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Terra Relicta web magazine is proud to present you an official European premiere of Torn Between Two Worlds' new single and (lyric) video. Following the two exceptional singles, "The Beauty Of Deception" and "All Eyes On Me", a majestic rendition of Adele’s highly acclaimed "Hello" is the new offering from Torn Between Two Worlds. As you should already know, the master of dark metal, Sarah Jezebel Deva, is back after many years with Torn Between Two Worlds. Together with Chris Rehn (Takida, Dreamstate, ex-Angtoria, ex-Abyssos, ex-Evergrey, ex-Insalubrious, ex-Sargoth), with who she collaborated already in Angtoria, the two have extended all the sonic colours on their established palette to dazzling effect. Sarah Jezebel Deva is without any doubt a female vocalist with one of the most amazing portfolios since she was a part of some of the most important albums of symphonic, dark, black, gothic and extreme metal in the last 25 or more years. She worked with Cradle Of Filth, Therion, Mortiis, The Kovenant, Graveworm, Mystic Circle, The Gathering, Mendeed, Creation's Tears, Hecate Enthroned and much more.
Torn Between Two Worlds' cover of Adele's hit "Hello" starts with elegant piano, accompanied by synths creating an ethereal soundscape as a backdrop, provides a powerful introduction. Entering into the verse, Sarah’s vocals give a soft and intimate delivery before intensifying in the chorus. The instrumentation artfully develops throughout the entire track with percussion and guitars kicking in during the second verse, elevating the sound even further. Chris Rehn’s arrangement including delicate orchestra strings and the melodic guitar solo sees Torn Between Two Worlds make "Hello" their own. From serene harmonies through to the dark and distorted, this is an enchanting interpretation. Be swept away with the emotional performance of an incredible track that has been beautifully reimagined. Especially for this occasion, we did a short interview with Sarah Jezebel Deva, and she explained many interesting things about the new single, and yet some other things regarding Torn Between Two Worlds.
Listen to the brand new single and watch the beautiful video in the player below the interview. If you are eager to know even more about Torn Between Two Worlds and Sarah Jezebel Deva then you should read the in-depth interview that was recently published over HERE.
Interview with: Sarah Jezebel Deva
Conducted by: Tomaz
Edited by: Jerneja
Tomaz: Adele's Hello cover is already your third single with Torn Between Two Worlds. How come you decided to cover Adele and this particular song?
Sarah: Chris wanted another song, and we've been struggling with one for quite some time, and it wasn't good enough. So, we decided to give it a break and come back to it another day. Then we were going to move on another track - an unreleased track we made with the Angtoria at the very beginning. But then I had this idea to cover "Hello", something I wanted to do for a very long time. I love the song; I think it is a phenomenal song, and Adele has a phenomenal voice. I wanted to do the "Hello" cover under my name and not under Torn Between Two Worlds. So, I asked Lindsay Schoolcraft to do a piano version for it, just for me to see if I could do the song. I didn't think I could do it because it is a very high song - if singing it operatically, it's not high, but if you are doing it in a powerful voice, it's quite high. I mentioned the "Hello" cover to Chris, and he was excited about it. He said it was one of the songs he had always wished he would have written. He suggested doing the cover under Torn Between Two Worlds, and I agreed since we both really love the original. Chris is one of those people that don't settle with just any cover; it has to be the right one. And I think we succeeded.
Tomaz: You stick quite a lot with the original version... Although the piano is much more fronted, the music is heavier, and of course, your voice is different. So, was sticking to the original version as much as possible your intention all along?
Sarah: At first, there is a legal aspect; when you do a cover, you have to remain as close to the original as you possibly can. You, obviously, have to pay for the licence. We did everything completely legal. There are even more legal issues if you want to remake a song. I think, when you do a cover, you either have to make it completely different or stick to the original as much as possible. But either way, you really can't win. When doing a cover, you are just more exposed to critics. I think, when you do a cover, the most important thing is to stay true to yourself and write in your own writing style. But you have to do a song justice as well. Chris has added a lot to the song, but it is still not that different; people can still connect to it. Again, it's a chance you take - do you make it very different, or do you remain it the same. The risks are the same and people will still have to say something about it. At the end of the day, I sang the song and left the music in Chris' hands, and he did what came naturally to him and what he could hear in his head. And I love it. I think we shouldn't worry about what everyone thinks because then we can stop writing music. You have to write music for yourself and hope that people will understand it and like it.
