DATE OF INTERVIEW:

ANETTE OLZON

3rd March 2014

METAL DISCOVERY: Despite the hard time you must’ve had emotionally when parting company with Nightwish, is it now a very exciting time for you to be making this fresh start, and completely on your own terms as well?

ANETTE: Yeah, of course, and I think it’s important that you go out from something that has been a bit harder to try and look ahead, and I did that quite fast. I was focussed and I wanted to do this album and get it out, and I think it went quite fast too. So I think it’s a good way to have this out now, one year later or one and a half or something. Of course, I’m also a bit nervous how it will go because I’m a new, fresh artist; I don’t have a band behind me; I don’t have big management and stuff in that way, that brings you up on the bigger scene. So I have to start from the beginning now and, of course, it’s a bit nervous too but I hope for the best… [laughs]

(Anette Olzon on her mixed sentiments of excitement and nerves with going it alone)

"...I think it’s important that you go out from something that has been a bit harder to try and look ahead, and I did that quite fast. I was focussed and I wanted to do this album and get it out...Of course, I’m also a bit nervous how it will go because I’m a new, fresh artist..."

Anette Olzon - promo shot

Photograph copyright © 2014 Patric-Ullaeus

Interview by Mark Holmes

RELATED LINKS

Official Anette Olzon Website:

Official Anette Olzon Blog:

Official Anette Olzon Facebook:

ANETTE OLZON DISCOGRAPHY

Shine (2014)

Albums

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thanks to Peter Noble & Guido Schindlbeck for arranging the interview.

Presence of Mind (w/Alyson Avenue) (2000)

Omega (w/Alyson Avenue) (2004)

Dark Passion Play (w/Nightwish) (2007)

Imaginaerum (w/Nightwish) (2011)

MD: So exciting but also a little bit scary… [laughs]

ANETTE: Yeah, of course, because you have to stand on your own two feet now. There’s not a band behind me, it’s only me now!

[laughs]

MD: I think the album has got mass appeal because it crosses a few different genres and so forth, but it seems to me that once an artist or band has been so heavily associated within a particular genre - in this case, the metal genre – however they progress and diversify their music, it seems difficult for them to reach fans beyond that genre…

ANETTE: Yeah.

MD: So do you worry that your Nightwish association might prove a bit restrictive in being able to reach out to a more pop-oriented audience, for example?

ANETTE: Yeah, I mean, of course I think about that since my music is very different. And, in a way, especially in my home country where Nightwish isn’t that big, and where metal is really metal and, you know, we are a pop country, I would really like to sell some more albums in my home country. I think that would be really nice but it’s really hard and it hasn’t been so many interviews yet, and then it’s been only the rock magazines, so we’ll see. But maybe if they hear the music, hopefully… it’s all about the PR too.

MD: Yeah, exactly. It can just take a lucky break sometimes to get a bit of airplay on a particular radio station and then it can snowball from there, so hopefully you can reach out to that kind of crowd.

ANETTE: Exactly.

MD: One of the people you worked with on the album was Stefan Örn who wrote and produced Sweden’s 2011 winning entry in the Eurovision Song Contest, of course, so I have to ask you – if the opportunity ever came up for you to represent your country in the contest, would you ever want to do that?

ANETTE: Yeah. I mean, actually, I did send a song this year and I didn’t get in, but… [laughs]… that’s how it goes! I think I would really like to do that. This year, however, here in Sweden, the contest has been not so good – quite bad songs and the whole show has been with a lot of negativity. So maybe now is not the best time to be in that competition! [laughs]

MD: Exactly, yeah! Maybe next year.

ANETTE: Yeah, maybe next year or when there’s a better feeling about it. But of course I would compete for Sweden; you always want to do that for your country… [laughs]… I think it’s good exposure, especially if you want to be seen in your home country, because they get a lot of focus in the media and stuff. It depends if you want to be only selling albums abroad or so on, and you don’t care about your home country, but if you want to be famous in your home country you need to do that; here in Sweden, for sure… [laughs]

MD: That’s the one, yeah! Are there any plans to tour with the record yet?

