Hello darling! I am happy that you followed my invitation. I guess you don’t need any introduction to our readers haha since you’ve been collaborating with many bands. What can you tell us about the latest one Evadne?
Hi Miruna, and greetings to all who are reading this interview. First of all, I’m very pleased to be part of this set of interviews, as I have read the previous ones, with Natalie Koskinen, who is a very good friend in Doom, as well as Simen Hestnaes, who is also a friend and has been a great influence to me.
The collaboration with Evadne in “Morningstar Song” from “A Mother Named Death” album is one of my favorites so far. We have been friends for a couple years and they have been very close to me specially when my parents died last year. They invited me to collaborate even before we (Mourning Sun) shared stage with them in Autumn Souls of Sofia last year, and I recorded my parts at Rodrigo Morris (ex-Mar de Grises) studio here in Santiago. I like how my vocals were combined with male growls and clean voice, and I have felt a very good reception from the audience. I will be joining Evadne on stage at “A Mother Named Death” release show in Valencia, on the 19th of November, and Helevorn will be playing as well. Can’t wait!
As far as I know if I’m not mistaken, you had a collaboration with SubRosa as well?
Yes. My relation with SubRosa is very special. I went to Roadburn for the first time in 2015, mainly to see Wardruna, Fields of the Nephilim and Wovenhand shows. I met my friend Daniel Arvidsson from Draconian there, and he recommended me to check SubRosa. I only knew them by the name, so we went to check their show. The venue (Het Patronaat) was full, so I could only see from a far distance and focused on the immense sound they had. They blew out my mind. It was like love at first sight. I couldn’t find their CD available, and their merch was almost sold out after their show, so I found “More Constant than the Gods” girlie shirt and took it with me for the rest of the day. When I arrived at the hotel in Eindhoven on that night, I had lost my shirt and couldn’t believe it. I was very frustrated, but decided to come back to the train station by walking and there it was… 3 blocks before the hotel!
Then the years passed and we started a special friendship, mainly with Levi Hanna, their bassist. I couldn’t make it to Roadburn 2016 because of my parents’ cancer, so I went this year. What I didn’t know is that SubRosa wanted to invite me to play the promotional song “Troubled Cells” for their new album “For This We Fought the Battle of Ages”. That meant being part of their choir, together with Nathan Carson from Witch Mountain, Matt Bacon from Metal Injection and Erin Jane Laroue from Jamais Jamais. I played Roadburn Main Stage with one of my favorite bands (I’m a hard fan of Sludge Doom), in front of thousands of people, and met many bands as well, because I could share at the backstage with the artist pass. I’m a humble person when it comes to define yourself an artist or not, so to me, this was one of the biggest dreams come true and I will always be thankful of them for trusting in my work and inviting me.
Your main band is Mourning Sun. what can you tell us about it? How did it all started?
Mourning Sun is the first band I’ve been full time. Our keyboardist and founder Eduardo Poblete invited me to join as he was a friend of my ex. I was listening to the first demos and liked one very much… and the song turned into Spirals Unseen, which is part of VAHO EP and Último Exhalario album. Coincidently Rodrigo Morris joined the project as the producer and I showed some ideas in vocals, but I had never done that before… and Rodrigo recommended to keep me as vocalist, because it was not only singing but also try to give the project an identity and develop meaningful content that could be part of all the art that goes with the music.
Mourning Sun could be described sometimes as an Atmospheric Doom, Avant-garde Doom or Doom/Folk band. Our aesthetics are a result of years and years of music appreciation. First we are hard fans of Doom, Folk and Black Metal and we are constantly looking for new sounds both for listening and for creating music. We didn’t expect to have such a good reception from audience from all over the world, and we are in constant contact with people from Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America. This has been huge to us, and there are a lot of good things going for the band. I think we will have a long life in music, hopefully.
What does the word “doom” mean to you?
This is one of the best questions I’ve received.
To me, Doom is an important word. It carries the burden of self-destruction and absolute deliverance to the grieving being. This self-destruction is not to be taken in the incorrect way. It’s pouring all what you are and accepting the natural and inherent darkness and dusk of the human being and put it to different forms of art. It’s the abandonment of ego. It’s profound and genuine grief, sublimed and taken to a level that makes you create something that may help other grieving beings from all over the world. I’m with those people and with the acts where I can see blood and soul, because that’s what it counts to me.
