"It just doesn't have anything to do with me or Evanescence," said Lee. "The only thing that bothers me about it, really, is I keep hearing about 'the original members.' The only original members of Evanescence [were] me and Ben; John and Rocky came into the band after we'd already recorded [Evanescence's 2003 debut album] Fallen, so there's a lot of years that didn't include anybody but Ben and I. Other than that, I don't have an opinion or anything to say about [them]."

When asked about her band's upcoming, third studio album ,Lee says it's set to be the best Evanescence album yet.

"I know that seems weird to say, but I wouldn't be here in the studio making another record if I didn't think it was going to be better than anything I've ever done," she said. "I feel like so much has already happened. I don't even know where to begin to try to describe it 'cause it's just so many things at once. I'm really excited!

When asked about the musical direction of album, Lee said it will sound like Evanescence, but will also incorporate some more leftfield influnces.

"It wouldn't be an Evanescence album if it didn't sound somewhat like Evanescence," she added. "I feel like our band has always had programming and inspirations from Bjork and Depeche Mode and Massive Attack and that kind of thing. It's not like we're making one of those records; it's just, like, that is playing a bigger role in the sound of Evanescence this time. Those little nuances and hints come in in ways that are cool. The sound that we're going for as a group is to fuse synthetic instruments with organic instruments and create something that sounds like a whole new place. It just sounds larger than life."

LITTLE ROCK — Video Wednesday on FOX’s American Idol of finalist Kris Allen greeting parents Kim and Neil at their Maumelle home during his recent visit recalled another Maumelle family whose daughter Amy Lee became a star at about the same age.

Watching Neil’s tearful, lingering embrace of his sonturned-star, one wonders what changes Kris’ family - a strong and loving one by all accounts - faces. Paper Trails asked John Lee to write an open letter to Neil Allen, and he graciously agreed:

"Dear Neil,
It’s been about a year since you and Kimberly brought Kris over to my house to play for me. What a difference a year makes!
Kris played a few songs and as you know, we really thought he had the “total package” (talent, originality, musicianship, age, look). He was the best I’d seen in central Arkansas.
At the time, he was considering an American Idol audition and it seemed the best option with record companies trying to figure out their place amid new technology.
After you left that night, I told my family, “It’s a shame to meet someone I know has all the tools to make it and I can’t do a thing for him.” Imagine how proud we’ve been each Tuesday and Wednesday watching Kris’ continued success.
When Amy and Evanescence burst onto the scene in 2003 life got interesting. I received an overwhelming amount of calls and e-mails from relatives, friends, and people I barely remembered.
Once the tour began, I thought I worked for Ticketmaster, trying to accommodate all the ticket and back-stage pass requests.
People started treating my family differently and thought we were instantly rich. They think you’re on the payroll (be prepared to pick up all restaurant tabs).
Amy’s life became a whirlwind. It became hard to go places with her.
Through all the excitement, turmoil, tension and euphoria, our family realized the need for normalcy. After all, our daughter was still just a 21-year-old from Maumelle.
I’d read an article about Ringo Starr and how his life changed after The Beatles’ first trip to America and he longed to get home to a regular meal with his family.
At dinner, he spilled a glass of tea and was surprised at the fuss his family made hurrying to clean it up and make things right. They were treating him like royalty. He was sad to realize things were not going to be the same.
After reading that, my family knew normalcy was the one thing we could offer Amy that no one else could.
When she comes home she sleeps on the fold-out sofa downstairs, makes her own bed and puts her dishes in the dishwasher. She’s just one of the kids and is treated equally.
I really believe your child wouldn’t want it any other way. There has to be a real refuge from the madness.

So, to you, Kimberly, Daniel and Katy: Enjoy the ride! But remember - being normal is a beautiful thing.
John Lee"

Source: ArkansasOnline.com

Already revealed in name by the ESRB not long ago, Nintendo Power (February 2009) has the first details on Activision's upcoming Nintendo DS title, Guitar Hero Modern Hits.

Beyond dropping the the "On Tour" from the name, Modern Hits looks like it's revamping its single-player career experience as well. Ditching the straight forward way of working down a list, it's now a bit more open. You'll choose to play shows in different venues, gaining fans. As your popularity grows, you'll get more money, more fans and with them, "Fan Requests." The requests vary, but seem to hinge on avoiding bomb notes or playing songs at hyperspeed.

As far as the set list is concerned, you've got the modern hits that you'd expect from a game called Modern Hits. The ESRB listing already inadvertently revealed songs by Franz Ferdinand, Finger Eleven, and Sum 41. The brilliance of those bands will be matched by tracks from Evanescence ("Sweet Sacrifice") and Coldplay ("Violet Hill"). Don't like the "modern hits," you'll be able to share songs wirelessly between the two previous DS games.

Some venues and the list of songs revealed so far can be found after the jump.

Rusty Rocco's
Opening Act:
"Dimension" by Wolfmother
"Violet Hill" by Coldplay
"Where Are We Runnin" by Lenny Kravitz

Headline Act:
"Sweet Sacrifice" by Evanescense
"Reptilia" by The Strokes
"Unconditional" by The Bravery

Casino Vacarious
Opening Act:
"This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" by Fall Out Boy
"Everybody Get Dangerous" by Weezer
"Ruby" by The Kaiser Chiefs

Headline Act:
"Adrenaline" by 12 Stones
"The Metal" by Tenacious D
"Falling Down" by Atreyu

Songs revealed by ESRB leak
"Still Waiting," by Sum 41
"The Fallen" by Franz Ferdinand
"Paralyzer" by and Finger Eleven

Source: Destructoid.com

It's always so soothing to walk into a fashion show and see Nigel Barker sitting in the front row, casting the healing glow of his hotness around the room as he gives people the eye. Not that he was actually trying to hit on anyone at Betsey Johnson on Tuesday; it's just that his eyes, simply by dint of being open, emit bedroom heat. Like so many superheroes, his genetic blessing may also be his curse.

