Interviu: Anneke van Giersbergen (Agua de Annique)

Welcome to Romania! You are back very soon, did you like it so much that you wanted to come back or was it just marketing?

No, actually the Artmania people were ones of the first to ask me to play again in the festival, after I formed my own band, so it was a big compliment for me.


Yeah, and the people were very enthusiastic last year...

They were, and it was our first time with the Gathering in Romania, so we were happy to be here, and I am super happy to be back.


We're lucky to have you here with The Gathering and Agua de Annique in such a short time.

Yeah, I'm happy too this way, so I hope we will do a good show and give the people what they want.


How do you feel your sound has changed with your new band? Is there a difference in the way you write your music and record it compared to The Gathering?

The main difference is that I work a lot alone, I write the songs and when they're kind of finished I let the band hear them and then we make the song whole, so it's a faster way of making songs and music and to record as well. I like that because... it's a very different way of working, and it's also a very pure way of working. I don't really think about it a lot, I just do it. I feel, I write, and I record, that's it.


Speaking of your new album, the art and the concept focus on the stewardess. Does this reflect in your lyrics, in your songs?

Yes and no. The stewardess and the aviation thing is not really reflected back in the music, but there's a philosophy behind it and that has to do with everyday life and that reflects into the music. You see, lyrics are always about everyday things, happy things and sad things, so there is a connection. But visually I like to do it. I always had the idea of the stewardess theme.


Do you know what your new single is going to be?

I'm not sure. Because we had Day after Yesterday as a single.. And you know, bands like us, we make singles, but they usually don't get to be hits, top 40 material. So I'm not really working on that very hard, but you know, maybe we'll do something strange in the future, something that people notice, but I don't really think about that stuff so much. I'm already working on new songs.


So how is the new material going? Are you recording already?

No, we only made a little demo, not much, but I have a lot of songs. I always have enough songs ready, so it's a matter of picking the right ones and going in the studio and recording.


Do you know when the new album is going to be released?

I'm not sure, we have to think about what's the best way to go, in terms of when we release and then play, festivals and all that... the thinking stuff. I think next year, early next year I hope.


You also did a song with Moonspell - they were recently in Romania too. How was working with them?

Nice, they are really great guys. And the single - the music I recorded in my home, so I didn't meet them, but we joined a stage already one time, in Belgium, at the Graspop Festival, and it was really fantastic. We know each other for so long! Actually the first tour ever with The Gathering we toured with them, and I think it was their first tour too. So we have a big history together, and they have changed, they've grown as a band, and they are really cool, mature, great guys and I'm very happy to share this with them.


Speaking about collaborations, I know you did a song with a couple of artists about Tibet. Can you tell us something about why, how it's going to help the cause?

Well, it's a great cause. Of course, everybody knows Tibet is a suppressed country by the Chinese government. This is happening right now because of the Olympics, and we wanted to do something to let people focus on this problem. There are a few people from really famous bands in Holland who took on this initiative to make a single and they asked me to sing it. I was really proud because they are really the top cream of the Dutch arts... I feel like a child. It was really great working with them. So that was nice for me, and it's a good cause. We got to number 1 on the charts! So a lot of people bought the single, and the money is going to people in Tibet... it's great.

Thank you for the interview and we're looking forward for the concert tonight.

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Metropotam ii multumeste lui Remus Cernea pentru suportul tehnic oferit la realizarea acestui interviu.