In a new interview with El Cuartel Del Metal, EPICA singer Simone Simons discussed her upcoming debut solo album, “Vermillion”, on which she collaborated with her longtime musical partner Arjen Lucassen (AYREON). Asked how long she has been planning the project, Simone said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Well, actively for, I guess, one and a half years, or one year even, with Arjen. We started, yeah, last year, I think springtime or so. But I talked to him about working together, I asked him if he wanted to work with me on my solo album already years ago, if he would be interested. And he was, but we were both just too busy. And last year, we also did the AYREON shows together; I was part of that. But already before those took place, we met up because he already started writing songs, and he always kind of wrote two, three songs and then I would come over to him to record vocals. And then a couple of months later he would have more songs. So it was not that all songs were there all at once. But we did it in a couple of sessions. And, yeah, EPICA was not touring a lot. And writing a new record for EPICA was kind of a little bit like at the end of the last vocal recordings for ‘Vermillion’. EPICA was also in the studio, or writing camps, writing albums. So, for me, I guess this was the freest I could get my calendar, but I still had things going on. And in the past we were just touring too much. So the wish was always there, but not the time, also for Arjen because he’s very busy as well. But now we were both motivated and had the time. The time was right now.”
Regarding the first two singles from the LP, “Aeterna” and “In Love We Rust”, Simone said: “Well, ‘Aeterna’ was the idea of Arjen to release as a first single track, because it is a little bit of a perfect blend of AYREON and EPICA; there’s quite some similarities of both our music career, I guess. So it would be kind of a soft introduction to both our fans, to get warm with the project. But it’s definitely not an indication of how the whole album sounds like; it’s still very, very different. And ‘In Love We Rust’ is one of both Arjen and my favorite tracks of the album, and it’s a beautiful ballad. Who doesn’t like a ballad? And this month, there will be a third single, which will be a very heavy song. So I’m curious to see what people are gonna say about that. But all songs are brilliant and I like ’em all. They’re like all babies in a way. But ‘Aeterna’, I felt a little bit sorry for Patric [Ullaeus] who did the video because it’s a long song to do a video for. Nowadays singles are always three, max four minutes, and EPICA is always surpassing that, but, yeah, six minutes of supernovas, planets and many dresses. [Laughs]”
Arjen is no stranger to Simone‘s soaring operatic voice, one that can stir even a gargoyle’s stone heart to tears. Together they have crafted a sonic universe that befits the influential figure she is. Due on August 23 via Nuclear Blast Records, “Vermillion” emerges as a gargantuan goose-bump generator, a universally touching, stellar tour de force.
Simone and Arjen previously stated about “Aeterna”: “‘Aeterna’ is the big, epic opener of the album and it comes with this amazing video too, directed by Patric Ullaeus. It definitely sounds the closest to EPICA and AYREON, blending powerful Latin lyrics with a touch of an oriental feel. We’ve tried to strike a balance between the mighty, bombastic sounds and the more atmospheric parts. Since it’s the first track people will hear from this album, it’s super important to us and we’re really excited for people to hear it!
“‘Aeterna’ takes the point of view of a star about to go supernova to explore how everything in the universe is interconnected, like a cosmic web made from stardust. It deals our deep emotions, consciousness and other mysteries of life that science still can’t fully explain. Essentially it’s a reflection on our place in the vast universe and the connections that bind us together, as we’re all, to quote Carl Sagan, ‘made of starstuff.'”
About “In Love We Rust”, Simone and Arjen said: “The video was filmed in just one take to keep it as pure and raw as possible. We opted to keep it in black and white so as not to distract from the song or the performance.
“‘In Love We Rust’ is quite different from our first single ‘Aeterna’, which shows how diverse this album is. This is one of our favorite songs. We hope you love this as much as we do.”
For more than 20 years, ever since she was a teenager, Simons has been carving her own path as a woman within the world of metal. As a lead singer, icon, and role model for a whole generation of female metalheads, the EPICA lead singer remains one of the most prominent key figures in all things metal. After eight albums and countless global tours with her band, Simone Simons finally found the time to release her first solo album — a moment 15 years in the making. Her breathtaking debut “Vermillion” is a stunning feat chronicling her storied past as well as her rise to fame, and showcasing her many different influences ranging from prog rock to film scores to metal to electronic elements.
Of the timing for her eagerly awaited foray into the realms of a solo career, the Dutch singer says with a disarming grin: “EPICA has my priority and I always have the liberty to do other musical projects besides my career in EPICA. Yet I never had the time to dive into a project to this extent.”
“Vermillion” track listing:
01. Aeterna
02. In Love We Rust
03. Cradle To The Grave (feat. Alissa White-Gluz)
04. Fight Or Flight
05. Weight Of My World
06. Vermillion Dreams
07. The Core
08. Dystopia
09. R.E.D.
10. Dark Night Of The Soul