Lucky Victoria Silvstedt nabbed a chair at Nigel's front-row table, blonde mane teased to the skies. To their left, Bow Wow held court with Reverend Run's kids, Angela and Vanessa Simmons; across the way, Evanescence's Amy Lee tapped her feet and sang along to "Wild Thing" and "Mr. Sandman" while occasionally whispering to tablemate Kelly Osbourne — who had changed into a mint-green strapless dress for the occasion. Speaking of genetic blessings, we have to say, Ozzy should be awfully proud that his DNA represents so well — that could've gone any which way.

But the award for Best Poker Face goes to Mark Indelicato of Ugly Betty. Nothing that came down the runway fazed him — and we're talking about a show where Betsey dressed up as a lady Robin Hood, a series of brides were handcuffed, and Liam McMullan made a cameo as a model-marrying pirate who spanked models with his rapier and tossed faux-doubloons on the runway (if that sounds like a bad idea, it was; two girls almost bit it). Through it all, as we squealed with glee at the campfest, Mark maintained an interested and calm expression, which is admirable considering he's 14 and we're … not.

Before the show started, when we noticed Mark quietly munching on one of the giant cupcakes on offer for the front tables, we couldn't resist kneeling down to tell him we think he's great. There's just something about a boy and his baked goods. Apparently he's been bi-coastal since Ugly Betty moved production to New York — "I'm totally glamorous!" he joked — and has dropped by several shows already, with about two more on the docket. "This is totally overwhelming, but it's been amazing," he gushed. "I was confused when I first started [on Ugly Betty] about what all the fashion industry was, but now I recognize how huge it is. New York lives on Fashion Week!" Right as our old-lady knees were about to give up on us, we decided to throw caution to the wind and ask for spoilers. Would J.Lo guest-star as Wilhelmina Slater's secret lesbian wife? Does Betty burn down Mode in a tragic flamethrower accident? Sadly, Mark was tight-lipped: "Don't even ask. I'm SO not gonna tell."

Maybe not us, but we sure hope he employed some Ugly Betty mojo to cheer up seatmate Jason Lewis, who spent the whole show looking wickedly bummed — we suspect it has something to do with the mustache he's currently modeling, which totally de-hots him. Although if a carousing, booty-slapping, treasure-tossing pirate on the runway can't cheer him up, he may be beyond help.

Source: NYMag.com
Thanks to +broken+

Grammy Award Winner Amy Lee to Receive Icon Award
at Annual Meeting in New York City
 
WASHINGTON—The National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) will honor Grammy-Award winning singer/songwriter Amy Lee with its 2008 Songwriter Icon Award at the NMPA’s Annual Meeting to be held in New York City June 18. NMPA also announced today U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) has been selected to receive the 2008 President’s Award.

“The NMPA is in many ways a bridge between policymakers and the music publishers and songwriters we serve, so it’s a privilege to recognize an outstanding representative from each of these groups in conjunction with our annual meeting each year,” said NMPA President and CEO David Israelite. “This year we are honored that the multi-talented Amy Lee will join us in New York City not only to receive this award but to perform as well. We are also so pleased to present Senator Leahy with the President’s Award. He a friend of the industry, and a true fan of music.”

Amy Lee is the co-founder and lead singer of Evanescence. She is a singer-songwriter and a classically trained pianist.  The album “Fallen” sold more than 15 million copies, spent 43 weeks on the Billboard Top 10, and has been certified Platinum 6 times. Amy Lee and Evanescence won two Grammy Awards in 2004 for Best New Artist and Best Hard Rock Performance.

The second Evanescence album, The Open Door, debuted at the top of the Billboard charts selling more than 447,000 units in its first week and reached platinum status in just over a month. The album is defined by Amy Lee’s beautiful melodies, compelling lyrics, poignant piano and stunning vocals, fused with Terry Balsamo’s urgent yet intricate guitar to form a seamless, ethereal mixture that perfectly channels the band’s hard rock and classical sensibilities. The album’s musical elements include a classically-infused choir and strings on several tracks, giving further color to songs of introspection, longing, doubt, self-respect and, ultimately, empowerment. “Sweet Sacrifice,” a post-relationship catharsis and the third single from The Open Door was nominated for Best Hard Rock Performance at the 2007 Grammy Awards.

Amy Lee truly speaks to an international audience.  In support of The Open Door, Amy and Evanescence performed for audiences in more than 25 countries, including the US, Canada, France, UK, Spain, Germany, Greece, Turkey, Russia, Israel, Argentina, Chile, Brazil, South Africa, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.  The Open Door is about to reach sales of 2 million copies in the U.S. and more than 4 million copies worldwide.

The Icon Award recognizes outstanding songwriters for personal achievement and who personify the vision of NMPA and the goals of its members. Former recipients include Jimmy Webb and Neil Sedaka. (...) 

The NMPA Annual Meeting will be held from 3-5 p.m. at the Marriott Marquis, 1535 Broadway, followed by a cocktail reception from 5-7 p.m. Members of the media are invited to both the meeting and reception.

About the NMPA
Founded in 1917, the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) is a trade association representing more than 800 American music publishers. The NMPA’s mandate is to protect and advance the interests of music publishers and their songwriter partners in matters relating to the domestic and global protection of music copyrights.

About the Songwriter Icon Award
The National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) established the Songwriter Icon Award in 2006 to recognize outstanding songwriters for personal achievement and who personify the vision of NMPA and the goals of its members. Former recipients include Jimmy Webb and Neil Sedaka. (...)

Source: http://www.nmpa.org/pressroom/showrelease.asp?id=157

The National Music Publishers' Assn. will honor Grammy Award-winning songwriter/singer Amy Lee with its 2008 Songwriter Icon Award and Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) with the 2008 President's Award.

The group will present Lee with her award during the NMPA general membership meeting, which is open to all publishers and songwriters, next week in New York City.

