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Eleven years ago, Candlemass' legend Leif Edling enriched the doom metal world with a new band, Avatarium. The band almost immediately signed with the top brand metal label Nuclear Blast Records and - within the next eight years - released two EPs, four critically acclaimed full-length records, and a live DVD, An Evening With Avatarium - Live in Stockholm. Edling eventually left Avatarium's ranks due to health issues, but his spirit and helping hand remain. Although Leif left the band, Avatarium continued, and in 2022, it closed out a prolific decade with an epic new album and AFM Records' debut, Death, Where Is Your Sting. Avatarium's line-up of today is Jennie-Ann Smith (vocals), Marcus Jidell (guitars), Andreas Habo Johansson (drums/percussion), Mats Rydström (bass) and Daniel Karlsson (keyboards). Avatarium is - somewhat unique within doom metal in having a female singer, Jennie-Ann Smith - unintentionally breaking genre boundaries. She has learned a lot from working with Leif Edling, whom she affectionately refers to as "The Master Of Doom". I talked with Jennie-Ann about the new album, the idea behind it, and other stuff. All is shared right below.
Interview with: Jennie-Ann Smith
Conducted by: Tomaz
Edited by: Jerneja
Tomaz: Hello, Jennie. Congratulations on a new Avatarium album! To start this interview, please tell me how are you satisfied with Death, Where Is Your Sting?
Jennie-Ann: I'm very satisfied, of course. It feels almost unbelievable because we did the final touch on the production around eight months ago, and it has finally been released. Many things have happened since. When I listen to it now from a different perspective, I think it's the type of album you need to listen to many times. I feel very proud that I have written these songs, and we did quite a good performance on them, as well, so that's great.
Tomaz: It certainly is an amazing album, one of the best releases of 2022. It's different in many ways from your past albums, yet it's keeping that typical Avatarium touch. Is this maybe a consequence because Leif was not a part of the band on this album?
Jennie-Ann: Well, there's Leif included because we asked him if he wants to co-write the songs with us. We wrote the embryo for the song "Stockholm", some basic verses and a chorus and sent it to him. He said yes, and we finished it together. The song came out very well, and it's one of my favourite songs on the album. Leif is present, in both spirit and real person, of course. Marcus, our guitarist, has produced all of the latest Candlemass albums. Well, he also produced all of the Avatarium albums. They are always in contact. I'm very happy, that in this stage of life, I have grown as a songwriter, and it's quite a challenge to take on if you work on all of this great material that Leif has written for us. When I was working with him on the past albums, it was some kind of a learning process. Not only regarding the basics of songwriting, but I've also learned from his integrity. I learned to have the courage to follow my vision and not to care about others' demands or opinions but to focus on what feels good. So, he's present, but I've also learned to be independent.
Tomaz: I see you've learned a lot from Leif's skills. You were involved in songwriting much more than before...
Jennie-Ann: Already on our previous album, The Fire I Long For (2019), Marcus and I wrote five or six songs together. We have found a way to write the music together. We also got much more confidence in ourselves because we got great reviews for The Fire I Long For already. That kind of thing gives you a lot of self-esteem and courage. You see that people actually like what you do, and you have this feeling with you when you start working on a new album. Writing music is something that can immediately take affect your self-esteem.
Tomaz: Death, Where Is Your Sting is, in my opinion, the most modern and the catchiest album Avatarium ever did. There are so many captivating melodies and great atmospheres. I guess that this is some sort of musical maturity...
Jennie-Ann: We are probably growing, otherwise, we would just promote our first record, over and over again. People seem to like that album, but that would be promoting a false self. We've been looking behind our heritage, and we know where we come from musically. Still, we want to be free to explore, and there's no other way than creative freedom. The amount of work and passion included in making an album is huge, and you need to feel good when doing it. It needs to make your heart tick to be able to do it. You need to be true to yourself.
