EVANESCENCE's AMY LEE: 'We Are Inundated With So Much Information Now, It Feels Like Truth Is For Sale'

In a new interview with Kevin Ryder of Audacy Music, EVANESCENCE singer Amy Lee spoke about the band's upcoming album, "Sanctuary", due on June 5. The LP, which features tracks produced by Zakk Cervini (BAD OMENS, YUNGBLUD, BRING ME THE HORIZON, SPIRITBOX) and Jordan Fish (BRING ME THE HORIZON, POPPY, HOUSE OF PROTECTION, ARCHITECTS),as well as songs produced by Nick Raskulinecz (KORN, FOO FIGHTERS, RUSH) will be available as a digital album, standard CD, deluxe CD and limited-edition box set. A double vinyl of the album will be released on September 4.

Regarding the lyric-writing process for "Sanctuary", Amy said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I feel like I have been just in this lyric cave of my mind, like an animal busting out of a cage this whole year until very recently when I finally got it all done. I don't know — I kind of have to go underground to get all of it, especially this time. The lyrics are kind of the thing where I feel like they matter more than ever. I guess I always feel that way, but right now it just feels super important. I really care about all this music, and get to a place I kind of have to just disappear for a minute. So I disappeared, and then I came back just running full speed to the end of everything."

Elaborating on how she goes about completing the lyrics for EVANESCENCE songs, Amy said: "It's all been happening kind of random, but the vocals are one of the last things to get thrown down. As we're building the songs, I have lyrics, I have bits, I have the point, we've got the center of of most of things. But it's, like, 'Cool, cool, cool. I'll write that verse later.' And then it comes down to it. It's, like, you really gotta write it and it's gotta be epic, 'cause at this point the music sounds killer."

On the topic of how the music for "Sanctuary" came together, Amy said: "We've worked with some incredible people this time around — three producers, actually. Nick Raskulinecz, who we've worked with a lot. [I] love him. He just feels so much a part of this. We did some tracks together. And then also we sort of found this amazing new collaboration with Zakk Cervini and Jordan Fish. So as a team, being in there with them and creating these songs, we just had a huge creative burst. It has been just a — I don't know — like a new energy. It's hard to really explain, but it feels really special."

Amy also discussed EVANESCENCE's latest single, "Who Will You Follow", which arrived earlier in the month. Asked if the track was written about someone in particular, Lee responded: "It's about something. God — it's where we're at. It's about, what is real? Breaking through the lies. I feel like we are just inundated with so much information now, with people that have a stake in what we believe, and it feels like truth is for sale. And so this for me is kind of — this is about breaking through that into the real world. And the album, it's called 'Sanctuary'. It's like that — it's a sanctuary, not an escape from this chaotic, surreal violent time, but escape from the lies, saying that we're not living in that crazy time. It is a sanctuary of truth — and community. Moving from the song to the album, I just feel like this music is a sanctuary for me — it has been. It is every time. Last time we made an album, it was the pandemic hitting all around us at the same time and kind of wondering what's next and how do we go on tour, and will things ever be normal again? And I think when we're in these big — in my life — powerful and painful and difficult moments, and also in the outside world, going through these wild moments where we feel like we don't have control and things are slipping through our fingers, the music is a place for me to be able to say anything — no censorship, no holding back. Nobody's telling me I can't — anything. It's our world, and it just feels so beautiful also to give somebody else something that gives them joy."

Earlier this month, Amy was asked by Abe Kanan of Audacy Music how much time EVANESCENCE spent working on "Sanctuary". Amy said: "I'd say three years solid. We've been tour touring a lot, as you know. But we had a lot of little trips in between — like while we're somewhere, go rent a place for the days in between the shows. And people come to me and we work together. Or we had some amazing creation sessions with Zakk Cervini and Jordan Fish here in L.A. We recorded stuff in Nick's house in Nashville. It's just been kind of all over the place the last three years."

Regarding the musical and lyrical inspiration for "Sanctuary", Amy said: "I felt very fueled by the state of the world creatively. I feel like I have a ton to get off my chest. This music is a sanctuary for me.