"The NMPA is in many ways a bridge between policymakers and the music publishers and songwriters we serve, so it's a privilege to recognize an outstanding representative from each of these groups in conjunction with our annual meeting each year," NMPA president/CEO David Israelite says.

"This year we are honored that the multi-talented Amy Lee will join us in New York City not only to receive this award but to perform as well," he continues. "We are also so pleased to present Senator Leahy with the President's Award. He a friend of the industry, and a true fan of music."

The Icon Award, which recognizes outstanding songwriters for their personal achievement, is presented to those who personify the vision of the NMPA and the goals of its members. Former recipients include Jimmy Webb and Neil Sedaka.

The NMPA established the President's Award in 2005 to recognize an individual who has been a leader on issues of importance to music publishers and songwriters, and who works diligently to strengthen intellectual property protection.

The group will present Leahy with his award in Washington, D.C. The annual meeting is set for June 18 in New York City.

By Susan Butler, N.Y.
Source: Billboard.biz

But very few do it as publicly as Amy Lee, lead singer of the goth-rock band Evanescence.

Lee was just 19 when she signed her first record contract, and barely 21 when the band's major-label debut, "Fallen," flew up the charts in 2003. The album, co-written by Lee and (now ex-boyfriend) Ben Moody, connected with fans across the globe and netted the band two Grammy awards, including best new artist.

Its hard-driving mix of brooding, spiritually-tinged darkness and dramatic classical orchestration offered fans a window into Lee's psyche. Or so many of them thought.

"Everyone knows a lot about me without actually knowing me at all," says Lee, now 24.

Her celebrity status as a singer of edgy songs left her surrounded by teenage fans in search of a role model.

It takes only a few minutes in Lee's presence to see what drew them: Her porcelain skin and shimmering, pale blue eyes are set off by a mane of black hair, and she seems to embody both confident strength and a delicate femininity.

Think Angelina Jolie with extra eyeliner.

But despite the image of hard-rocking power that Lee projected during her first years in the spotlight, she was struggling with unhealthy relationships and the overwhelming experience of success. And she was still practically a teenager herself.

Then things went from complicated to just plain ugly: within months, Moody abruptly quit the band while on tour. The two have barely spoken since. There were other troubles to deal with as well: Last year, she sued her former manager, accusing him of charges ranging from sexual battery to misusing her money; he has denied the charges.

It's part of the reason why Lee decided rather than rush out another album to preserve her fledgling stardom to take a break: "I just cut myself off from the world a little bit. Unplugged all the phones."

(She also declines to talk about Moody or the lawsuit in an interview, worried that she that it has made her dark image even darker: "The things that are out there are almost all things I've shared. But I realize by reading interviews that it sounds a lot more negative than it is. So much drama.")

Lee eventually began working with a new writing partner, guitarist Terry Balsamo (formerly of Cold and Limp Bizkit), who had joined Evanescence. But there were more roadblocks ahead: Before a sophomore album could be finished, Balsamo suffered a stroke in 2005. He's now nearly recovered, but the experience was life-changing for them both.

It strengthened Lee, she says, making her music even more intimate and confessional: "It really made the album more meaningful. You totally get a new perspective."

Balsamo says writing with Lee was a more rewarding experience than his collaborations with his other bands because "she was willing to try new things and not do the same old (stuff), and that's something I'm really a big fan of."

Last week, "The Open Door" finally hit stores, and this week, it debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard album charts, selling almost 450,000 copies in its first week. "The Open Door" offers vulnerability from Lee, and even a healthy dose of hope.

"I'm at the best place I've been," she says, smiling. "Not that I think all the songs from now on are going to be happy and cheery, of course."

Evanescence fans will be glad to hear that. Although the band's lineup has changed considerably since "Fallen," (bassist Will Boyd quit earlier this year), the music remains consistent.

"It's still, first and foremost, coming from my heart," Lee says. "But you can definitely say it's feeling different since Ben's leaving. The guitars are a completely new style. Terry rocks. It's innovative, but not so out there that you can't relate."

Many tracks on "The Open Door" explore the process of learning not to sacrifice yourself for the sake of love, something Lee says she's learned about in recent years. She doesn't regret sharing that experience with strangers, though it's odd to be looked to for advice at an age when most women are seeking mentors of their own.

"It's really wild. I never went into this thinking, 'I'm gonna set a good example,'" she says. "I started creating art because I was searching for answers, and it was that searching that led to my music. From a lot of my lyrics, I feel like I don't understand how people are really looking up to me. Because it's all questions.

"But I do encourage people to care. There's a lot of apathy in our youth. A lot of people living with situations they're in without doing anything about it. In the new album, I go for, 'What's the solution? How do I get out of this?' I'm hearing myself grow within the music and also personally grow."

Lee says she's always been an adviser of sorts.

"I think part of my job probably is counseling. I don't want to say more than I should. I mean, I don't have a medical degree. But I'm sort of a friend, like an advice columnist," she says. "In high school, I was the person a lot of people would come to, even people who didn't know me that well. They wanted to spend the night at my house and talk."

Despite that experience, it can be jarring to hear that her music has helped fans through their darkest times, even saving some from considering suicide. But Lee is glad to be there for them.

"It's important to let out what you're feeling, to tell somebody or write a song or write a poem, and read it to your class. Better to do that, rather than pretending it's fine and kicking yourself later," Lee says. "React to the world. The world is a scary place.

Source: http://music.yahoo.com/read/news/12175407

Two days ago, Amy Lee was dying in a cemetery. “It was a shoot for the new Johnny Cash video,” she explains. “The concept is all these celebrities – Justin Timberlake, Tony Hawk, P. Diddy- dressed in black like Johnny Cash. You know, expressing the pain of the world. They said I could do whatever I wanted, so I said, ‘Why don’t I go to a cemetery and lay some flowers on a grave?’ We shot it at Trinity Church”, she says, referring to the soaring neo-Gothic cathedral three blocks from Ground Zero in lower Manhattan. “It was really creepy,” which, coming from her, is high praise.

