All stars EXIT EDEN is a symphonic metal band whose blending of the singers works in their favor. As such the band has gone on to write and record for their debut album "Rhapsodies in Black". A covers album release with assorted pop hits turned into metal hits! One of the vocalists Clémentine Delauney, discusses this cover album, it's recent single being a Backstreet Boy's cover, with plans to play their first ever show!
1. How did your band form?
Clementine: Hi! Well, this all started in a studio where the musicians involved, all metalheads, were exploring their song writing and imagining a way to have pop and metal meet up and enhance each other. So, they started to think about turning pop hits into metal songs! Then, they needed vocals to have a clearer picture and asked Amanda and Anna, whom they are used to work with, to sing on a couple of tracks. When they listened to the result they all believed it was too interesting not to push it further and thought about making a whole album with this concept and forming a band. So, they started thinking in this direction and wanted to make the project bigger than just a regular cover band with one of two singers and chose to add two other voices! Amanda suggested Marina’s name and mine and this is how we got involved in the project!
2. What accomplishments are you most and least proud of as a band?
Clementine: Our band is very recent, so we don’t have much to look back to. We are very proud of our first album “Rhapsodies in Black”, which is a very daring concept in my opinion. We are so happy about how the songs turned out! We are totally behind everything we did and ready to defend our concept against any kind of criticism. So far there is nothing for me to be ashamed of!
3. How has being in a band impacted your life?
Clementine: It depends what is the purpose of being in a band. I’ve been in bands since I’m 18 and it has never impacted my life the same way. If you want to become a professional band and get a record deal and go on tour, you have to find time and make room for it in your life. You won’t be able to follow the common routine of having a full-time job and a couple of weeks of holidays per year. You can’t spend too much on loans and rents as you’re moving a lot and need the money to invest in your band. You have to make it your priority and live out of various small jobs or be able to teach or to be an independent worker. Being in bands on the level of the bands I’m part of: Visions Of Atlantis and Exit Eden requires a lot of availability and sometimes it’s really hard to combine with other things.
4. How do you describe your sound to people who ask you what your band sounds like?
Clementine: Exit Eden is the catchiness of pop sublimed by massive guitars and powerful drums, topped with beautiful and various voices. We made pop and metal collide and enhance each other.
5. Do you have any major goals for your band?
Clementine: First goal is to prove that it works out live and we will know that very soon as we have a first show in Hamburg at Metal Dayz on September 22nd. Then I’d love to see Exit Eden to go on tour!
6. Who are some of your biggest influences music wise?
Clementine: This is a very hard question. I’ve been surrounded by many music genres since I’m a child! But some of my biggest music crushes since I started to have my own favorites were Michael Jackson, Madonna, Nightwish, Iron Maiden, Evergrey… Then my approach to metal got wider and I loved Opeth, Gojira, black metal acts like Emperor and Dimmu Borgir also, then dove into modern metal with Architects, Bring Me The Horizon, Imminence…but I kept listening to many other things from Chopin, Tchaikovsky, to PVRIS, The 1975, Lana Del Rey, Tori Amos, Massive Attack, to movie soundtracks are composers like Ludovico Einaudi, coming back to Periphery, Tesseract….! All what I listen to influences me…
7. How about when it comes to the song writing, what are your songs about and how is the song writing process laid out?Clementine: Our album is made of pop covers, so we didn’t write songs but rearranged existing ones! There has been a lot of work done to breath a new life into these songs and to make them sound very different from the original ones.
8. So tell me, does the album "Rhapsodies in Black" feature an array of cover songs, or original work as well?
Clementine: Since the beginning the concept was to make an entire of pop hits turned into metal. We had such a hard time to choose the songs and there were so many of them that we felt there was no room for original material on this first album.
9. What is the story behind wanting to do various cover songs by numerous artists?
Clementine: We wanted this first album to be rich and varied, creating a tribute to pop by embracing many different pop styles with artist from various periods of time.
10. Can you disclose as to how the title and artwork for "Rhapsodies in Black" tie into the music on the album?
Clementine: The album title means that we brought these famous melodies to the dark side!
11. How would you say that "Rhapsodies in Black", compares, differs, and is equal to your previous works?
Clementine: This is the first time that I made an album full of covers. First time that I had to make very famous melodies my own. It was a totally different approach. Singing wise it wasn’t too much about respecting the original song but re-interpreting it, giving it a new life, singing in a different way that you would naturally do when singing the original song. It’s like looking at an old painting with brand new eyes. It was very interesting and I got to know more about my own voice!
12. What would be the cinematic equivalent of "Rhapsodies in Black"?
Clementine: It would be a great epic series! A mix between Desperate Housewives and gothic / medieval tales!
13. Is it important for you to paint visual pictures with the songs off this album?
Clementine: Yes, it was very important to make the visual go along with the sound. We created some personas, went for a story line and epic costumes in our videos because we thought it would go well with the mood of the songs!
14. Do you feel any aspects of the album were overlooked?
Clementine: Music wise? No. I think it sounds very good and some of the songs really made room for massive metal arrangements so I’m very happy with the whole album. We had to make the visual aspect stand out too, to match with the epic and colorful sound of the songs.15. Describe your relationship with your fans in one word?
Clementine: Adorable! Most of the people coming to talk to me are extremely nice and cheerful, I am so grateful!
16. What does Exit Eden have planned for the remainder of this year?
Clementine: We will give a first concert on September 22nd in Hamburg at the Metal Dayz festival! And then we will make plans for next year. ;)
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