MusicSimone Simons talks to RS about Epica in Brazil, ‘Aspiral’, solo album and fans at the airport

Simone Simons He is an interviewee of rare eloquence in the world of heavy music. Everything Rolling Stone Brazil asked the vocalist of Epica It was properly answered, from the direct questions to those most interpretative.

Attentive and attentive, the Dutch singer is the starting point of contact of many with the group’s work, today one of the biggest names in the so -called symphonic metal, heavy sound branch that, as the name implies, mixes elements of classical music, especially through the use of orchestrations. The tuned voice and flashy appearance – something that in interviews over the years, recognizes her to offer – of the artist draw attention, but both she and the band are much more than that.

AspiralNinth Epica’s studio album seems to try to prove it in some ways. Nor is it an experimental record like the EP full of guests The Alchemy Project (2022), but brings Simone, Mark Jansen (co-advisor and guitarist), Isaac Delahaye (guitar), ROB VAN DER LOO (low), Coen janssen (keyboards) and Ariën van Weesenbeek (battery) in a slightly more affordable aesthetics. Long and loaded orchestration tracks follow, but Janssen’s synthesizers have gained strength, as well as a certain instrumental crown, the result of an instrumental recording partially “live” style.

At the same time, the sextet has no more to prove. Even before releasing the new album in April, they had already announced a Brazilian tour of six dates – it is not only longer than that held in 2018, when eight cities traveled. And the public showed interest in going to the coming shows in Porto Alegre (06/09), Curitiba (07/09), Belo Horizonte (09/09), Brasilia (11/09), Rio de Janeiro (13/09) and Sao Paulo (14/09), without hearing the unprecedented material in full. Whether or not to change, Epica still attracts a faithful audience in the national territory.

In this chat with Rolling Stone Brazil, Simone Simons discusses the presentations in Brazil-to be made with the Fleshgod Apocalypse at the opening – reflects on Aspiral and The Alchemy Project and still comments on Vermillion (2024), your first and so far only solo album.

Interview with Simone Simons – Epica

Rolling Stone: The Epica will take a big tour of Brazil, with six shows. It will be the band’s 12th visit to our country. What are the expectations for these shows?
Simone Simons: “Yeah, it’s already the 12th time. I’m glad you say that, because I lost the bill. [Risos]”

RS: I also have to tell year after year, because there are many visits.
SS: “Yes, it’s crazy. I remember the first time: there were hundreds of fans waiting for us at the airport to welcome us. This left a big first impression. The audience is so passionate and so grateful, the shows are always amazing. So I hope the same when we come back. The setlist will have a combination of all the old favorite songs from Epica fans. New. ”

RS: Last time, Epica came to perform at our edition of the Summer Breeze festival [hoje Bangers Open Air]. I believe it was your biggest show in Brazil to this day, with you and the Co-Headliners Within Temptation. What memories do you have of this show?
SS: “It was great. The biggest festival we ever played in Brazil. At the time, we opened an exception to Brazil because we were composing aspiral and said we didn’t want to do any shows. But we received the offer of going to Brazil for a show Breeze. We couldn’t refuse. We traveled a day before the show, so I woke up at three in the morning and I thought: I’ll survive the show? ‘But the Brazilian coffee was strong and gave me the energy I needed.

RS: São Paulo is the second city in the world that hears most epica on Spotify [nota da edição: à época da entrevista, era a segunda; hoje, a primeira]. Bogota, Colombia, and Santiago, Chile, are in the top 5. Do you have any idea or theory of why the band has become so popular here in Brazil and South and Latin America?
SS: “I think the symphonic metal genre really touches the Latin Americans because it’s very exciting, and you are very passionate. And we’ve been to Brazil, as you said, 12 times. So it’s many years. The public is very grateful for that. They probably enjoy our show, which I consider very excited and fun. Brazilians connect with it, and we connect with Brazilians.”

