LEAVES' EYES Singer Says New Solo Album Is 'Invitation To My Personal World'

Chris Downie of Subculture Magazine recently conducted an interview with LEAVES' EYES/ex-THEATRE OF TRAGEDY singer Liv Kristine. A few excerpts from the chat follow:

Subculture: Without wishing to go into the details of your split with THEATRE OF TRAGEDY, how difficult was it to pick yourself up and start all over again with LEAVES' EYES?

Liv: "There is no contact with THEATRE OF TRAGEDY, except from 2 or 3 conversations with their singer last year. I never left THEATRE OF TRAGEDY; they decided to exclude me from the band, and I first read their message on their webpage. It made me really sad that they never had the guts to talk to me about it. I really don't know why they made this decision, but that's their problem now. Today I'm happy that I've got LEAVES' EYES and I never want to change this!"

Subculture: On the subject of your solo work, I understand you have recorded a new album "Enter My Religion". What can fans of your earlier solo material expect this time around?

Liv: "'Enter My Religion' will be released on the 3rd of March, and a tour will follow up. 'Fake a Smile' will be our first single (February). There's already a video for it and I hope you can see it very soon. The album is an invitation to my personal world and offers a variation of different influences. It's a mixture of pop, rock, classical music and exotic instruments. It's hard to categorize the album, however, you will discover that it goes very deep and shows a strong personal and emotional side."

Subculture: Unlike some female singers in the rock scene, you didn't have the benefit of extensive classical training. When did you first decide you wanted to become a singer and how did you develop your voice?

Liv: "I actually started singing before I was able to talk. I grew up with BLACK SABBATH/OZZY through my father — the band which has influenced me the most in my life. However, at the age of 7 I discovered MADONNA. I spent hours of practising with a hairbrush in my hand in front of the mirror after school. I was sure that I was going to become a singer one day, without feeling any pressure. In the 'meantime' I've finished my master degree at the university, worked as a teacher, in a kindergarten too, besides being an artist. Now I've become a mother and I've found the perfect balance between being a singer and having a family. Two dreams have come true for me. Moreover, through the pregnancy, my voice developed naturally and I was really amazed and surprised to experience this positive development."

Read the entire interview at SubcultureMagazine.com.