Tomaz: Almost every album of yours has an interesting title... Death, Where Is Your Sting, the name of your latest product, is also very interesting. I know it has a reference to the Bible, but I would like to hear it from you.
Jennie-Ann: It's affected by the ongoing thread that people suffer from the pandemic. You know, a couple of days a week, I also work as a psychotherapist, already for many years, and I have been in a presence of death with people who suffer from a serious illness. I have been occupied with this question for many years now. I meet many people who have faced their diagnosis; they might even be feeling and talking well, but they know about their diagnosis and facing death in a way like never before. I also met people who survived; actually, it happens quite often that people survive or are surviving cancer, for example. They have difficulties trusting life after that. They tell me that they are well now, and have no cancer, but they find it hard to trust that. "Death, Where Is Your Sting" is a song about survival and feelings of death breathing down your neck. It's about being able to say: "I felt your presence but I'm not leaving yet. I'm not going, I still have life to live". I get a lot of inspiration from the conversations I have.
Tomaz: It certainly is a great track. You've made a video for "Death, Where Is Your Sting"... Do you enjoy doing videos?
Jennie-Ann: The video must reflect the song as much as possible. It must highlight the song, which is difficult to do. I mean, many musical collaborations are so-so. It's hard to find people with who you make a strong connection and who have similar ideas. It takes time to build that. My focus is mainly on music, and making videos demands a certain talent. Videos and moving photos are not my natural habitat, but if I focus just on music, then I'm safe. Videos are a form of art that I don't feel I master. Nevertheless, I think I'm getting used to making videos more and more after all these years.
Tomaz: In my opinion, you mastered the acting job pretty well. The expressions and moves you make in the video for "Death, Where Is Your Sting" are extraordinary... Death, Where Is Your Sting is also the first album not released by Nuclear Blast Records but via AFM Records. So, why did you leave Nuclear Blast?
Jennie-Ann: Well, we had a great deal with Nuclear Blast Records, but it's a natural thing to go on, and we were lucky that we had several options in that regard. With the AFM Records, it feels very good so far. We took a natural step to move further to try new collaborations.
Tomaz: So, you are satisfied with your new label?
Jennie-Ann: You need to call me back in one year, and we can evaluate that. It feels great for now, but we will see in the end. I don't know if I'll be as optimistic as I'm today, but for now, it feels very good.
Tomaz: From what I read, you come from a different musical background. So Jennie, how did you end up making doom metal music?
Jennie-Ann: Haha, well, that's interesting. When I met Marcus, I don't know if we were already a couple back then, he told me about this collaboration that he was working with Candlemass. He asked me if I wanted to come down and make some demo vocal recordings for one track. I said that I would like to do it. At the time, I thought it would be just for fun, but when I laid vocals for the "Moonhorse", the things got wings. They were looking for a male singer, but when we heard how the song turned out with my vocals, it simply felt right. We were all very surprised, and things evolved from there.
Tomaz: In my opinion, the vocals were that decisive element, also in the first Avatarium's releases, that gave a certain charm and exclusiveness. Otherwise, it could be just another doom rock/metal band...
Jennie-Ann: Probably yes. Sometimes some collaborations, which you wouldn't expect, could come together and bring magic to music. My jazz music background is in big contrast with this very heavy, slow and bombastic background. We pushed the boundaries a little bit of what doom could be about ten years ago, and I think we will continue this journey. I guess that we are still pushing the boundaries of the genre. You can do that only if you have a smart and passionate audience who likes what we do. The new record is proof; it's very multi-dimensional, and people can listen to it over and over again many times.
Tomaz: In April this year, you will be touring with Swallow The Sun and Shores Of Null. The tour will also stop in Slovenia... What may we expect to get from Avatarium?
Jennie-Ann: You can expect some dark, heavy and eclectic music. I guess there will be a lot of passion, at least on our part, because we have never been to Slovenia before, and I'm looking forward to coming to Ljubljana and playing.
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