Lee, 24, is the singer from Evanescence, the most popular goth-rock band in the world. Sitting in a park on a blindingly sunny July day, however, she couldn’t look less like a princess of darkness. She’s wearing pink shades, a purple and white stripped tank top, a flowing black skirt and flip flops, and her raven tresses are pulled back into a loose ponytail, revealing a pale, pretty face. She’s nibbling on a double meat turkey and cheese Subway sub- a foot-long, because “I’m going to save the second half for dinner,” she says. If it weren’t for the silver death’s-head pendant dangling from her neck, she could be any NYU coed lazing away a summer afternoon.

“Anyway,” she says about the video shoot, “I really wanted to wear this coat I’d just bought- long sleeve black velvet, very dramatic. But it turned out to be the hottest day of the year, like a hundred degrees. So I’m walking around in this ten pound coat buttoned all the way up, tail dragging behind me, just so, so hot. But I had to wear it- it used to belong to Tim Burton.”

She looks up from her sandwich and lets out an ironic laugh: “God. I am so goth.”

For the past three years, Lee’s life has been straight out of a Lemony Snicket novel- one unfortunate event after another. First she broke up with her boyfriend. Then her band imploded. Next came stalkers and therapy; then another breakup; a bandmate’s stroke; an alleged sexual assault and ensuing seven figure lawsuit; another bandmate’s retirement…

“It’s been an eventful couple of years,” she says, grinning and tossing crumbs to some pigeons.

Back in 2003, Evanescence were the unlikeliest success story in music. Five shaggy kids from the aptly named Little Rock, Arkansas- a town whose most famous musical export up to that point was a certain sax-blowing ex-president- the were either dismissed as a cash-in gimmick (Linkin Park with a cute chick) or ignored altogether. But then “Bring Me to Life,” a monster collision of snarling guitar riffs and Lee’s icy, ring-wraith vocals, landed on the Daredevil soundtrack, and faster than you could say “Bennifer II” they were skyrocketing to the top of the charts. Lee became an overnight icon for legions of fourteen year old girls with Emily the Strange posters on their walls and black lipstick in their purses, and Evanescence’s debut, Fallen, went on to sell 6.5 million copies, win two Grammys and park in the Top Ten for nearly a year.

But it all came crashing down in October 2003, when Ben Moody, the band’s guitarist and Lee’s co-songwriter, decided he’d had enough and quit the band mid-tour. It was a doubly painful blow for Lee; she and Moody had been best friends since 1994, when they met at a church summer camp. The pair dated briefly but eventually grew to be more like siblings- a rock and roll Pugsley and Wednesday. Lee soldiered on after the split, insisting it was a long time coming and best for everyone, but at the time she was devastated.

“I don’t hate Ben,” she says today, eyes glistening. “I just don’t ever want to speak to him again. He was truly kind of poisonous. Some people just aren’t good for you- it doesn’t mean they’re Satan, but you can’t have them in your life.” She says they haven’t spoken in nearly two and a half years, since the night of their Grammy triumph. Moody has left her a few voicemails, but she doesn’t respond. “It’s manipulative. We need to just live our separate lives.”

Lee has been staring intently at her fingernails, slowing chipping away at the dark blood-red polish. Suddenly she looks up, embarrassed. “Wow, I’m being so bad right now. I’m going to burn for it. I’m going to get a pig heart in the mail from his mother after this interview. But it’s the truth.

“Relationships are fascinating to me,” she continues. “You pour your heart into someone, share everything, and it feels so good at first. But then you realize, “I am completely vulnerable. This person can destroy me.’ That inspires me.”

If she’s right, then last winter must have been inspirational beyond belief. In late November, Lee and the band fired their longtime manager, Dennis Rider, just one album into a three album deal. When Rider sued Lee for breach of contract, seeking $10 million in damages, she struck back with a countersuit detailing exactly why he was being given the boot- and it’s a doozie. It alleges Rider “neglected Lee’s career and business and focused his efforts on having extramarital affairs… becoming intoxicated during business meetings, physically abusing women and boasting about it… and using Lee’s corporate card to purchase gifts for his mistress,” one of which was an $18,000 car. And there’s more: The suit also accuses Rider of making “overt and unwelcome sexual advances” toward Lee, including once when he “put his head in Lee’s lap and ran his hand up her leg” and another time when he said “he wanted to perform a gynecological examination on her.”

When we ask about the case, Lee goes even paler. “I should absolutely not talk about it,” she says. “It’s possible I could have no money by the end of this thing. I could be destitute.”

Rider had been the band’s manager since 2002; he shepherded them through every step of their career and wielded enormous power. “I was very young and vulnerable,” Lee says. “And to have my trust be completely dashed and thrown back in my face- that’s what hurt the most.”

(Rider strongly denies the allegations and quickly issued a statement calling them “appalling,” “untrue” and “disappointing beyond words.” When reached for further comment, his attorney told Blender, “I think we will stick with our previous policy of allowing the matter to play out through the court system,”)

“Dennis was a good guy and I think he meant well,” says new guitarist Terry Balsamo. “I personally didn’t see a lot of that stuff going on, but he and Amy obviously had their differences.

Emphasizing that she’s speaking generally, and not about anyone in particular, Lee admits that she has “allowed people to take advantage of me. I’m learning as I grow up that some people are really hurtful and mean and evil. People aren’t always going to have a conscience and be good to be. They’ll put their heart on a shelf and do what they have to do to get ahead.”

But as sordid as this is the suit’s most startling revelation might have come in what was essentially a footnote: a copy of Rider’s termination notice that Lee’s attorneys included as evidence. “As you are well aware,” it reads, “Ms. Lee was recently in an abusive relationship with Ben Moody. She has no intention of associating with any persons who engage in that sort of… illegal conduct.”

Does that mean that Ben was physically abusive, we ask? Lee inhales sharply: “I’m not going to answer that. Sorry.”

