Evanescence's New Album 'All Over The Place,' Amy Lee Says

Follow-up to The Open Door, due October 4, 'smacks you right in the face,' singer says.

Amy Lee is having a hard time talking about Evanescence's upcoming album, partially because she's out of practice — it's been a while since the band's frontwoman has had to run the press gauntlet, after all — but mostly because she keeps using words like "fun" to describe it. And even she realizes how odd that seems.

"I can't give a good quote about it, because it's probably the heaviest record we've ever done, but we're having a great time making it," the singer said, laughing. "I don't want to say the word 'fun,' but it is ... it's totally fun. We're just going for it. So I don't want to say that it's 'expressing the pain of a thousand sorrows,' because it's not that. I mean, it's just more mature; it's just a great record. It's hard to sum it up."

Of course, she's quick to add that "fun" doesn't necessarily mean "silly or poppy." "It doesn't translate right ... I'm having fun; we're all having fun," she explained, "And there are moments where you can hear that."

But Lee will be the first one to admit that, when Evanescence return in October with their first album in five years, they'll be a very different beast indeed. Case in point: the first single, which, though she won't reveal the title, is one she feels comfortable describing as a definite departure for the band.

It's really different for us. It doesn't sound like any Evanescence track you've heard before," she said. "It's heavy, but the melodies and stuff, I feel like I just did what I wanted. I just literally sang what I wanted to sing, because it was fun and it kind of made me smile, and that ended up being the really fun, cool, catchy thing that got everybody hooked on it."

And though it's different, Lee knows that there's plenty riding on the band's comeback single, which is why, even if she was smiling when she recorded it, the song's still got plenty of the band's trademark growl, too. And the same goes for the album.

"You always have to think about that. We have to go through making the decisions with the label, and see what they're going to push," she explained. "We don't get to do whatever we want all the time, so the single has to sound like a hit. But, for us, we want more than that.

"There's a lot I want to get across all at once, before I lose anybody's attention. So, the song that I think is the first single is the song that wraps it all up. It's got a cool meaning, a lot of great lyrics going on, it also just smacks you right in the face and it's heavy and it's great ... I think that there's a couple songs that meet that same criteria."

To that end, though she (accidentally) uses words like "fun" to describe it, the new Evanescence album might just be the next logical step for the band: The same themes are there, but for the first time in her career, Lee is writing about them (and herself) in new ways. At the end of the day, as has always been the case, catharsis is key.

"There are themes of brokenness, the quest for freedom, and then there's songs that are just about falling in love ... it's just all over the place," she said, laughing. "There's this beautiful song that — it's definitely going to make the album, or I will kill someone — it's not like a single or anything, it's just this epic album track that's about loss from the perspective of someone losing someone in a tragedy, and it's really cool to listen back to that, too.

"That's not something I did on The Open Door. The Open Door was all about me and my personal experiences. And there's some moments on this one that are actually taken from things that I watched go down, from my friends and stuff like that. But really, whatever makes me feel the most, that's what's on the record, because that's what I need to get off my chest."

Source: MTV

Amy Lee to appear on The Muppets album

First Glance at The Muppets: The Green Album

Friday, June 24, 2011

Posted by Steven S., editorial manager

Frank Sinatra, Van Morrison, Tony Bennett and Ray Charles. What do they have in common, besides a horde of awards and Hall of Fame memberships?

Album Cover

They all recorded “Bein’ Green,” as in “It’s Not Easy Being Green” – Kermit the Frog’s famous declaration of emeraldness.

Well, add to that distinguished list Andrew Bird, who performs the song on a charming upcoming tribute to the music of the Muppets, which you’ll find at Starbucks later this summer. (Beginning August 23, to be precise.)

We’re pleased to present for the first time the cover of The Muppets: The Green Album, as well as the track list.

As you see, it’s rife with songs that are familiar to generations (the Muppets themselves date to the mid-‘50s) and artists who are in the forefront of music today, including Weezer, My Morning Jacket and Matt Nathanson.

I guess as I scan this list, there’s really only one obvious omission. Where’s the Muppets house band, Dr. Teeth & the Electric Mayhem?