"I've needed this — we all have — just to be able to pour into something," she continued. "And I know I sound like a broken record 'cause I was saying similar stuff about [2021's] 'The Bitter Truth', but music is so, so needed. And we've just been writing like crazy. I've been kind of underground. At the beginning of this year, I just sort of had to disappear and finish all the lyrics, which seemed more important than ever. And I finally pulled my head up and we just finished the album. I'm so excited. It's so good. And it feels so good to finally be releasing the music that we've been obsessing over."

When "Who Will You Follow" was first made available, Amy said in a statement: "This album is over three years in the making, and finally listening back to it all at once, about to release it to the world, I am so damn proud of every second of it. It's overwhelming. Working on it has been my outlet for so much that feels wrong and out of control, and a place to ignite hope through the power of music and connection… good thing we have the tour all lined up or I wouldn't know what to do with myself now! I've been completely obsessed. I'm dying for the fans to hear this."

EVANESCENCE recently announced a 2026 world tour, kicking off on June 11, taking them across North America and Europe. Special guests SPIRITBOX and NOVA TWINS will open on the North American portion of the tour, and special guest Poppy will support on the Europe shows, with NOVA TWINS opening outside the U.K. K.Flay, who features on EVANESCENCE's last single, "Fight Like A Girl", will open the U.K. shows. K.Flay will also support EVANESCENCE for their Red Rocks Amphitheatre concert.

EVANESCENCE has partnered with PLUS1 so that $1/£1/€1 from every ticket sold will support organizations providing humanitarian aid and medical relief to those in need around the world.

EVANESCENCE's most recent tracks "Fight Like A Girl" (featuring K.Flay) and "Afterlife" have been met with praise from fans and critics alike, with Louder stating, "It's an exciting time to be a fan of Amy Lee and co.", and Revolver declaring, "EVANESCENCE's first song in four years finds the band hitting what they hit best". "Afterlife" dominated the charts upon release, reaching the No. 1 spot on both Billboard's Mainstream Rock Airplay chart and Mediabase's Active Rock Radio chart in both the U.S. and Canada.

EVANESCENCE is no stranger to success, with the band's 2003 record "Fallen" holding steady as the sixth best-selling album of the 21st century (ranking just behind Lady Gaga's "The Fame" and ahead of COLDPLAY's "A Rush Of Blood To The Head"),remaining one of the best-selling albums of all time, with more than 17 million copies sold worldwide. The album's stratospheric singles, including "Bring Me To Life", broke the Top 10 in more than 15 countries and topped Billboard's Mainstream Top 40 and Alternative Airplay charts. "My Immortal" was a Top 10 hit in over ten countries, including the U.S., U.K. and Australia.

Emerging in 2003, EVANESCENCE reshaped the rock landscape with their debut album "Fallen", a cinematic blend of rock, metal and symphonic, piano-driven melodies led by powerhouse vocalist Amy Lee. The album became a global phenomenon, earning multiple Grammy Awards and selling over 17 million copies worldwide, with hits like "Bring Me to Life" and "My Immortal" defining a generation. "Fallen" remains one of the best-selling albums of all time and has earned diamond certification from the RIAA. Over the past two decades, the band has continued to evolve while maintaining their signature sound, releasing five studio albums, including the chart-topping "The Open Door" and "Evanescence". Their 2021 release "The Bitter Truth" marked a triumphant return, while their global touring has reached new heights, including their largest headline show to date at Allianz Parque Stadium in São Paulo, Brazil.

Now entering a bold new era, EVANESCENCE continues to push boundaries. 2025 was a landmark year for Amy Lee and EVANESCENCE. The release of last year's global phenomenon "Afterlife", from the Netflix series "Devil May Cry", became the fastest-rising track of their career and the band's biggest single since their first album, amassing over 150 million streams globally and reaching No. 1 on the U.S. Rock Radio chart, a first at the format for EVANESCENCE. It was followed by the release of "End Of You", a collaboration between Lee, Poppy and SPIRITBOX's Courtney LaPlante, which was named Revolver's "Song Of The Year". Also reaching No. 1 at US Rock Radio, "End Of You" made history in the U.S. by becoming the first all-female collaboration to do so.