Tomaz: Since Adele has a lot of interesting songs, and you chose to cover Hello, I wonder whether you are also personally connected to it?
Sarah: No. I fact, I've spent most of my time saying goodbye to people. It is just something about it; it is just an amazing song. I mean, we could have picked another one, but this was just the one that always stood out to me as well as to Chris. We picked it together since we both wish we had written it. It is just a brilliant song; it's powerful...
Tomaz: You have also made a video for the "Hello" cover. Please, tell me something about it...
Sarah: We did a black and white video, and we kept it very mellow and tranquil. There is a lot of footage from the sea, from the ocean. At the end of the day, it is not our song, and also, Adele did a great video for it. And, you can't just copy it; it would be very stupid. It's a mellow song that gets bigger and more powerful. We just felt that going with that idea and a black and white video was very fitting for the cover video. And also, we still have this Covid-19 thing going on, so Chris and I can't fly to each other and do a video. We shot the video on our mobile phones, and it took Chris about five hours to do a video, I think... I think Chris is a very underrated musician - to be able to do everything he does and videos and made the video as good as it is. The visuals of the video fit the music perfectly. Chris is very clever; I do ten percent, he does 90.
Tomaz: So, Chris was the director of the video?
Sarah: Well, it was kind of my idea - the footage of the sea. I don't know; there is something about the sea; it's very tranquil, very calming, and just matches the music. I shot the footage and sent it to Chris, who put everything together, and it takes a lot to put a video together. I think what Chris has done in such a short space of time is just amazing.
Tomaz: I've noticed you skipped the almost two-minutes intro of the original version of the video...
Sarah: It would have been very stupid to copy the video, so we skipped those two minutes.
Tomaz: There is sea on the footage and the single's cover art... In what specific way is the sea connected to the song?
Sarah: There is no connection between the sea and the lyrics. But - the song is calm and powerful and tranquil, and so is the sea. I just thought the sea was the best thing to go for. Some people will like it, some not, but at least we can say we didn't copy it.
Tomaz: When you do a cover of a pop star, and you are at the same time best known in the extreme metal waters, aren't you afraid your fans will be disappointed?
Sarah: I think you have to take chances, and you can't let people dictating you how to live or write music. Maybe twenty years ago, I would have been a little concerned, but many bands do it. We can't be narrow-minded when it comes to music; you can't love just one kind of music. That's for ten-, fifteen-years-old. But you have to take chances. We musicians - we love music, and I think you shouldn't put limitations on it, and you should always be ready to explore new things. There is also a saying: "Don't judge a book by its cover", you could miss a good reading.
Tomaz: So, what is the next for Torn Between Two Worlds?
Sarah: Well, we do have plans. This cover is likely the last single before we hopefully release something solid. The plan is to release an EP, five or six tracks, but we don't know where life will take us. Chris and I haven't seen each other since we did the "God Has A Plan For Us All" video, so we have a lot to catch up on. He has his recording studio, and he plays for a band in Sweeden, Takida. But we are focused, and we do have plans to release something.
Tomaz: But you too have another project with Mortis that also involves Stephan Groth from Apoptygma Berzerk. So, what is going on there?
Sarah: It's a project in progress, but it's difficult since I have a child and a job, and so does Mortis. I'm working my way through the second song very slowly. I can't give you the answer to that. All I know is that is good working with him again. I haven't seen him for a very long time also, since he was on tour with Deathstars. He is a good guy, and I believe in him. I think he should be way more successful than he is.
Tomaz: Yes, it's a shame that musicians like him or you or many others have to work daily jobs to survive, for you deserve much more from your music... I hope your third single will be well received, as the previous two, and I look forward to listening to Torn Between Two Worlds' EP. Do you have any message for the conclusion of this exclusive interview?
Sarah: If you haven't heard us, then listen to us. We are not heavy; we are not extreme. Though, I would really like to be doing extreme metal again. But I also love my working relationship with Chris. Thank you for supporting us. It's really nice to have all this interest, although we are not signed to any label.
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