1. Muppet Show Theme Song, OK Go
2. Rainbow Connection, Weezer and Hayley Williams
3. Mahna Mahna, The Fray
4. Movin’ Right Along, Alkaline Trio
5. Our World, My Morning Jacket
6. Halfway Down the Stairs, Amy Lee
7. Mr. Bassman, Sondre Lerche
8. Wishing Song, The Airborne Toxic Event
9. Night Life, Brandon Saller of Atreyu and Billy Martin
10. Bein’ Green, Andrew Bird I
11. Hope That Something Better Comes Along, Matt Nathanson
12. I’m Going To Go Back There Someday, Rachael Yamagata

Source: Starbucks

Evanescence Return With 'Dark, Beautiful' Self-Titled Album

Amy Lee tells MTV News that the band's new album, due October 4, is full of songs that are 'painful' and 'desperate.'

By James Montgomery

It's been nearly four years since Evanescence wrapped the tour in support of their last album, The Open Door. In that time, singer Amy Lee has been hard at work doing anything but fronting a globally successful rock act. Sure, she wrote some songs along the way, but mostly, her focus was on being, as she puts it, "a normal person." And, yes, she enjoyed every minute of it.

"I would buy groceries, I thought about teaching kids music ... I just needed to get away from it. My entire adult life, until a couple years ago, was all about this," she told MTV News. "When I just turned 18, I got signed. I quit college, and we just moved into a house together and just started cramming to do whatever we needed to do to make it. And then we went to L.A., and the label had us up there doing artist development for a couple years, and then we were on tour and it went big fast, and then right after touring behind Fallen, we started writing again right away. ... I just wanted to be a normal person for a minute, before I was 50 years old.

"I got married and we were in the middle of a tour — I had, like, one week off, and then we went straight back on tour — and there was plenty of stuff that went on in that time; there was drama ... there's always freaking drama," she continued. "So we get towards the end of it, and I was like, 'Guys, I don't know about this. I need a break.' I just wanted to be normal; I didn't want to think about the next thing for as long as it took."

And considering how hard she worked at avoiding Evanescence, it's ironic that all it took was a single show with the band — a 2009 warm-up gig for a headlining spot at the Maquinária festival in Brazil — to remind her of just how much she missed her former life. And from that moment on, things changed.
"I had to get back together with all the guys, and we practiced all the old stuff, getting a set together, and I enjoyed it so much. I started falling back in love with ... that part of me, the Evanescence part," she said. "I'd kind of been doing everything else, writing-wise, by myself, and I was like, 'Oh yeah, I love this stuff too. Maybe we should all make a record!' "

So, recharged, Evanescence did just that, heading to Blackbird Studio in Nashville to work with producer Nick Raskulinecz on the follow-up to The Open Door. They've nearly finished — Lee said there are currently 16 songs at or near completion — and earlier this week, their longtime label, Wind-up Records announced that the album would be hitting stores October 4.

Lee told MTV News that the new album will be self-titled, a decision that's not only symbolic, but an all-out statement too.

"It's about the band; it's more of a band record. But I started thinking about it, and it's also that this whole record and the lyrical content and a lot of the things that it's about to me is about falling back in love with this thing, with Evanescence, with what I've obsessed over for a decade, longer than that," she said. "And it took me a minute, I definitely stepped away from it in a big way, and went, 'OK, guys, I don't know what we're going to do. I don't know what's going to happen here. Let's just live our lives for a while and see what happens next.' "

And while it's difficult for Lee to describe just how the new songs sound ("It's epic, it's dark, it's big, it's beautiful ... all of those things," she laughed), she knows exactly how they make her feel — and after such a long time away from the group, that's more important to her than anything else.

"There's a huge body of work right now, 16 songs, and obviously not all of them can be on the record, and that's going to be a heartbreaking moment. But, for me, when I listen to them, it's a journey," she said. "It takes you on an emotional ride ... it takes you to a lot of different places, emotionally. It makes me feel really happy, because even the songs that are desperate, like, those desperate feelings were turned into something beautiful and productive and great. There's songs that are painful, but listening to them makes me feel so good, because I took that pain and made it out of it by using music as an outlet and turning it into something great, moving on with my life, being productive instead of sitting around in a rut."

Source: MTV

"We're Breaking All The Rules!"

EXCLUSIVE! Evanescence’s Amy Lee says new album will be worth the wait

Almost five years since their release of 2006’s The Open Door, multi-platinum selling goth-rockers Evanescence are back and putting the final touches to their self-titled third record. The album is being recorded in Nashville, Tennessee with producer Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Stone Sour) and is set for release in the autumn.

