The Midnight Interview
Margarita Monet, the vocalist of Edge Of Paradise and I had spent several hours together already. We’ve been talking about this and that, flight, gear, problems, tour, etc. since I met the band two hours prior doors opened. We almost forgot that we had scheduled an interview. Thus, most of the questions had already been answered by Margarita but not been recorded. We finally sit down backstage around midnight when the venue is emptying, and everybody can become a bit more relaxed.
After a long day
So, I hope you had a good flight.
“The flight was good. It’s the landing which caused problems. When we landed, we figured out that our luggage was in another place, and we had to wait six hours for it. We were trying to pick up the car in Frankfurt, but half of the band went to Hamburg. But we made it work. So, anything is possible. It’s like everything was going wrong, but somehow, we made it to the show.”
So, anything is possible. One week before the show, I didn’t know you at all. And our common friend Terrell told me I should go and cover a friend’s band called Edge Of Paradise. For how long do you know Terrell and how did it come that you know him?
“For a while. I don’t know which show he saw us first, but every time we go, he has seen us. On the Lacuna Coil tour, on the DragonForce tour, etc. He just became a really good friend. Every time we see him, he puts a smile on my face. He’s always so positive. I just really like him. And of course, he’s a great photographer.”
Yeah, much better than I, I like him a lot too, he is inspiring. You’re not the first time in Europe. When did you play in Europe last time?
“Well, we did mostly a UK tour in 2021. Our last European tour was 2019, right before the pandemic. We got back and everything shut down. But we went back, it was mostly UK and then we had a Belgium show. So yeah, we haven’t been back in quite a while, so we’re happy to be back. And I love Europe.”
Coffee and chocolate
Sadly, you’re not playing Italy this time. You told me before, you also like coffee. And I mean, Italy is the coffee paradise.
“I know. Well, we’re not in Italy, but we are doing a festival in Belgium. And I like Belgian waffles too.”
Oh, waffles is okay. I could have brought you some Belgian waffles instead of the dark chocolate!
“No, no! I love chocolate!”
Is it also the first time you play in Germany?
“No, we played Germany in 2019. We actually played Hamburg, we played Berlin. We did a lot of German shows, but that was quite a while ago. We had a different line-up, different music.”
The show tonight
Tonight was the first show of the tour for you. The other band, Symphony X, started in Istanbul some days ago. How was the show for you?
“It was good. I mean, it was crazy rushed, just because it’s the first day. And, you know, we had the whole trouble with the cars and with the luggage and everything. But we made it work. So, it was a bit rushed, but once you get on stage and you get to play, there’s a vibe of everything.”
Sadly, you only had little more than half an hour play time.
“Yeah, well, you know, these tours, we’re kind of used to it. Well, we’ve got away with 35 minutes, actually. But we have one show on the tour where we’re playing longer, the festival. We’re headlining Saturday and we’ll have a one-hour set.”
That’s good to hear because I thought, please give them 15 minutes more. And the headliner even extended their set. I hope they let you play 10 minutes longer next time.
Margarita and the band were really busy the whole day and I noticed; they didn’t even find enough time for a proper diner at the backstage buffet.
Btw, have you finally eaten something?
“Yes, I think it was chicken and sausages or something like that.”
Food ‘n’ drinks
Apart from that, what’s your favourite food? Do you have any vegan or vegetarian in the band?
“Yes, he’s a vegetarian. He’s a very high maintenance vegetarian. I’m the most easy one. I like fish. My favourite is whole fish baked. Or when you grill it on fire.”
So, do you go fishing yourself?
“No, I don’t. The idea is romantic. Go fishing, and like in the advertising, put out the fish, and then you clean it, and then put it on the fire, and then you eat it, and you start pulling out of the fish bone between your teeth…”
Do you have a favourite beverage apart from coffee?
“I like black tea. But I like any tea.”
Did you have a special ritual or ceremony before the show started today because it was the first show?
“No, I was so in a rush, there was no time for anything. I guess my ritual is to make sure I don’t forget anything.”
No crew but a story
Do you often forget things?