ANETTE: Yeah, we found a really nice booking agent here, one week ago, and I think he’s working on it so, hopefully, I would like to go out and play quite soon. But it’s in his hands now…

[laughs]

ANETTE: Hopefully… I would like to come to the UK so you’ll have to tell people to book me! [laughs]

MD: Oh absolutely, that’d be marvellous. I’ll spread the word around some of the promoters!

ANETTE: For sure, do so!

MD: Obviously the album’s only 38 minutes long so, when you do get out on the road, do you have any other new songs in reserve?

ANETTE: Yeah, I’m doing new songs. If there’s a need to do some covers I will do it but, otherwise, I do have some songs I’ve done with other bands too. I’m writing new songs for the main purpose that I do have some. I do need some more songs on the set, for sure.

MD: Otherwise it’ll be a very short gig!

ANETTE: Yeah, well, you can always talk a lot!

[laughs]

MD: Yeah, exactly! You do seem to be good at talking!

ANETTE: But, actually, I did more songs for this album that didn’t come through because, the thing is, I had fifteen or sixteen songs but then, of course, they say that you shouldn’t have too many songs for an album. They say ten is quite enough, so it wasn’t my choice. I do have more songs that didn’t fit into it and I’ve actually done one new song already, this last week, and I have something more in my head, so there will be more songs. And it’s a good thing to try them out, you know, in a live show before you go and record your next album, because we’ll know which songs work…

MD: Yeah, and which bits of songs work as well…

ANETTE: Exactly. So, yeah, there will be more songs, for sure.

MD: Would you ever want to revisit Nightwish songs in your live solo sets, or is that something you want to leave completely in the past?

ANETTE: To be honest, I wouldn’t mind doing it because I like the songs and I’m proud of the songs that we’ve done. I mean, there are many songs I would love to do. But I know, also, that Tuomas, I don’t know whether he’d like me to do it, and that out of respect to the songwriter, I don’t want to disrespect him by taking his songs and doing them while they still play with the band. I mean, they’re going on tour and I’m sure Floor will sing a lot of songs that I’ve done and it wouldn’t be fair to compete in that way. So it’s not that I wouldn’t do it because I don’t like them anymore, it’s a bit of respect for him too. We’ll see. Maybe one day we’ll meet and he’ll say, “hey, do some songs from Nightwish”… “okay, I will do it”. But, for now, I’m not gonna do it in the first thing.

MD: You have enough powerful songs of your own, anyway!

ANETTE: Yeah, that’s what I mean and, I think, Nightwish is continuing their path with those songs and I think it’s better this way. They will do them live and I will do my stuff.

MD: The final thing I wanted to ask – as you seem to be such an optimistic person, what makes you shine in life most of all?

ANETTE: Oh, my children. Simple answer. My children, yeah, they make me shine, they do… [laughs]

MD: And have you baked some cookies yet? I also read earlier that you were going to bake some to make them smile?

ANETTE: Yeah, we did cookies. We made heart cookies. I’ll put them on the blog later. It was like a stamp. You make some butter cakes and then put a stamp on there with hearts. But then, when we baked them, you can’t see the heart as well, like not so good as I thought, but I will try to do them again. But they looked good and they were really yummy!

MD: Awww. Did it bring smiles to their faces?

ANETTE: Yes, they’re eating them and they’re like, “can we have more?!” It’s a good thing I don’t eat any cookies because I would be too big then, but my kids love cookies!

[laughs]

MD: Marvellous! Right, thank you so much for your time, it’s been a real pleasure speaking with you.

ANETTE: Thank you so much and have a really nice evening. And hopefully I’ll see you in the UK then… if you get me there! [laughs]

MD: Definitely, I’ll spread the word! And best of luck with the album when it comes out everywhere. I hope it sells really well for you because it’s absolutely fantastic.

ANETTE: Thank you so much. It’s really nice to hear that. Thank you. And maybe I’ll talk to you again then.

MD: Definitely. Cheers then, bye!

ANETTE: Bye!