RS: You released a new album this year, Aspiralafter a different EP and full of participation, The Alchemy Project (2022). What is the importance of this EP for the process of this album? Was there any lesson learned?
SS: “For sure. The Alchemy Project came from the pandemic. We finished Omega [álbum de 2021] And we couldn’t make tours. In order not to go crazy, Isaac came up with the idea of ​​making a project with friends of the scene. We made seven songs with other artists, very experimental, without the weight of a conventional album. We had an amazing saxophonist [Jørgen Munkeby, do Shining]besides the Fleshgod Apocalypse. I composed a song along with Charlotte [Wessels, cantora ex-Delain]. We learned a lot and the fans liked it. ‘The Final Lullaby’ has become one of the favorite songs. So we continue like this. In addition, the EP was recorded differently, more raw, which we kept in Aspiral: Rob, Ariën and Isaac played bass, drums and guitar together at the same time. Usually, you record separate drums, then guitar, then low, but they played together from beginning to end, both on the EP and the album. ”

RS: Many people have said that Aspiral It is the most affordable album in Epica. Do you agree with that?
SS: “Yes, I think even by the way we built the tracklist, starting with a more affordable song like ‘Cross the Divide’, before the longest and most complex. We consider it when doing. Nowadays, with streaming, people’s attention is slightly smaller. The Alchemy ProjectWe found that we could modernize it a little and evolve. ”

RS: Do you have any particular music that is among your favorites?
SS: “I love them all, but ‘The Grand Saga of Exisance’ is one of my favorites, as is ‘Obsidian Heart’ and ‘Aspiral’, the title track, which we played before. ‘Arcana’ too. I can barely wait to touch them live.”

RS: The album’s cover was inspired by the homonymous statue of Polish artist Stanislav Zhukovsky. And it’s Epica’s first album cover not to have the band’s name. Is there any reason for this?
SS: “It was the idea of ​​the graphic designer, Hedi Xandt. He also made the art of my solo album Vermillion (2024) and worked with bands like Ghost and Parkway Drive. In Vermillion, he said we should let the art speak for itself and not put the name in it, because it distracts. Thinking about how things are today online, Instagram or Spotify, you only see this little circle. We wanted to modernize, but some band members were a little hesitant. I am open to challenges. As he created such a beautiful art, nor do I miss the logo of Epica or the title of the album. ”

RS: Zhukovsky’s statue represented in art symbolizes renewal. You mentioned words similar to “renewal” in some answers here and other interviews. How do you believe Epica is reinventing yourself on this album?
SS: “Good question. I think when finding a new balance between the songs we bought. We have five different composers and the best songs will enter the album. We wanted to change the sound with more synthesizers, put the orchestra a little back, to make the guitar crueza more to the foreground, balancing the symphonic and metal sides. Of Exisco ‘have that old vibe from Epica, but most other songs bring something different.

RS: Your solo album, Vermillioncame out in 2024. How is he sounding now to you?
SS: “I’m still enjoying it, because the pressure has decreased after release. When you’re in the creation phase, there is always so much work behind the scenes. Many times you can’t really enjoy the moment. Even more because I went back to work with Epica immediately. But, yes, I’m very happy with the end result. Arjen [Lucassen, compositor das melodias do álbum enquanto Simone criou as letras] For a long time and we had to wait for the right time for us to both have enough time to devote ourselves to the project. I was very happy and proud with the album. The songs are amazing. ”

RS: Would you like to do a solo tour to promote this album?
SS: “It would be great if I could, but Epica is in full swing. We’re planning more tours and today I have a child, I can’t do so much tours as soon as possible. So, I have to choose. This time, it’s Epica. In the future, I may have some solo shows instead of tour, but there are no plans yet.”

Service – Epica in Brazil

• 06/09: Porto Alegre (opinion)
• 07/09: Curitiba (Wire Opera)
• 09/09: Belo Horizonte (Great Theater Befly Minascentro)
• 11/09: Brasilia (Toinha)
• 09/13: Rio de Janeiro (Sacadura 154)
• 09/14: São Paulo (Terra SP)
• Tickets on the Fastix website

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