will include goodie bags, party games, birthday and play them together. Martijn and Chris and I,
Charlotte Wessels although chose to gather an cake and acoustic songs. “We’ve got some very we write the songs and have a basic pre-produc-
array of other musicians to participate on the old-fashioned Dutch party games that we’re tion and then everybody takes the songs and
album. Things have changed a lot since then. thinking about doing on the anniversary but we starts refining their parts, so of course every-
Delain became a full time band with official band still have to figure out what we’ll do exactly, be- body knows their parts but a lot of time we don’t
members – Martijn and Charlotte are now joined cause we started it and we thought ‘Party actually play the songs altogether before we
by Tim Somers, Otto Schimmelpenninck, Merel games’ and we thought “Which ones?” and at have to start performing them live. Some of the
Bechtold and Ruben Israel. Of the changes De- one point we had so many, so now we kind of songs we had just played together for the very
lain have been through since their formation, have to choose what we’re going to do,” Char- first time an hour before people started walking
Charlotte says, “I do think that the fact that we lotte says. “But the more embarrassing the bet- in, so it was kind of nerve-racking, but there
really do function now as a band. Of course we ter. We have one where you have a nail were very, very nice people there. We just basi-
have been doing that from when we released attached to your middle and you have to basi- cally explained what we were doing, that we
‘April Rain’. We were kind of already there but it cally to drop it in a little glass. The Dutch name were getting ready, that we might fuck up, we
started feeling more and more as a band over of it is Shitting Nails. I swear it sounds a lot bet- might start again… we didn’t have to, actually…
the years. I remember that for a long time people ter in Dutch. No, actually it doesn’t! But we have it went pretty well. I think it was very nice for
kept asking for photos of Martijn and myself to- some really embarrassing, ludicrous party them to have a look behind the scenes and see
gether and at one point we were just going to games so we’re probably bringing some of those what we’re working on, from rehearsing the
stop making them because this is a band and to the birthday songs to taping all of
everyone’s involved and everyone’s so invested. party.” “Everybody has ideas about your cre- our cables so we
I think that, for me personally, from being within W e ative choices or what you choose to can recognize them
the band, that is a very significant and positive google Shit- on tour. To see all of
change. And of course our sound has changed. ting Nails later spend your time on. You’ve got to be that happening and
I wouldn’t say it really changes but we’ve shifted and it turns made of stone not to let things like that to get to hear the
in different directions and we’ve tried different out the Dutch get to you at one point or another. Just songs for the very
things. But I don’t think we’ve made a real radi- name is actu- first time, because it
cal twist in the way that we sound. I feel like ally Spijker- the fact that someone else has fire and wasn’t out yet, and
we’re still trying to find the borders of what we poepen. We chooses to kind of aim that at you, the on the other hand, it
want to do, what we can do, and creative tools ask if they’ll was very good for us
that we can use to achieve them.” film the party song is basically about choosing not to to have a rehearsal
One fan, Scott Johnson, wrote on Delain’s games. “We’ll be a doormat and I think that’s a very that had the actual
Facebook page saying happy birthday to ‘Lucid- film them but healthy thing,” - Charlotte Wessels pressure of an audi-
ity’. ‘Thank you for being the album that has im- we’ll put them ence, no matter how
pacted my life more than any other album ever through a small. It was a lot of
made’, he wrote. Charlotte ponders what could good screening before we put any online!” fun and I hope that they enjoyed being there as
have made that album create such an impact. replies Charlotte. much as we enjoyed having them there.”
