TARJA TURUNEN Says She Is Supportive Of Current NIGHTWISH Singer FLOOR JANSEN: 'We Are Sisters In Metal'

During an appearance on a recent episode of the "Scars And Guitars" podcast, former NIGHTWISH vocalist Tarja Turunen was asked if she has ever had any interactions with current NIGHTWISH singer Floor Jansen. She responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We are in touch, and recently more, because she came up with the really horrible news of being sick. [Editor's note: Jansen recently revealed that she was diagnosed with breast cancer.] So I've been in touch with her. But ever since she joined NIGHTWISH, I was there for her. So it's, like, I don't have any… Actually, I hope she's fine and everything is great with her and she's happy. That's what I wish. Now and then when I am in Netherlands, if I have concerts in Netherlands, she's poking by and so on and so on. It's really, really nice.

"In general, hey, I feel in metal, we are sisters in metal — we all are like sisters in metal," she continued. "We actually do support each other, all of us.

"When I started in metal, I felt a little lonely, because there were not too many girls around in the festivals I went; I was mainly the only girl all around," Tarja revealed. "And nowadays it's so incredible to see so many female vocalists. They approach me — if I do not recognize them, they approach me — they come and talk. And it's really lovely. We have this really beautiful connection and a lot to share. And that is also… I really enjoy it so much nowadays. It has changed a lot."

In December 2020, Turunen took part in an Instagram Live chat with Jansen. You can watch the entire 48-minute discussion below.

Turunen and Jansen previously performed a duet together at the 2013 edition of the Metal Female Voices Fest at Oktoberhallen in Wieze, Belgium. The women joined forces on a cover version of "Over The Hills And Far Away", originally written and recorded by the Northern Irish singer and guitarist Gary Moore and previously covered by NIGHTWISH on the 2001 EP of the same name.

Jansen made her live debut as the frontwoman of NIGHTWISH on October 1, 2012 at Showbox Sodo in Seattle, Washington following the abrupt departure of the band's lead singer of five years, Anette Olzon.

Jansen officially joined NIGHTWISH in 2013 and made her recording debut with the group on 2015's "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" album.

NIGHTWISH's ninth studio album, "Human. :II: Nature." , was released in April 2020 via Nuclear Blast. The effort is a double album containing nine tracks on the main CD and one long track, divided into eight chapters on CD 2.

In 2019, Turunen dismissed Internet chatter about her possible return to NIGHTWISH after her December 2017 onstage reunion with the band's then-bassist/vocalist Marco Hietala during a "Raskasta Joulua" concert in Hämeenlinna, Finland.

"I know a lot of fans would love to see something happen, but it's a very long distance away," she told Kerrang! magazine. "Personally, I don't see anything happening with me and them, to be perfectly honest. Marco came a little later into the band; he wasn't there since the beginning. He was always a guy I was close to. Me and [NIGHTWISH keyboardist/leader] Tuomas Holopainen, however, haven't seen each other in a long time… but we have been in touch. It's not bad. The past is what it is; we can't change that. We can only change the future."

Turunen was fired from NIGHTWISH at the end of the band's 2005 tour by being presented with an open letter which was published on the NIGHTWISH web site at the same time. In the letter, the other members of NIGHTWISH wrote: "To you, unfortunately, business, money, and things that have nothing to do with emotions have become much more important."

Holopainen later called the decision to part ways with Turunen "the most difficult thing I ever had to do." For her part, Tarja said the way she was kicked out of the group proved that her former bandmates were not her friends. "Maybe one day I'll forgive, but I will never forget," she said.

Tarja will release a new collection, "Best Of: Living The Dream", on December 2 via earMUSIC.