In February 2005, Amy Lee vanished. Evanescence had just finished another exhaustive round of world touring to promote a live CD and DVD, and the label was already pressuring her to start making the next album. Overwhelmed, she retreated to her house in L.A.’s Topanga Canyon, locked the door and pulled the phone out of the wall. Lee spent the next 10 months writing songs. “That’s my favorite part,” she says. “I go into this kind of weird, dark, obsessed with my own sadness funk.” She painted stuff like the five by six foot anatomical heart spewing a fountain of blood that currently hangs in her apartment. She composed some music for the Chronicles of Narnia movie, only to have Disney brass reject it as “too dark” and “too epic.” And she did something her mom had been asking her about since the last album; She started going to therapy.

“For the first, I don’t know, lots of sessions, I’d just go in and cry,” Lee says. “Everytime. I guess I was letting out all the ghosts of my past.”

It’s a slightly surprising admission, if only because she’s already so fearlessly confessional in her lyrics. Evanescence’s debut was largely about an abusive boyfriend, full of tortured screams and pleas for salvation; it may have sounded like typical teenage Sturm and Drang, but there was real anguish underneath.

The band’s new album is also intensely personal. But where Fallen was a cry for help. The Open Door is a liberation statement. “It’s so clear now that I’m unchained,” Lee sings in the very first verse, and more than one song sounds laser-targeted at Ben Moody.

Much of the album also addresses Lee’s breakup with Shaun Morgan, singer for the South African hard-rock band Seether, whom she dated from mid 2004 until last fall. “It was good for a while,” she says. “But it ended really, really wrong. It’s just that fatal thing- girls are so attracted to assholes.” Morgan recently announced that he was canceling a tour to enter rehab, and The Open Door’s first single, “Call Me When You’re Sober,” addresses his troubles- a sassy, almost flirtatious kiss-off to a manipulative lover.

On Fallen, Lee was like a vampiric Kewpie doll, haunted by her demons but also fragile and sexless. “When you’re young, you’re so awkward about yourself and your body,” she explains. But now she’s getting less shy about embracing her feminine side- and about being sexy. “I feel so much better now, so much more confident. So free.”

The black cloud that’s haunted Lee hasn’t blown over completely, though. Balsamo suffered a stroke in November, when a blood clot in one of his neck arteries entered his brain; he says he’s only about 60 percent recovered and still has some paralysis in his left arm. And in July, bassist Will Boyd announced he was quitting to spend more time with his family, leaving the band scrambling for a replacement.

But Lee isn’t worried. “I’ve really broken down the door of being afraid all the time,” she says. “I’m not going back to where I was- ever.”

The next afternoon, Lee phones Blender. It’s a wet, gray Friday, and she’s playing the piano and listening to the drizzle on her window. “I love it,” she says, laughing. “I’m only happy when it rains.”

She’s at her brand new apartment near Manattan’s Germency Park that she shares with her cats, Shermine and Stella. (Her last pet, a kitten named Zero, was killed by coyotes before the move from California.) The building is part of a converted church, complete with turrets, a spire, stained-glass windows and her favorite, a massive marble bathtub. “It’s like you’re being baptized,” she gushes.

Lee also has a new boyfriend, Josh, a 28 year old therapist who lives in New York. They’ve been friends since Lee was a teenager, and she’s always kinda-sorta had a thing for him but could never bring herself to admit it. “To be honest, I felt like I wasn’t good enough for him,” she says, “He’s kind, he’s a good listener, he makes me do breathing exercises when I freak out. It’s the first stable relationship I’ve ever been in.”

Josh is also, she admits at the risk of sounding “like a stupid obsessed weirdo,” her secret muse. She wrote “Bring Me to Life” about him, and inspired one of The Open Door’s most touching moments, a tender, album-closing ballad called “Good Enough”. It’s the sound of a woman who may have finally found true love- probably as close to contentment as a death-obsessed goth princess is going to get. “When I first heard it, I was worried- like ‘This is corny, it doesn’t fit our image,’” Lee says. “But you know what I’m realizing? Sometimes it’s okay to have a happy ending.”

*****

Due giorni fa, Amy Lee soffriva in un cimitero. “Era uno shoot per il nuovo video di Johnny Cash ,” spiega lei. “Il soggetto sono tutte queste celebrità – Justin Timberlake, Tony Hawk, P. Diddy- vestite di nero come Johnny Cash. sai, esprimendo lpena per il mondo. Dissero che potevo fare ciò che volevo, quindi dissi, ‘Perchè non andare in un cimitero e lasciare un po' di fiori su una tomba?’ L'abbiamo girato alla Chiesa della Trinità”, dice, rriferendosi alla nuova cattedrale Neo-Gothic eretta a tre isolati da Ground Zero nella bassa Manhattan. “E' stato davvero da brivido,” che, detto da lei, è un gran complimento!

Lee, 24, è la cantante degli Evanescence, la band goth-rock più popolare del mondo. Seduta in un parco in una giornata velata di luglio, comunque, lei non può sembrare di meno una principessa dell'oscurità. E' abbigliata con ombre rosa pink shades, un top a riche porpora e bianco, una gonna nera svolazzante e ondeggiante, and la sua capigliatura corvina è chiusa in una coda di cavallo che rivela un volpo pallido e bello. Lei mordicchia un panino con doppia fetta di tacchino con formaggio lungo un piede, berchè“Ne salvo metà per il pranzo,” dice. Se non fosse per il ciondolo d'argento con un teschio che porta al collo, potrebbe essere una normale NewYorkese che si gode pigramente il sole estivo.

“Comunque,” dice riguardo agli shhot del video, “Volevo davvero rivestire questo ruolo, ho appena comprato un abito con lunghe maniche di velluto, molto drammatico. Ma è venuta fuori la giornata più calda dell'anno, sembrano 100 gradi. Quindi sto girando con questa giachina da dieci sterline abbottonato fin su, che mi trascino dietro, così tanto, tanto calda. Ma devo indossarla - appartiene a Tim Burton. [wooow]

Guarda oltre il suo panino e ride in maniera ironica: “Dio. Sono così goth!!”

