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Before I start to ask questions about the new album, could
you please tell our readers the story behind the track “Forevermore”?
Mark:
Yes, we got approached by a Dutch tv program called "Niks the gek" which means
something like, everything is possible. In that program handicapped people with
an unique wish can let it come true. Ruurd Woltring's wish was to record a song
with Epica. Not just a song but an own song. He did send us some tracks and we
picked Forevermore as it did fit well to Epica's style. We adapted it a bit but
not too much so it's still clearly recognizable as his track. He's a very good
songwriter so it was an easy job for us to make something special out of it.
Being
a single dad and having two kids of my own, I know how difficult it is to raise
them and plan all things with work and so on.
Some members in the band have kids also, how do they combine touring and
looking after them?
Coen:
Fortunately I am not a single dad and I have my parents and in-laws living close
by so if I am on tour and my wife needs to work, the grandparents can spend some
time with their grand-children which they of course love to do! It is very hard
to leave your family behind for a month and my daughter is reaching the age that
she really understands that daddy will be gone for a long time so that makes it
even harder. However, it is my job and I also have to pay the bills so it is a
necessary evil so to speak. Luckily it is the best job in the world which makes
it a little easier to do.
Some ‘big’ bands take
their whole family and kids with them on tour, something you would do if
possible?
Coen: If
it would be possible I would do it of course but that would mean you have to
have a private bus and a lot of money to keep the whole circus going… Let's hope
we reach that level one day, but maybe not too soon because having babies on
tour is not really good for the baby I think.
I wonder if it is
possible for the members of a band like Epica to live from the earnings of the
band, or do you all still need other jobs to get your daily bread?
Mark: We
are in the fortunate position that we can make a living from the band. Of course
we worked very hard for it and I think we deserve it but still you need also to
have some luck in achieving this goal. We realize ourselves every day that we
can be thankful to our fans to be able to live our dreams.
Was it difficult for
the band to get again into writing mode for the new album after touring and the
‘Retrospect’ release.
Mark: Not
at all, we were actually in a flow and because of some new ways of working
everybody was very motivated and full of energy.
How long did it take
you to create your new album ‘The Quantum Enigma’?
Mark: We
have started to write the album about 2.5 years ago, right after the recordings
of Requiem for the Indifferent took place. We collected the songs each of us
wrote 1.5 years later and started to work on each others tracks in small groups
of people. After that we rehearsed the songs as a band followed by experimenting
with different sounds, drum kits, amps etc. When all of this was done we started
recording the actual album.
This time you chose to
work again together in the studio to record the songs instead of working at home
and sending each other some files. Why?
Mark:
Internet has given us many possibilities and advantages but a big disadvantage
is that you start missing something. This 'something' is a sort of vibe you can
only get when you work with the whole band on songs. We really started missing
it and wanted it back. That's why we decided to combine the advantages of the
internet with the advantages of working together in one rehearsal room.
How does Epica get
ideas for a song, does it start with a riff, a keyboard line or an acoustic
guitar part?
Mark: All
is possible, there's no formula. We just let it happen, it can even start with a
melody which a bird is singing outside. Inspiration comes at the weirdest
moments and can find their way in all instruments.
Who is responsible for
the biggest part of the song-writing and did new member Rob van der Loo already
have some influence on that?
Mark: In
the past I wrote the biggest part of all songs but on the last album more than
ever before other people were contributing as well. I am a
very open minded guy, I don't need to write the most just to write the
most. Whoever can contribute is more than welcome to do so. I think that in this
way you get even more variety and even more strong songs. So in the end I
believe this is the best way of working.
How do you decide when
a song is finished and that there is nothing you can change to make it better?
Mark:
When it feels right. Over the years you gain a lot of experience and you know
how to follow your intuition. When a song feels finished, it is finished. When I
was younger I sometimes used to keep on working as I thought it might could get
better but you can also destroy a song like this. While working with more people
on a song you reach sooner or later also the point that everyone agrees that we
got the best possible result.
What is in your opinion
the biggest difference between the new album and the predecessor ‘Requiem for
the Indifferent’?