“No, it’s just there’s so much, and we don’t have a crew on this tour.”
So, you only have your sound engineer.
“Yes. But nobody else, we don’t have anyone for merch or any helper.”
Next German tour, you can call me, and I come with you as your merch guy. Do you have any funny stories from previous tours?
“I think there is one. There was this one tour where we were told we were going to start flying and end up in Amsterdam for 24 hours. Oh! And then we were like, whoops, I guess we have to hang out in Amsterdam. We were so disappointed for about 30 minutes, and then, yeah, all right. Okay. Could be worse places to be stuck.”
Venues
Do you have a favourite venue?
“Oh, that’s hard. I don’t know, there’s so many cool venues.”
I mean, a lot of bands dream about Madison Square Garden…
“Yeah, one day, hopefully. We have a lot that we really like. We’ve been lucky to play a lot of beautiful theatres. Like back in the U.S., there’s the really cool House of Blues. I’m excited to go to Finland. We’ve never been there.”
Some really nice venues there. We also have quite nice theatres in Germany as well.
There was a German dark metal band, which toured only cathedrals and churches.
“Yeah, I would love to do that. And the sound in those churches is amazing. You guys in Europe are lucky with that. We don’t have any of that in America.”
Industrial Cyber Metal
When you had to get ready and I was taking care for your merch, somebody was asking me about you, and I told him, style-wise, it’s hard to describe, because it is different to most bands, it is like industrial cyber metal.
“Oh, I like that description!”
And how do you yourself describe your style? It’s quite unique. It’s not only melodic metal. It’s not only symphonic metal. It’s not only industrial, and it’s not only cyber metal.
“Well, I like what you said. I’ll start saying that. I used to say, well, a kind of cinematic rock. Yeah. But I like what you said. I think I’m going to go with that.”
When I saw your video of “Rogue”, I thought, this really is a production for the big stage, and not a small venue. A big stage of a big festival, and it’s more… Even this one song was just already like a musical. To me, it was like a musical, with all the flames and the fire and the decoration and the costumes. Do you create the costumes yourself?
“Yeah, I do a lot of the design work out visions of ideas and all of that, ah, and directing. But, I mean, well, in the U.S., it’s a lot easier, because we’re there, so we’re able to have more of a stage show. Here, we couldn’t really bring anything. So here is more about just the music and the energy. We have a little bit of stuff, but not what we usually have.”
The progress over the years
Yeah, but your costume was already quite nice with the lights. It’s a horror for a photographer, because it’s always blinding, but it’s so lovely to watch. It was really cool. When I listened to your three albums since Sunday in a row, again and again, and really in a row, I noticed there came in much more happiness over the three years, and you started to become more progressive. Do you agree, or do you see it differently?
“Yeah, maybe. Yeah, I mean, I guess the music, when I make the songs, there’s a lot of emotion in it, I guess, and then that level of dramatic emotion maybe requires more and more of the heavier, aggressive stuff. But I do agree with you!”
Does the heaviness have something to do with the exchanges of members over the years, that the actual members are preferring the heavier stuff, or is it just a natural flow?
“I would say it’s just natural progress, because the song writing process has been the same, but maybe the energy of the band is a little different now. But I think it’s kind of natural, just progress. But Jamie does like smash drums louder.”
New label
That’s cool. You changed your label this spring.
“Yeah. We’re very happy to be on Napalm now.”
Do they put any pressure on you for the next album?
“Well, we just recorded it before we signed with them. It should be released in the beginning of next year. But we were very, you know… We had to make sure we finished the album before we came to them. Well, you know, we have a deal with Napalm, but, I mean,
there’s a whole process. You deliver it, and then they give you some of the advance back.”
I never heard about a band, signed by Napalm, which was unhappy with Napalm. Do you have any special expectations from this tour? I mean, that’s about nearly 20 gigs.
“You know, we just like to be back in Europe, and it’s the first time we’re playing this music here, so we just want to enjoy and share the music. So, we’ll see.”