Per i passati tre anni, la vita della Lee sembra venuta fuori da una novella di Lemony Snicket - un evento sfortunato dietro la'ltro. Prima rompe col suo ragazzo. Poi la sua band implode. Poi arrivano inseguitori e tarepia; poi un'altro fatto; un ictus ad un componente della band; un presunto assalto sessuale and e 7 cause legali; il ritiro di un altro membro della band…

“Sono stati due anni molto movimentati,” dice lei, sorridendo e tirando briciole ad alcuni colombi.

Indietro nel 2003, Evanescence avevano un ingresso nella storia della musica non simpatico. Cinque ruvidi ragazzotti da Little Rock, Arkansas- una città da cui famosissimi musicisti sono esportati per suonare come un certo sassofonista ex-presidente, erano l'unica eccezione tipo Linkin Park con una bella pollastrella o venivano ignorati tutti insieme. Ma quando “Bring Me to Life,” una miscela mostruosa di riff graffianti di chitarra e la gelida voce della Lee’s, vocalizzi arminici e urla, approda sulla Soundtrack di Daredevil, e molto più velocemente di quanto tu possa dire “Bennifer II” sono schizzati alla Top delle charts. Lee è diventataun'intramontabile iconaper le legioni di ragazzine che hanno i poster di Emily the Strange appese ai muri, rossetti neri nelle loro borse , e l'album di debutto, Fallen, vendette 6.5 million copies, vinse due Grammys e si fermò nelle Top Ten per un anno.
Ma tutto ciò si distrusse nell'ottobre 2003, quando Ben Moody, il chitarrista della band e co-autore delle canzoni con la Lee’, decide di averne abbatanza e lascia la band nel bel mezzo del tour. E fu un colpo terribile per la Lee; lei e Moody erano stati migliori amici sin dal 1994, quando si incontrarono in un campo estivo della chiesa. La coppia stette insieme per un po' ma alla fine crebbe per diventare come fratello e sorella- una rock and roll Pugsley and Wednesday. Lee tiene duro dopo lo scoppio, insistendo che sarebbe arrivato un periodo migliore per tutti, ma nel contempoera devastata.

“Non odio Ben,” dice oggi, con occhi luccicanti. “Semplicemente non mi sento di volergli più parlare. E' stato veramente qualcosa di velenoso. Certe persone semplicemente non vanno bene per te - questo non significa che loro siano Satana, ma non puoi averle nella tua vita.” Lei dice che non hanno parlato affatto da due anni e mezzo fa,dalla notte del loro trionfo ai Grammy. Moody le ha lasciato un piccolo messaggio sulla segreteria telefonica, ma lei non ha risposto. “Abbiamo solo bisogno di vivere le nostre vite separatamente.”

Lee presta attenzione alle sue unghie , lentamente pulisce via un po' di sangue rosso scuro. Improvvisamente guarda su, imbarazzata. “Wow, sto così male ora. Brucierò per questo. Manderò un cuore in una mail a sua madre dopo quest'intervista. Ma è la verità.

“Le relazioni sono molto affascinanti secondo me,” continua lei. “Dai il tuo cuore a qualcuno, dividendo tutto, ed è così bello all'inizio. Ma poi realizzi, "Sono completamente vulnerabile. Questa persona potrebbe distruggermi.’ Questo mi ispira.”

Se lei ha ragione, quest'ultimo inverno ha avuto molta ispirazione. Nello scorso Novembre, Lee e la band hanno cacciato il loro vecchio manager, Dennis Rider, occupatosi di un solo album su tre. Quando Rider ha citato in giudizio la Lee per la rottura del contratto, chiedendo $10 millioni di danni, lei lo ha incastrato descrizione dettagliata dei perchè. I documenti accusano Rider di“negligenza verso la carriera della Lee ed aver posto la sua attenzione verso suoi affari extramatrimoniali… di esserci intossicato durante una riunione di lavoro, di aver abusato fisicamente di donne ed essersi vantato di tutto ciò… ed aver usato la carta di credito della Lee per comprare regali alle sue amanti,” uno di questi sarebbe una macchina da $18,000 . E c'è di più: i documenti acusano Rider di aver fatto “palesi e non apprezzate avances sessuali” nei riguardi della Lee, inclusa una volta che “mise la sua testa sulle gambe della Lee e mosse la sua mano sungo la gamba” e un'altra volta che disse che “avrebbe voluto fare un esame ginecologico su di lei.”

Quando le abbiamo chiesto del caso, Lee è diventata più pallida. “Io non dovrei assolutamente parlare di lui,” dice. “È possibile che potrei non avere più soldi alla fine di questa cosa. Potrei essere destituita.”

Rider era è stato il manager della band sin dal 2002; lui ha condotto ogni passo della loro carriera e maneggiò enorme potere. “Io ero molto giovane e vulnerabile,” dice Lee. “Ed vedere la mia fiducia completamente buttata e gettata di nuovo in faccia - è quello che fece male di più.”

Enfatizzando che lei stia parlando in generale, e non circa qualcuno in particolare, Lee ammette che lei ha.. “permisi alle persone di approfittare di me. Sto crescendo e sto imparando che alcune persone sono veramente cattive. Persone che non hanno una coscienza ed non sono buone. Loro metteranno il loro cuore su una mensola e faranno quello che loro devono fare per andare avanti.”

(?)Ma squallido come questo è la di più sorprendente rivelazione che sarebbe potuta arrivare ed era essenzialmente una nota a piè di pagina: una copia dell'avviso di terminazione di Rider che gli avvocati di Lee hanno incluso come attestato. “Come Lei è ben consapevole,” legge, “la Sig.ra Lee era recentemente in una relazione abusiva con Ben Moody. Lei non ha nessuna intenzione di associarsi con persone che prendono parte in quel genere di… condotta illegale.”

