Musical Education
How was your career otherwise? I’ve just read that most of you actually had some kind of early musical education.
N.: “I said in a previous interview that this was probably the first trauma I experienced. I actually went to early music education at the music school for a while and I didn’t want it at all, I thought it was horrible and I just cried until my mum took me back because I didn’t want it at all and it was always clear to me, it probably sounds crazy now, but somehow I always knew that I wanted to sing and it was always totally incomprehensible to me, even what am I supposed to do here, learn an instrument? I already have one, my vocals. I started singing before I could even speak, so that school wasn’t a positive experience for me, but I still started creating, I think, like Gilbert.”
G.: “Exactly, I try to keep it short, I also started my early musical education because my father plays guitar himself, he comes from the jazz-rock phase of the 60s, 70s and the early prog phase with Yes and Jethro Tull and all those bands, I soaked it all up as a child, I still listen to it today, later he also sang in the choir, I stole his guitars and so on. But when I was a kid, I thought pirates were cool, that was a thing for me when I was about eight or nine years old and that’s why I wanted to learn to play the accordion, actually I wanted that little one they always play. I always forget the name of it, something French, whatever, but you couldn’t learn that in a music studio, you’d rather learn those big classical accordions.”
Accordion or Guitar?
I know, you mean those little concertinas?
G.: “Yes, exactly. But that was when I hit puberty and it was always very difficult to play the accordion. It wasn’t very attractive for girls. Then I picked up my dad’s guitar again and started playing the piano at the same time, and then I really learnt it at music school and so on, and from then on everything was set, I couldn’t get away from it. Then the first bands, first keyboard, then band, then band guitar, and today I ended up with Elvellon. I think Nele is the only one of us who really had a proper education. I’ve never had a single guitar lesson in my life, and I don’t think Pascal has ever had a single keyboard lesson, and I don’t think Martin has ever had a drum lesson either. We all taught ourselves. For some of us in the group, Elvellon, or what it grew out of, it must have been around 2008, 2009, was the first experience of an instrument. That’s why we’ve been around for so long. It’s also because a lot of people in the band just started making music at that time. Of course, you can’t compare that with what we did a few years later. But officially we’ve been around since 2010, which is more than 10 years ago, but like I said, that really brings back even the bloodiest beginners.”
N.: “But I also have to say that I come from a very musical family, everybody sings, and everybody plays 25 instruments, except my sister and me. We both just sing.”
Vocals are an instrument!
I must laugh: The black sheep of the family, only one instrument…
N.: “Funnily enough, everyone used to tell my mum that all your children should learn an instrument. My brother also started playing piano and guitar. I was just never interested. My sister played the violin for 12 years. And I actually, Elvellon was my first real band experience. I’ve always done smaller projects before, but they were limited in time. At school, somehow everyone always knew that I could sing quite well. Until I joined an amateur music group in 2009, I think. Then my mum came along and sat in the audience. Then she said, now we’re going to put a lid on it, we’ll start with singing lessons.”
Was that really a course?
N.: “No. Basically I went to a music school. I was very lucky to find my singing teacher, who was actually Hansi Kirsch’s [vocalist of Blind Guardian] coach. She taught me everything, really from scratch. Everything I can do and am today as a singer, I learned from the very beginning. For that I am incredibly grateful.”
What vocal techniques have you learnt? You only sing clean with Elvellon. Can you also growl?
N.: “I would love to. It’s actually an ambition I have. Unfortunately, I haven’t really been able to pursue it in the last few years. I really want to learn it. Just for fun. Not that there’s any room for it in Elvellon, but I really want to learn it.”
For some songs I thought it would be different to growl the chorus or growl a verse because some songs are a bit dark.
N.: “Yeah, you might be laughing now because there are some growls in there. They’re not mine, but there are actually a few growls hidden in the background of the recordings.”
Long Term Thinking
Where do you see yourselves in five years? So far two albums in ten years. Do you think it will take you that long again or will it go faster now?
G.: “I can’t promise anything, but I dream that we can do it in four. That we have at least a little time for it. That means in our process, in the way we work, that we all sit in the same room and that we all work it out very democratically. It just takes time. We talk so much about the songs. If someone isn’t happy, it feels like we start all over again. That happens regularly. So, it’s a very lengthy process. We will continue to try to optimise ourselves and turn all the screws we can. But somewhere along the line, if an album takes so long to make, then that’s what it takes. But we try to do everything faster. We do our best.”
As long as you don’t spend 13 years looking for the perfect note like Tool did.
G.: “The album wasn’t worth 13 years; I must be honest. The expectations are there. The bar has been raised immeasurably. It was no longer manageable for Tool.”
Unfortunately, despite all the talent. When the ambitions are over the top, the expectations are too high.
Booking agencies wanted!
How does it look for you to go on tour?
N.: “Of course, you expect a new album to be followed by a tour. We would love to do that. Playing live is a very important part for all of us. We absolutely love it. Unfortunately, we don’t have a booking agency now. We are looking for a good offer and a good opportunity. So, we only have what we can book ourselves. Our release show is next week on the 24th of May, which we’re playing in our hometown. Then we have another gig with Van Canto. I am really looking forward to it. We’re also playing in a place where we haven’t been that often. That will be in Aschaffenburg as well. I’m really looking forward to that as well.”
When will it be in Aschaffenburg?
N.: “It’s on the 29th of July.”
I’ll have to make a note of that.
We couldn’t hear Gilbert though he has speaking. He switched off the mic “Because I didn’t want you to hear my gargling during drinking”.