Mark:
these are two: 1. the way of working, more intense, more as a team and more into
detail. 2. the sound, the sound has changed, guitars, drums and bass sound more
heavy and the mix is in balance.
There are some
beautiful choir parts and they sound even better than on earlier albums, who are
they, a professional choir?
Coen: We
used a different choir than on our previous albums since we were recording
somewhere else. This choir is a professional choir from Amsterdam with whom
Joost had worked before. They did an absolutely amazing job since we had to
record all the parts in only two days. They also had a conductor, which I
normally did, and that made it a lot easier for me. I could concentrate on the
music and it was easier to make the choir sing the way I wanted.
Simone has been a very
good singer from start, but she still improves her singing. How does she keep
her vocals in shape during a long tour?
Mark: By
going to bed early and wearing a scarf, eating healthy and not forcing the voice
in smoky environments.
This time you decided
not to work with Sascha Paeth as a producer, but with Joost van den Broek.
Why?.... and how does this album sound different from the earlier albums because
of that?
Mark: yes
that's the reason why it sounds different. So you can clearly hear what a big
difference a producer/mixer can make. Of course there's also our own taste and
view but we discuss that together with our producer in order to get the sound in
shape. More than before we spend much time on the sound of the various
instruments.
How
important is still the artwork for a new CD or is it because of I-tunes and so
even more important if you want to sell some real hardcopies?
Mark: I
strongly believe that an album cover can almost make or break an album. A good
album with a horrible cover isn't attractive while a bad album with an amazing
cover still attracts the attention but then people will be disappointed. Only
quality music in combination with a great cover is a winning formula. Even now
in the I-tunes times a great cover is
Jacob Hansen is
responsible for the final mixing, is that something you separate on purpose from
the production, because a lot of albums are produced and mixed by the same
person.
Mark: Yes
on purpose as he was able to listen with fresh ears as he stepped in after the
recordings were done.
Is
there a certain subject or theme in the lyrics of the songs, or are they all
just separate stories?
Mark: The
Quantum Enigma means that in quantum physics we can't observe little particles
without influencing them. It's been proven in a very famous experiment called
the dual slit experiment. As we are
all made out of an infinite amount of particles what does all of this mean for
the world as we know it? Is the world still there when we're not watching? Or is
it a holographic projection coming from ourselves in a way? What is real and
what is an illusion? The "solid" matter as we know it isn't that solid after
all. It's all energy which is spinning and turning in a way that it gives us the
illusion of being solid. The Quantum Enigma is pointing out such questions which
are dealing about, thoughts, dreams, illusions of the mind. Every song is linked
in a way to this anchor concept.
Touring a lot, you
probably see some members more often than your loved ones. I can imagine that
there will be irritations with other members at times. How do you solve that, is
there someone in the band that is the perfect mediator?
Mark: I
every band you have to deal with different personalities, you need to find a
good balance between the persons. Of course sometimes you can get annoyed by one
another but we agreed that we always tell each other when something annoys us.
That's the only way to make things work. If you keep it for yourself it can
build up until you explode, that's never good. We are still around after 12
years so that means that we have found a good way to make it work for ourselves.
If someone would have
told you back in 2002 that you would be playing on the same stage as The Rolling
Stones with Epica, what would your reaction have been?
Mark: I
would place a bet and put money on it that it would not happen. Not that I would
not have believed it would be possible (as I always thought there would be a lot
possible with Epica) but I would have never imagined the Rolling Stones still
being around after so many years haha.
Are there touring plans
besides your appearance on Pinkpop in 2014?
Mark: Yes
we'll play many more summer tests and after the summer we'll tour the USA, South
America and Europe.
Anything else you want
to say to the (Danish) readers?
Mark: I
know we have never played yet in Denmark and I truly hope it will happen soon.
If it's up to us awe will but so far (for some reason) most Danish promoters
don't believe in Epica yet. Let's make this happen with all of your support!
Thanks for taking the
time to answer the questions.
Mark:
Thank you too!!!
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