Questo significa che Ben era fisicamente abusivo? Lee inala bruscamente: “Non risponderò a questa domanda. Mi spiace.”

A febbraio 2005 Amy Lee scomparve. Gli Evanescence avevano appena finito un altro tour mondiale per promuovere un CD live e DVD, e l'etichetta già le faceva pressione per cominciare a fare il prossimo album. Sommersa, si ritirò a casa sua in L.A. ' s Topanga Canyon, chiuse la porta a chiave ed estrasse il telefono dal muro. Lee passò i prossimi 10 mesi scrivendo canzoni. “Questa è la mia parte preferita,” lei dice. “vado in questa specie di strano, scuro, ossessivo stato con la mia triste paura.” Dipinse roba come un cuore anatomico di 5 o 6 piedi da cui fuoriesce una fontana di sangue che attualmente è appeso nel suo appartamento. Compose della musica per il film Le Cronache di Narnia, solo per avere uno sfrontato rifiuto dalla Disney perchè “troppo scuro” e “tropp epico.” E ha fatto qualcosa che sua mamma le stava chiedendo di fare fin dall'ultimo album; andò in terapia.

“Alla prima, non so, molte sessioni, andavo e piangevo soltanto,” dice Lee. “Ogni volta. Suppongo stessi lasciando fuori tutti i fantasmi del mio passato.”

È un'ammissione lievemente sorprendente, solo perché lei è già così impavidamente confessionale nei suoi testi. L'esordio degli Evanescence era dovuto (?) in gran parte ad un amico abusivo, pieno di grida di tortura e richieste di salvezza; poteva sembrare come un tipoco adolescente Sturm and Drang, ma sotto c'era vera angoscia.

Il nuovo album della band è anche intensamente personale. Ma dove Fallenera un grido di aiuto, The Open Door è una diachiarazione di liberazione. “Ora è così chiaro che sono libera dalle catene,” Lee canta nei primi versi, e più di una canzone sembra puntare come bersaglio Ben Moody.

Gran parte dell'album è anche indirizzata alla rottura di Lee con Shaun Morgan, cantante dell'hard-rock band sudafricana Seether, con cui lei è stata insieme dalla metà del 2004 fino allo scorso autunno. “Andava bene per un tempo,” lei dice. “Ma finì molto, molto male. È solo per una cosa fatale - le ragazze sono così attirate dagli stronzi.” Morgan ha recentemente annunciato che ha cancellato un tour per andare in riabilitazione, ed il primo singolo di The Open Door, “Call Me When You're Sober,” gli indirizza i suoi guai - un bacio sfacciato e flirtante prima di allontanarsi dall'uomo - via da un innamorato manipolatore.

In Fallen, Lee era come una bambola vampira di Kewpie, infestata dai suoi demoni ma anche fragile ed asessuato [non penso sia il termine corretto, ma che vi aspettavate da una biologa? :P]. “Quando sei giovane, sei così goffo (o impacciato) su te stesso e il tuo corpo,” lei spiega. Ma ora sta diventando meno timida riguardo la sua femminilità e l'essere sexy. “Mi sento molto miglio adesso, molto più fiduciosa. Così libera.”

La nube nera che è infestava Lee non è completamente sparita, tuttavia. Balsamo soffrì di un ictus a novembre, quando un grumo di sangue in una delle arterie del collo entrò nel cervello; lui dice di aver recuperato solo per il 60% ed ancora ha alcune paralisi al braccio sinistro. Ed a luglio, il bassista Will Boyd ha annunciato di voler passare più tempo con famiglia sua, lasciando la band che cercherà poi un sostituto.

Ma Lee non è preoccupata. “Ho buttato giù la porta dell'aver sempre paura,” lei dice. “Non sto tornando dietro dove ero prima - mai.”

Il pomeriggio dopo, Lee telefona Blender. È un venerdì bagnato, grigio, e sta suonando il pianoforte e ascolta le gocce di pioggia cadere sulla sua finestra. “Io l'amo,” lei dice ridendo. “Io sono solamente felice quando piove.”

E' nel suo nuovo appartamento, vicino Manattan’s Germency Park, che divide con i suoi gatti, Shermine e Stella. (il suo ultimo animale domestico, un gattino di nome Zero fu ucciso da un coyote prima di lasciare la California.) L'edificio è parte di una chiesa convertita, completo con torrette, finestre che si alzano a punta di vetro macchiato e il suo preferito: una vasca da bagno marmorea e massiccia. “È come se ti stessi battezzando,” .

Lee ha anche un ragazzo nuovo, Josh, un terapeuta di 28 anni che vive a New York. Erano amici sin da quando Lee era un'adolescente, e lei ha sempre avuto una cotta per lui ma non l'aveva mai ammesso. “Ad essere onesta, sentivo che non andavo bene per lui,” lei dice, “Lui è gentile, è un buon ascoltatore, lui mi fa fare esercizi di respirazione quando sono troppo emozionata. È la mia prima relazione stabile.”

Josh è anche la sua musa segreta, lei ammette al rischio di sembrare “come un persona stramba, ossessionata e stupida”. Lei scrisse di lui in “Bring Me To Life”, ed inspirò uno dei più toccanti momenti di The Open Door, una tenera ballata di chiusura dell'album:“Good Enough”. E' il sound di una donna che finalmente ha potuto trovare il vero amore - probabilmente così vicino all'appagamento ottenuto come una principessa gotica ossessionata alla morte. “Quando lo sentii la prima volta, ero preoccupata - come ‘Questo è sdolcinato, non va bene con la nostra immagine, '” dice Lee. “Ma sai di cosa mi sto rendendo conto? Qualche volta va bene per avere una fine felice.”



Thanks to Onyrika (EvBoard) for the transcript
Grazie a Pink86 e La Signora di Avalon (EvanescenceWebsite.com) per la traduzione

Amy Lee is sitting cross-legged in a lounge chair on the roof of New York's Dream Hotel. She's decked out in worn jeans and a Joan Jett T-shirt, and her pale-blue eyes are translucent—a sharp contrast to her long dark hair.

