NIGHTWISH Singer Answers Fan Questions

Finnish/Swedish symphonic metallers NIGHTWISH have posted a new "Nightmail" session featuring fan questions answered by the group's new vocalist, Anette Olzon. A couple of excerpts follow:

Q: Who was the first one you told about your new job as the vocalist of NIGHTWISH? Was it hard to keep it a secret? Were you ever close to "slip up" and accidentally tell someone?

Anette: "It was my big brother. Yes, it was very hard [to keep it a secret]. You want to share a big thing like this and having to keep it a secret from everyone for so long is hard. Since I can't lie that good, I had to keep away from my friends for those months and just hope they would understand why after the news finally were out. And luckily they all did!"

Q: I know it sounds very stupid, but can you sing the old songs well?

Anette: "No, this is absolutely not a stupid question. I understand that many fans are worried and wondering if I will be able to sing the old songs. We will play an equal amount of old and new songs on the tour and I will sing all the old songs in my own way. The songs will still be as before, no radical re-arranging or anything, just the difference that it's my voice on them this time. Hopefully, you all will accept my interpretation of them and continue to take the songs to your hearts."

Q: What is your worst fear about stepping in Tarja's shoes?

Anette: "I don't feel any 'fear' about this. The guys have chosen me as their vocalist and we all like each other and have a great time. That is what is important to me, that they like me and support me. As long as I know they are behind me I don't feel scared."

Q: How do you cope with the fact that you're going to be on tour with NIGHTWISH for about two and a half years (including breaks of course) and you're the mother of a child?

Anette: "This is a question everyone asks. There are many men and women who have travelling jobs and are away equally long and have children, just like me. Many jobs require you to be away from home for long periods and for me it's a choice I have made, to work as a singer in a band and tour the world. My son and I communicate through sms, phone and computer when I am away and when I am at home I spend my time with him as much as I can. He has so many who love him and it's working out very well. He is proud of me and loves what I do."

Q: How do you describe the new material NIGHTWISH is writing and do you like it?

Anette: "The new album is amazing in so many ways. It's an album with a lot of variety, from the hardest song NIGHTWISH ever has done to maybe the softest one they have done. There are Celtic influences and also ethnical influences. The orchestra and choirs are great and the mix of all these elements blends together in a way so that the listener can feel like being in a cinema."

Q: I've noticed that when you sing in English, you have less of an accent than almost any other Scandinavian vocalist I've come across. How did you learn English originally and sing with such a convincing accent? I'm sure that the accent is a problem for a lot of not native speaking vocalists, was it difficult for you?

Anette: "I have always had a thing for words and language and it's been my favorite subject in school. I have always been singing mainly in English and I have both studied it from the age of 9 and also worked with English for many years, both writing, reading and translating back and forth. For me, English is as natural as Swedish and I think the best way of learning it is to use it as much as u can."

Read the entire question-and-answer session at this location.