Vocalist Amy Lee says “this is the first real band record” for the quintet—completed by guitarists Terry Balsamo and Troy McLawhorn, bassist Tim McCord, and drummer Will Hunt—and promises some surprises on the forthcoming release.

Taking a break from recording vocals, Amy gave Kerrang! an exclusive insight into the making of the album and what she’s been up to for the past few years.

How does it feel to be back in action again?

“It feels great. I took a break because I got married and decided I wanted to live like a normal person for a change. I started writing again and then I realized how much I really loved and missed Evanescence. It soon became apparent that I needed to do another record with the band and everybody really close to the occaision. We’ve written some great, innovative and heavy songs that the fans are gonna love.”

How did the material for this album come together?

“It was a completely different way of doing things for us but it was exactly what we needed. As we started to hear the body of work back in the studio, it’s become really clear to me that this is a band record. I feel more connected and in sync with my band than I ever have before. Everyone has been involved with the process from the ground up and that’s a first for us. This time we all got in a room together to make something, which was scary and different but it’s been about letting go of control and being more collaborative. It’s paid of in a way I never would have expected. The line-up we have now is really strong and I’m proud to have these guys by me.”

How does this new Evanescence sound?

“Looser. This album is not so glossy or tight. It’s more instinctive. It’s big on groove and there’s some real musicianship that we’re really proud of. Everyone knows our sound but that’s just a foundation and we’ve danced on top of that! It’s still very heavy and dark but we’re having fun with it. Musically I don’t feel trapped. I’m a lot more secure than I used to be. I used to have a lot of silly, self-imposed rules but we’re breaking them all on this album. By loosening up, it feels like it’s going to a higher place.”

What were your lyrical inspirations this time?

“It’s about life. I’m in a healthier place than I was before, when I was writing some heavy-hearted songs. But that doesn’t mean the music sounds happy. I can pull from all sorts of sources and look at different things with a new perspective. The music is about me [and] my relationships. The music and the lyrics have gotten more aggressive than they ever were before too; that’s one of the things making this album great.”

Does the five year gap between releases worry you at all?

 ”I dont’ know if it’s good or bad. If you’d ask the suits they’d say it’s a terrible thing. But to be honest, I dont believe in doing anything unless it’s better than what I’ve done before. That’s part of the reason it’s taken so long. I can’t sleep thinking about how much I love it. Our fans are still there for us and I feel more excited than scared.”

EVANESCENCE’S SELF-TITLED ALBUM WILL BE RELEASED ON OCTOBER 3.

Source: Kerrang!

“WE’RE BREAKING ALL THE RULES!”

EXCLUSIVE! Evanescence’s Amy Lee says new album will be worth the wait
Almost five years since their release of 2006’s The Open Door, multi-platinum selling goth-rockers Evanescence are back and putting the final touches to their self-titled third record. The album is being recorded in Nashville, Tennessee with producer Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Stone Sour) and is set for release in the autumn.
Vocalist Amy Lee says “this is the first real band record” for the quintet—completed by guitarists Terry Balsamo and Troy McLawhorn, bassist Tim McCord, and drummer Will Hunt—and promises some surprises on the forthcoming release.
Taking a break from recording vocals, Amy gave Kerrang! an exclusive insight into the making of the album and what she’s been up to for the past few years.

How does it feel to be back in action again?
“It feels great. I took a break because I got married and decided I wanted to live like a normal person for a change. I started writing again and then I realized how much I really loved and missed Evanescence. It soon became apparent that I needed to do another record with the band and everybody really close to the occaision. We’ve written some great, innovative and heavy songs that the fans are gonna love.”

How did the material for this album come together?
“It was a completely different way of doing things for us but it was exactly what we needed. As we started to hear the body of work back in the studio, it’s become really clear to me that this is a band record. I feel more connected and in sync with my band than I ever have before. Everyone has been involved with the process from the ground up and that’s a first for us. This time we all got in a room together to make something, which was scary and different but it’s been about letting go of control and being more collaborative. It’s paid of in a way I never would have expected. The line-up we have now is really strong and I’m proud to have these guys by me.”