In the past three years, her band Evanescence has skyrocketed to fame thanks to its 2003 Wind-up debut, "Fallen," which won two Grammy Awards and has sold 6.5 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. But as quickly as the band hit the big time, the threads that held its members together began to fray. Co-founder Ben Moody abruptly left mid-tour in 2003; his replacement, former Cold guitarist Terry Balsamo, suffered a stroke last year; and bassist Will Boyd, whom Lee has known since middle school, opted out of the group in July.

Adding to the drama, Lee split from her boyfriend, Seether frontman Shawn Morgan, and changed managers. But the artist says the trials have made her stronger and more independent. "It took me a while to figure out who I was," she says. "I'm the youngest person in the band. I'm the leader of the band. I'm a chick. I learned how to say no and draw boundaries."

Indeed, Evanescence's new album "The Open Door," due Oct. 3, is an ode to a stronger Lee. As Wind-up founder/CEO Alan Meltzer notes, "She is the female voice of her generation. She's come into her own as a writer and a singer. She made this record with no label involvement. It was all her." >>>"Fallen" was a multiplatinum smash. Were you under pressure to produce a follow-up that could stand up to it?

I think people sometimes lose the love of what they do and just try to put out another record. That's a crime. If you don't feel it, wait until you're hungry for it. What's the point of making a huge piece of music if it's not for the love of the art.

It took longer than I thought. But, I am a perfectionist. We took all the time we needed and wrote and wrote and wrote. If it wasn't good, I threw it away. I wanted every piece of it to be as good as it possibly could be. We accomplished what I wanted, which was to do something that I was more proud of than what I'd done before. I constantly have to top myself, it's just the way I am.

Is "The Open Door" thematically different from "Fallen"?

What music is for me and what Evanescence has been is me purging all of the negative and hard, difficult experiences that I've had in life. Naturally that's still coming across; I'm still purging the trials. I feel like this album comes from a place that is not so hopeless. The first album, I was talking about the hard stuff, but I was also wallowing in it. I wasn't strong enough to take a stand and say no in a lot of situations.

I listen back to "Fallen" now and definitely hear all the vulnerability and the fear and all the childish things in me that are just human. But I've grown so much now. The lyrics on the new album are looking for the answers, looking for the solutions, looking for happiness. It's not, "I'm miserable, end of song." It's more, "I'm miserable, and what do I have to do to work this out and get out of this bad situation."

Have you matured?

Yes, I've learned how to say no. This is a bad situation. See the signs and say, "I'm out of here." Especially in relationships. You have to be willing to jump off the cliff and know that when you get to the bottom that it's going to be way better, and know it could also be crash and burn. Those are the times in my life that I've really broken through and had great joy, because I took those chances. At least when you're at the bottom and all alone again and starting over, it's a clean slate.

What is it like having such a different configuration of the band?

The biggest difference is Ben [Moody]. We formed the band together. We were the main writers. Without him, it wasn't like I was thinking, "Oh, my God, what am I going to do?" It really had gotten to the point where it was so horrible and dramatic, it was a relief and I knew the band could continue. When it came to writing, I had so much by then to write about, it was spilling out of me. I didn't know how to stop writing.

I have so much more freedom to do everything myself this time, for a lot of reasons. I wanted to prove that not only could I do it myself, but I could make a better album than before. I've never really tried to sit, say OK and just start writing and go for it and not have anyone to answer to, at all. I'm the boss. Here we go! If it sucks, I figure it out.

Terry Balsamo replaced Moody and has become your songwriting partner. How do you guys write together?

It's a completely different writing process [than with Moody]. He's completely laid-back. There's no pressure of wanting to rule the world. It's just about writing great music.

Terry and I will just sit in a room and jam. As simple as that is, it's completely different for me. I was so insecure at the time, though I didn't realize it then. I thought I was strong. It's so hard to let yourself be vulnerable. In front of a huge audience, it's not so bad, because it's just a sea of people. But in front of two people you know, it's impossible. It was a first for me to just make music as we go.

Why are there so few female rockers today?

In the music industry today, there are a lot of holes. There are things I miss, like great female rockers like Joan Jett. She totally inspired me and inspired guys and everybody everywhere. Where did they go? It seems like if there were any women in music, it was either R&B or easy listening. No one was rocking. No one had the real power, not the sex appeal, the real power of rock'n'roll. We need chicks in rock.

"Fallen" was first released in the Christian market. Do you consider Evanescence a Christian band?

Can we please skip the Christian thing? I'm so over it. It's the lamest thing. I fought that from the beginning; I never wanted to be associated with it. It was a Ben thing. It's over. It's a new day.

You are prepping for a major tour. What are your expectations?

We just started rehearsals. I was really stressed. It's been two years since I've been onstage.

More than that, Terry had a stroke. It's been about nine months and he's doing great. We had our first day of practice and he's playing guitar on every song. That is such a big step. There was so much pressure, but I didn't want to hire another guitar player. We wrote this record together. I knew he was going to get better. I knew he'd make it just in time. The doctor couldn't believe he was still alive.

Our band has been through so much together by now, we couldn't be more tight onstage. We love each other.

You were still in your teens when "Fallen" broke. You seemed overwhelmed by the fame and glitz. Are you more comfortable in your skin now?

I don't feel that nervous about it anymore. In the beginning, I was so wide-eyed. It's fun now. I used to think I didn't belong, like everyone thinks I'm a dork, everybody hates me.

When we won those Grammys, I remember standing there after winning best new artist, and people were clapping, but they weren't sure why, they didn't know who we were. I remember trying to get out my thank-yous to this sea of faces who were thinking, "Who are you, and why should I care?" I don't feel like that anymore. Especially after writing this album, I feel like I am an artist, and I respect myself a lot more.

BY TAMARA CONNIFF



Source: http://www.billboard.biz/bb/biz/magazine/index.jsp
Thanks to Phat239