As long as you don’t get lost between Hamburg and Frankfurt again…
Art and paintings
Let’s talk about your own art. When I looked at the website of the band, I saw your own art, did you study arts?
“Yeah. No, I didn’t. My mom does a lot of art, and I like art, so I’ve always done it.”
So, you’re a self-educated artist also, in case of painting?
“Yeah, I guess so. I mean, I went to an art school, but I did theatre, and I did production design. So, I was always in that artist space or bubble, but no one taught me how to paint.”
Yeah, but that’s even better, because then you’re a natural talent. Did you have any inspirations?
“I appreciate it. Mostly the music, yeah. So far, the graphic novel is inspired by the latest album. I do a lot of art just based on what I see in my head, but, for example, when we have a new album, I do an art piece for each song, and then it inspires me to kind of write the story, and then the story inspires the music. So, lately, it’s all been kind of working together.”
So, what exists first, the artwork or the song?
“Well, first the song, then the artwork. If I go along the lines in that process of creating the story that’s going to go along with everything, the song comes first.”
Song writing
Okay. Who else is involved in the song writing?
“Well, you know, everyone is involved. I kind of have the idea, and then we go into the studio. Actually, it’s been Doug and me at the beginning, and then, well, Dave, of course. And then once the song is there, I do the vocals, the keyboards, and then we go and we put the drum track, and then we record the guitars and bass. I mean, the ideas come from me, and then we all collaboratively make it.”
So, more or less, every song is a child of the whole band and not one single person?
“Each song is the child of the whole band. Well, I hope so, and not of a single person. The others just have to… Well, I tell them they have to like it..”
Inspirations
Music-wise, do you have any idols or inspirations?
“Yeah, I mean, I love… Well, I grew up in classical music. I played piano my whole life, so I love a lot of composers. I always loved Beethoven, and I love dramatic music. I like Bach, too, of course. I really like movie soundtracks like Hans Zimmer. And then I was really into Ronnie James Dio. Actually, Symphony X was one of the first metal bands that I heard of.
And I like Black Sabbath. I love Ronnie James Dio, Scorpions. I like Rammstein. I love their stage show.”
That explains the industrial influence, of course. But you have no female vocalist you would say was an inspiration?
“You know, I always idolized male vocalists. I remember my dad had VHS tapes, and I saw Robert Plant, and I was like, ‘Oh my God’. And it seemed like it’s on another world I could never even imagine. That’s why it’s so interesting to me. I ended up kind of in this world because I was in classical music, so I just didn’t, like I would never even think about doing anything like that.”
I myself prefer female vocals. I like the high-pitching notes. Even growls from women I prefer. Do you also growl sometimes? Do you try to?
“I’ve never tried. I don’t know. I don’t know if I can do it.”
The vocalist of Ilumishade told me that she’s now learning, and it’s easier than she thought. You should give it a try. Otherwise, I think I’m done with my questions. And you’re really looking super tired now.
“I’m taking a nap soon. But I really appreciate you coming and helping out. I will go down and look if there’s something to do.”
Goodbye
So, we go downstairs to the merch table, I still need to buy a tour-shirt and a few things more… It is important to support “your” artists and buy merch on site, it makes most of their income during a tour. As warm as the welcome was, meanwhile about seven hours ago, is the goodbye. Margarita indeed is an outstanding personality and now I exactly know, why my buddy Terrell recommended Margarita and Edge Of Paradise to me.
Check the remaining Scandinavian and German tour dates:
Sep. 22, 2024, Göteborg, Sweden, Pustervik
Sep. 24, 2024, Helsinki, Finland, House Of Culture
Sep. 25, 2024, Tampere, Finland, Tampereen tavara-asema
Sep. 27, 2024, Stockholm, Sweden, Fryshuset Klubben
Sep. 29, 2024, Hamburg, Germany, Knust
Online:
Please buy merch and physical music or downloads from the bands official sources and don’t stream it for free because it steals your artists’ income.
Live photos by Friend.X aka Mr. Deep, Colos-Saal Aschaffenburg
Margarita’s art © Margarita Monet