Interview with Faith & The Muse:



The beginning of a new era.

ragazzi: "Your new album is a compilation. What were the reasons for releasing a compilation after just three regular albums?"
Monica: "This one is for the fans. We had planned the Vera Causa CD since 1998, but didn't have enough material until 1991. We really wanted to present our songs in differnet ways."
William: "It's also closing the door on an era; we're moving on with our sound beyond what we've done so far, and we wanted to end it with some degree of ceremony -- Vera Causa is just that."
ragazzi: "There is no doubt about the Celtic-/Welsh influences in your songs. What is so fascinating about this culture and what other influences would you mention?"
Monica: "That was mainly for the Annwyn album, and it was very much tied into the research I did while we worked on that album. Wales is fascinating to me because it is a culture that was conquered in 200 AD, and has since kept itself alive through symbolism and secrecy, there is great strength behind it. And because my father's family is Welsh, of course! As far as other influences, Romantic and Rennaissance musics, multicultural tribal musics, our Punk/Deathrock pasts..."
ragazzi: "I know you do a lot of touring. I can imagine that it might be hard and stressful over a longer period of time. Why do you go on stage that often?"
Monica: "The love of performing, plain and simple!"
William: "There is no other way to connect with our fans so directly -- it is a relationship like no other, and we require that kind of communication between us."
ragazzi: "What about current plans concerning a tour? When will we see you here in Germany?"
William: "We won't be touring again until we release the next new studio album; the album should appear in Fall, 2002, followed by a tour in Spring, 2003."
ragazzi: "What is to expect from the album?"
William: "It is definitely going to be something different."
ragazzi: "How would you describe the relation between the two of you?"
Monica: "Better and stronger than ever, a relationship built on respect for the other as an artist and individual."
William: "Our music has been a fairly honest mirror of our relationship. We weathered a lot of hard times immediately preceding, but have emerged from it in grand fashion -- we are stronger now than we've ever been."
ragazzi: "Where do you get your inspiration from?"
Monica: "News. music, mythology, history, films, visual art, dreams..."
William: "Ultimately, each other."
ragazzi: "How do the songs come into being? Are you, Monica, or you, William, specialized in certain things when you create a song?"
Monica: "I often write a lyric and create a melody around it, or a rhythm. As I'm not inclined toward instrument, I tend to sing my melodies or pick them out on recorder or piano."
William: "It's always changing -- it's never the same thing twice."
ragazzi: "Would you say that your songs have messages? Which one(s)?"
Monica: "I want very much to bring a deeper sense of life, a reminder of the past, an idea of legacy to those who hear our music. There is a timelessness in some musics, whether it's a lyric or just the melody, that can speak without words..."
ragazzi: "Faith & The Muse does not only stand for music but for theatre as well. What is your intention behind the idea not only to play music but to perform it? What are the elements of the "Faith & The Muse theatre"?"
William: "When you attend a performance, you've come for more than just the music -- if it were strictly an appreciation of music, you would stay at home and listen to the album on a good stereo system. You bring your eyes to a performance, and you expect to SEE something as well. With that in mind, we've always tried to present ourselves in a setting and with an image that evokes the imagery we use in our songs -- we want the audience to really breathe in the experience, to live in the moment with us. We use all the elements we have available to us to try and tailor our environment to suit the aesthetics of our art. Sometimes it can be a lot of work, but we can't imagine doing it any other way."
ragazzi: "The booklet of your new CD says that since 1999 there is a "more introspective look at your lives and dreams". Where is it resulted from and what does it mean?"
Monica: "We lost many friends in 1998, and also some family, which by the beginning of 1999 brought about a great change in ourselves, a sadness and a need to express that sense of loss. We took some time out to remember to hold life and loved ones dear."
William: "It's easy to lose your way; sometimes you need to stop and find your way back. Sometimes the most important things in life can be forgotten, and the world can become a pretty dark place to live in. We just had to stop and turn on a few lights."

Stefan

    




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