Q.
So "India" is out. How has the fan reaction been so far?
A.
We cannot be sad in any way - some people even say it・s our best album so far. It went well in the German Charts and we got good critics. Most people say, though India is going further the way Ravenheart has made musically, it is again a real new side of us. We can only accept that, because we ourselves don・t have the distance to judge it as a whole.
Q.
This is your 3rd album in 3 years. Has it been difficult keeping up this fast pace?
A.
Well, ideas come easy, but to work the songs out always takes time, because of our huge arrangements. So it has almost been on the edge to impossibility, but we made it in this short time, because we wanted to release this album in summer 2005. When you have songs, you don・t want to wait too long for people to hear them...
Q.
Was there any pressure in writing this album, being that the first two have been so highly praised?
A.
Of course labels always want singles, haha! But we just wrote as it came to our minds. That・s the only thing you can do as a real musician.
Q.
I notice that Xandria has a great deal of passion in the songs. Does the band write as a whole, where does this come from?
A.
Yeah, passion is an important thing in our music. Most songs are written by a single musician, so it is the pure emotion of the one person who writes the one song. But from a certain state on we work together on songs to complete meldodies and the arrangements. We try to understand the emotion the main writer of a song had and would underline it with our ideas to bring out the most of it.
Q.
My favorite Xandria song is "Back to the River" from the Ravenheart album. What is the story behind this song?
A.
It・s a story of friendship, to thank someone for the energy and everything (s)he gave you. It・s about the relationship Lisa and I had years ago and how it became a friendship then.
Q.
Often times in this genre of music, there is a problem with all the attention being focused on the female voice, but with the lineup of talent that you have, has this been a problem?
A.
Well of course most people know only Lisa, but that・s just the way with front persons, for instance female ones. But we all, including Lisa, see us as a band with the music itself in the foreground.
Q.
With almost all the bands I have interviewed, touring the United States seems to be a big problem, due to the cost and size of the country. Is there a chance we may see Xandria sometime in the future?
A.
Hell we・d love to come over. But as you say it・s difficult for a band that has not a star status there. But if we get to know that people want us there or if someone spends us the flights and some beer, we will see...
Q.
Now a few questions about the members of the band. Do any of you play in other bands or projects?
A.
The drummer Gerit and my fellow on the guitar Philip have a second band called "From Hell" and they play asskick rock. Maybe there will be other projects in the future, but the main thing will be Xandria.
Q.
What draws you to play this style of music?
A.
I don・t know. We just play and what comes out comes out.
Q.
There is currently a large amount of the so called "Metalcore" bands coming out, mostly from the U.S. what is your opinion of this style of music?
A.
First I found it hard to realize straight edge college boys (sometimes they look like) playing Scandinavian Black and Death Metal riffs, only without this appeal of darkness and being not from this world, but now when I hear it in a club it comes to nodding my head with the rhythm sometimes.
Q.
Xandria have made very beautiful videos. Do you feel that videos are important for bands to create?
A.
Only for promotional reasons or if you have bags of money over also for just enjoying visualizing your music. Be it as it is, it・s fun in the end. To put those monk clothes over and playing in fire circles on this old castle. I mean, this is fun.
Q.
In closing, what is one thing you think fans should know about Xandria?
A.
You mean, possible fans of the future? Well, our music is not from this world, and if this world pisses you of sometimes, we can let you escape into another for a while. Or you enjoy it just as a soundtrack to your life. It・s not like all the other you have heard, so check it out and I hope we can drink a beer together if we come to your town sometime. Cheers to you all!