“There’s always something about that first Out of the many items that fans could The band then held a ‘Moonbathers’ release
album,” she says. “The thing that makes it really pledge for on the PledgeMusic campaign, one party at Café Stathe in Utrecht on August 27th
special to me is when you do that first album you of the most intriguing was whisky tasting with and invited fans to go along. Charlotte and Timo
basically have no expectations of musical direc- Charlotte and Otto. They offer both Beginner performed acoustic versions of songs such as
tions of others that you have to keep in mind. Whiskey Tasting and Advanced Whisky Tasting. ‘The Hurricane’ and ‘Fire With Fire’. In ‘Fire With
You have plenty of time to do everything be- “When I was setting up the Pledge campaign, I Fire’, Charlotte sings ‘Just kill them with kind-
cause people don’t know you’re there, expecting basically did a big brainstorm with the band,” ex- ness’. Charlotte explains the song. “Especially
anything, so there’s a lot of room and time for in- plains Charlotte. “Of course we’re going to do in this industry that we are in, everybody has an
spiration and I think it was a very interesting signed CDs and vinyl and the DVD itself, but the opinion of what you do, how you do it. Every-
album, not in last place because of the many, nice thing about doing a campaign like this is of- body has an opinion of how you should do what
many people that worked on it. So many people fering other perks that you really wouldn’t get you’re doing. Everybody has ideas about your
got to put their mark on that record. I don’t know otherwise. We wanted it to be fairly personal. creative choices or what you choose to spend
of course for somebody else listening to it what I’ve seen a lot of bands inviting people to band your time on. You’ve got to be made of stone not
is the thing that touched them, whether it’s part barbecues but we rarely have band barbecues. to let things like that get to you at one point or
of an arrangement that really triggers their emo- And then Otto and I are real whisky lovers. We another. Just the fact that someone else has fire
tional responses or whether it’s something in the come together once in a while to basically sam- and chooses to kind of aim that at you, the song
lyrics that they can relate to or whether that just ple all of the nice single malts that we have at is basically about choosing not to be a doormat
was the album that they listened to in a very home and really make it like a tasting session. and I think that’s a very healthy thing,” she
awesome or a very sad moment of their life so it We thought this could be something that could laughs. “I am very much a person that’s raised
gets significance through that association with be so much fun to share with our pledgers. By to not go into conflict with people, to always be
it. I don’t know but for me, I’m always very hum- now we know quite a lot about it too. We’ve kind to everyone, but there is a point where you
bled and honoured when I hear things like that. been to so many distilleries. We visited the Islay should really say “Enough is enough,” and you
It could be a part of the record that I take for Whisky Festival so we thought it’d be very nice shouldn’t stoop to the level of people who are
granted or is very insignificant in a way that as an unexpected perk to offer people a whisky basically just bitching on everyone. There is a
could be the most important part of an album for tasting and we just give them a very nice collec- time and place to say “This is how far that can
other people. I have no idea but it’s wonderful to tion of single malts to try and then for the ad- go and this is where I allow this to touch me on
hear things like that of course.” vanced tasting sessions we’re really trying to get a personal level and this is where I say “Fuck
Since the band are celebrating ten years of some rare bottles that you wouldn’t open unless You”.”
Delain, they wanted to do something extra spe- you have an anniversary or a birthday. We just A song with a similar sense of rebellion is
cial. The band decided to set up a PledgeMusic wanted to make it something special. We want ‘Danse Macabre’. This song includes the lyrics,
campaign in order to put on a 10th anniversary to share something that we’re passionate about ‘I said I’d walk the mile, not that I’d walk in line’.
show and live DVD filming in Amsterdam. The besides music. This seemed to be something Charlotte says, “It’s got a similar sense of rebel-
band wanted to celebrate the milestone with that fit that idea. We’re really excited about it so lion but that one was actually inspired by… there
fans. Charlotte says she was excited on the day I can imagine that we can really pass that ex- were two songs which were inspired by a film
the PledgeMusic campaign went live. “I was citement on to other people as well.” script. A friend of ours had written a film script
very nervous and excited about the response and he asked us if we could read it and work on
that we would get on doing a Pledge campaign ut before that anniversary party, we some music for it. ‘Chrysalis – The Last Breath’
and whether the result would be successful. I Bhave the tour. And Delain recently in- was one of them, just because I could really, re-
was both curious for the opinions of people on vited competition winners as an audience during ally relate to some of the aspects in it. The other
doing a campaign like that and what it was going two production days where the band prepared one is ‘Danse Macabre’. The film script is a teen
to do, whether we would reach our goal.” for the ‘Moonbathers’ tour. Charlotte says, “It horror movie and one of the protagonists has an
The band did reach their goal, so it’s all sys- was a lovely experience. I really liked it. Of encounter with death and has to make a clear
DELAIN