FEMALES IN METAL

Marta Samitowska

-The first part of your series focuses particularly on female artists from so called gothic metal genre. Are ladies associated with other heavy music genres like death or black metal interesting for you as well? Are you going to infiltrate them in your next works?
I admit that what one calls „gothic metal” is a bit closer to my heart than let’s say death metal, but I definitely would like to present some of the ladies from other sub- genres. Most of these women have very strong personalities, and chapters on them would also broaden the whole spectrum of my work. So yes, I hope the next parts will also contain women from other metal styles.

-Are you going to interview in the future such famous female artists as Tarja Turunen, Sharon del Adel or Cristina Scabbia? Are those ladies within your reach? Have you already tried to get in touch with them?
I have already interviewed Sharon den Adel and Cristina Scabbia for my very first booklet, „Power and Majesty.” I have also been in touch with Tarja and her management, but so far I haven’t had enough luck to conduct a proper interview with her. However, I am not planning to interview these singers in the near future. At least not for part II or III. Interviews with these ladies can be read in almost every metal magazine, and personally I’d like to concentrate on a bit less- famous women. There is so much talent out there that needs more promotion and recognition, in my opinion. Don’t get me wrong - in part II you’ll find some more famous women as well, but just as in part I more attention will be given to the less obvious choices, let’s say.

-What are your favorite female- fronted artists from heavy music genre?
The Third and The Mortal, The Gathering, After Forever, To-Mera, Epica... Recently I’ve been very much into Flowing Tears (their newest release is very good!), and Witchbreed (their debut album should be out in the beginning of 2009). My favourite female singers in metal would be Floor Jansen, Tarja Turunen, Anneke van Giersbergen, Marcela Bovio, Monika Edvardsen... the list could go on... I also liked Vibeke Stene a lot. Too bad she has left the scene...

-Had you been in touch with your book's main characters before you started your writings? Do you know any of them personally?
Yes, I had been in touch with some of them before having started working on the book. Mainly because of my site with interviews and reviews. But some of them I contacted for the first time while gathering material for my latest book. Hmm, what does it mean to know someone personally? I’m not sure how much contact one has to have with someone to be able to say that one knows someone personally. Well, I guess I can say that I know e.g. Paulina Maslanka and Manda Ophuis personally.

-What is the most fascinating character of the first part of your series and why? The weirdest one?
Well, all of the featured women have something fascinating. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have chosen them for the book. But if I have to mention only a couple of names, then I’d go for Monika Edvardsen (formerly of Atrox and Tactile Gemma). She’s probably both the most fascinating and the weirdest character from part I. She has such a colourful and overwhelming personality! She’s very creative – active in almost all forms of art, and it all blends together so well. Her dark, sort of twisted sense of humour makes her really unique. I also have to mention Paulina Maslanka – definitely one of the most intelligent women I’ve ever met. Also one of the most open people I’ve known. You can talk to her about everything, and she has always something interesting to say. Kari Rueslatten also struck me as extremely kind and natural. And I think this is very special in these times when cynicism and posing are considered so cool.

-Do you have any horror stories about dealing with a bad and unpleasant female metal artist?
Hmm, no, not really. So far everything has been going well, in a pleasant atmosphere. Most of the women have been very nice, really helpful and cooperative. I haven’t had to deal with any vicious femme- fatales or spoilt divas yet.

-Can you recall the most exciting interview you made for your books?
The interview I did with Lauren Harris at Wacken Open Air 2008. It was an extremely hot day. The whole festival village and the whole area were enormous!! We made an appointment at a certain place, but due to some delays, misunderstandings and the enormous distance I had to walk to reach that place (got a couple of blisters too!!), the original appointment just didn’t happen. After some phone calls and arrangements, we finally met: Lauren and her sister arrived to where I was with a special shuttle bus. The interview took place near a weird Celtic merchandise shed. It was sooo hot, my feet hurt enormously! But it all ended well, and it was a nice talk! Especially for my husband and me – two Iron Maiden fans. The interview still has to published. I’m not sure yet if I’ll include it in part II or part III.

-What makes a good, exciting interview, in your opinion?
A good interview should in a way bring a reader / listener a bit closer to the interviewed person. It should paint a certain picture. All depends on the questions: how much you know about a certain person, how you formulate your questions and how „mind- boggling” the questions are. Of course, some standard questions are sometimes needed or even inevitable. But generally speaking, one should avoid too obvious questions, in my opinion. If you ask questions that a certain person has already answered 1000 times earlier in other interviews, then you get pretty automatic, passionless answers. It mostly concerns people who are interviewed very often and who have already gained some routine. Therefore you should make up some questions that would make the interviewee think.

-What have you learnt about your characters, writing the first part of „Through My Eyes...”?
I have learnt that every featured woman has her own personality. Some of them turned out to be a bit different than I had expected; others turned out to be quite close to my original impressions. I have learnt more about their passions, their approach to music, their inspirations and goals. And also a bit about their views on life and the world in general. And I hope that the readers will also learn more about these ladies after having read the chapters.

-The book features an interview with Sabine Dünser who passed away some time ago. What kind of feelings does it give to you?
Well, it might sound weird, but in a way I feel quite „lucky” that I had a chance to interview her. She seemed very nice, very normal and very passionate about her band and music. Her unexpected death really shocked me, though I didn’t really know her well. I hope that in my chapter on her I could present her personality a bit. Just like Sandra Schleret, Elis’ new singer, said, I hope that in this way I could „bring Sabine’s spirit and motivation closer to the people.”

-Could you give me some details concerning the second part of „Through My Eyes...” series? What can we expect and when?
Part I will also contain around fifteen interviews with different ladies. This time there will be more musicians included. The structure will be quite similar to part I. I’m not going to reveal all the names yet. Besides, I’m not quite sure yet which chapters will make it to part II and which ones will be published in part III.

-Do you believe that people will be interested in reading your book? What is so special in it?
I am aware that the topic I’ve chosen is not very popular with the mainstream readers. But I hope that people who are interested in metal female artists, and metal in general, might find the book interesting. What is so special about it? Well, first of all, as far as I know there are no other books dedicated to females in metal. That fact alone makes my book special, since it’s the only publication collecting potraits of metal women in one. Of course, there are many websites and magazines that cover female- fronted metal, but a book dedicated to this subject only is still something new. Beside that, I have done my best to try to present the personalities of the featured ladies. In my book you’ll read information that you might not read anywhere else. I have also tried to make this project as personal as possible. Therefore you will also read my personal comments and impressions. I think the book has this intimate quality, but without being too gossipy.