How does this new Evanescence sound?
“Looser. This album is not so glossy or tight. It’s more instinctive. It’s big on groove and there’s some real musicianship that we’re really proud of. Everyone knows our sound but that’s just a foundation and we’ve danced on top of that! It’s still very heavy and dark but we’re having fun with it. Musically I don’t feel trapped. I’m a lot more secure than I used to be. I used to have a lot of silly, self-imposed rules but we’re breaking them all on this album. By loosening up, it feels like it’s going to a higher place.”

What were your lyrical inspirations this time?
“It’s about life. I’m in a healthier place than I was before, when I was writing some heavy-hearted songs. But that doesn’t mean the music sounds happy. I can pull from all sorts of sources and look at different things with a new perspective. The music is about me [and] my relationships. The music and the lyrics have gotten more aggressive than they ever were before too; that’s one of the things making this album great.”

Does the five year gap between releases worry you at all?
 ”I dont’ know if it’s good or bad. If you’d ask the suits they’d say it’s a terrible thing. But to be honest, I dont believe in doing anything unless it’s better than what I’ve done before. That’s part of the reason it’s taken so long. I can’t sleep thinking about how much I love it. Our fans are still there for us and I feel more excited than scared.”
EVANESCENCE’S SELF-TITLED ALBUM WILL BE RELEASED ON OCTOBER 3.

Source: evanescenceobsession.tumblr.com

Amy Lee: New Evanescence Album Is 'Much More of a Band Collaboration'

Multi-platinum rock band Evanescence is currently recording in Nashville and intends to finish (except for mixing) its next album by the end of June, singer/pianist Amy Lee tells Billboard.com. The target date to release the album on Wind-up Records is Oct. 4.

"After finishing touring [behind 2006 album "The Open Door"], I just sort of took off and didn't know what I was going to do next and wasn't sure if the Evanescence thing would happen again or when it would," Lee says, adding that she took about 18 months off before she got the urge to start writing music again. "I ended up falling back in love with Evanescence again and wanted to work with the guys, and it became more of a group project."

The album will be the third studio recording from the band, whose massive 2003 breakthrough album, "Fallen," has sold 7.5 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. "The Open Door," which contained the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit "Call Me When You're Sober," has sold 2.1 million copies in the States.

"The process has been much more of a collaboration between the whole band," Lee says of how the album is coming together. "Usually it's me and one main co-writer...This time everybody had something to do with it from the ground up." She observes that as a result the music has "a lot more about a live feeling about the band. The way everyone is playing strong, it's like we've been playing the songs on tour for a year."

Lee and her bandmates -- drummer Will Hunt, guitarist Terry Balsamo and bassist Tim McCord -- are working under the guidance of producer Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Velvet Revolver). Lee had originally started recording tracks on her own with producer Steve Lillywhite (Dave Matthews Band, U2), but the sessions were shelved because the songs weren't jelling. "I've come to realize now I was making like a solo record, and if it was going to be an Evanescence record, we needed to come together and make it like a band," Lee says. "That was a hard time for me. I thought I knew what I wanted and it sort of didn't happen like I wanted it to...But I have to say I feel so strong about what we're doing now...We still have some of the same songs from those sessions but we've made them about the band."

Wind-up Records president Ed Vetri supported Lee's decision to start recording all over again. "One thing we do at Wind-up is, we're patient. It it's not right, it's not coming out," he says. "If it takes a year or four years, [we're] going to take the time it needs to write the right record." He adds that he's been to the studio several times to hear how the album is progressing, noting, "I think her core fans will be really happy."

The band, which hasn't performed live since 2009, is scheduled to perform Aug. 20 at Rock on the Range Canada in Winnepeg and on Oct. 2 at Rock in Rio in Brazil. Lee couldn't confirm if Troy McLawhorn (formerly of Seether) is joining the band as a second guitarist, but did estimate that Evanescence will tour for about three weeks in the United States and three weeks in Europe to support the new album.

"We're just getting excited to get back out there," Lee says. "It's been a long time and it's been a lot of work. We're starting to really hear [the music] back and feel like, 'Whoa, it's almost there.'"

Source: Billboard

Secret Door

Source: twitter

Album release date!

via Twitter

@AmyLeeEv:

“YES!! I’m proud to announce that Troy Mclawhorn is back in Ev! Album is sounding awesome, release date: 10-4! We love you Troy! Welcome back”

Source: Twitter

New vid from Amy

Via Twitter

@AmyLeeEv:

"Perfect rainy Sunday, staying in my PJs and writing the last few lyrics for the record. "


Source: twitter