As you probably know I am doing a small project about women in metal. My target is to talk with most remarkable women in metal. I want to know your honest opinion: Do you think that a female vocalist can give credit to a band or is this a disadvantage? What about a woman which is the main vocalist?
This is probably the most important question and the value-added of this important interview. It’s one of the main points of interest in what I use to talk when I’m asked, because I see this path in music not only as a creator and collaborator. I’m someone who likes to communicate, make music, and talk about it, listen to bands, going to small and big shows, and support the acts I like and try to transfer some experience or learn from them, and that is something I will always do, having an active band, less or more collaborations, or not.
A band having a woman as part of their members is not an advantage or a disadvantage. The presence of women in metal is something that I measure because of the meaningfulness of what she has to deliver from a woman’s perspective. We have women who have poured all their mysticism, strength, energy and fire into their acts such as Diamanda Galas, Karyn Crisis, Heidi Solberg Tveitan, Kari Rueslatten, Ann-Mari Edvardsen, Rebecca Vernon, Chelsea Wolfe, Natalie Koskinen, just to name a few. I can see what’s is behind them, what it moves them… and I appreciate and take their influence to everything I do.
How is the Chilean metal scene compared to the European one?
Chilean Metal scene is growing more and more. I have been 5 times in Europe for attending festivals, playing live and recording, and visiting many friends in music. The same when these friends are touring Latin America, we meet here. Acts from the past who have been known and successful in Europe are Mar de Grises, Uaral and Poema Arcanus, which are bands I like a lot, specially Mar de Grises. I like to see Chilean bands having success, and I personally present current bands to people abroad like label and festival owners.
Regarding the way the scene moves, the difference between the Chilean and the European scene, in my humble opinion, is how professional and serious you are when you are in a band, in terms of content, ideas poured in your words, sound, equipment and the previous music appreciation, because the idea is to create something that is considered fresh so you can have a space in the scene you move and try to take your music to the best places possible. That is something the Chilean scene still lacks. You want to be playing in Europe, but what did you do to make a difference and give that value added, which is extremely a need nowadays to stand out of the thousands of projects who are 100% based and sound exactly the same as an European or American band.
This autumn you’ll come for the second time in Romania for Metal Gates festival, this time with Mourning Sun. How do you feel about it? Did you enjoy last time when you were at Doom over Bucharest?
Romania is one of my favorite crowds. I have seen how they appreciate Doom Metal and are into the bands that are part of the scene I’m in. I have a special affection for Bucharest. Last year Mourning Sun was invited my Mihai from Final Step Productions, and we have a good response from the audience. This year I followed my friends from Clouds, Shape of Despair and Funeral, and I also wanted to see Abigail live so it was such a great experience to attend the event! I had a great time!.
I’m coming back this November, with Mourning Sun to play Metal Gates, and I will be also playing full set with my Swedish friends from When Nothing Remains. Mourning Sun has became more and more known in Romania so I’m sure we will be able to play for and meet many of the friends whom we constantly share on Facebook. Get ready for the Doomination!
Can you tell me an artist which is huge for you?
To me, the most influential artist that is a common denominator for the acts I like is definitely Diamanda Galás. I had the pleasure to see her live and met her in person last year in the National Theatre of Catalunya, in Barcelona. I was starting the first tour with Mourning Sun but I HAD to go see her, so I took 2 days to get there and then travel back to Sofia for the first show of the tour. It totally worth it. She is like the main influencer of many of the darkest acts we can see nowadays, through her transversality, depth and pioneering proposal. This is why she is huge not only to me, but to many who are in the same search.
Thank you for time! Was a total pleasure ! last words belong to you…
Pleasure is mine!
I sincerely thank you for giving me a special space here. It is always good to speak about all these things, both through written or live interviews. It’s even healing in a way J so from my heart of hearts, thanks a lot!
Can’t wait to be in Bucharest for the third time and share our favorite music, Mourning Sun show and some Rakia 😮 hahaha J
Hugs to all,
Ana
