Ji-In und Kusch did an interview with Evanescence's Fan Club.
Here's the original:
1- since the last album & tour from krypteria has been a lot of time, all this hiatus, fans were asking about the band's future, and now born again as "And Then She Came" we have this exciting & promising new material, how do you think fans will react to this renewed sound, perhaps the new sound will be different from Krypteria?
Ji-In: I really hope our fans will be pleasantly surprised that we are back even though it's with a different kind of music. And I really really hope that they're gonna like our new sounds and songs.
Kusch: When we started working on a movie soundtrack our bass player Frank was asked to do we didn't think about Krypteria at all. And that, I think, was vital: There were no creative barriers or any demands by anyone but ourselves. We just started writing songs, and with all these ideas coming out we slowly recognized that we should get together again as a band. This definitely was not our initial plan but producing these songs felt so good and we had a ton of fun, so we just went at it.
Ji-In: The time with Krypteria was very exciting, too, and there’s a lot of wonderful memories. But now we've got something that is even more thrilling. ATSC is much rougher and it's more about the synergy of organic rock instruments and electronical elements. We’re super excited about taking this thing on the road.
2-what we can expect from Ji-In and the band with ATSC?
Kusch: How much time do I get? This is a very diverse record and I’d say it’s impossible to do its full scope justice by breaking it down into a few sentences. Soundwise, however, we ended up with a melange of very organic human performances and electronic elements as Ji-In already alluded to. It’s hard-driving drums, heavy guitars and intense singing galore. It’s Rock, it’s Metal, there’s a whole lot of alternative vibes but also some pretty catchy hooks involved, too. We unofficially christened this sound Adrenalectrica. Lyrically we steered clear of your traditional boy-meets-girl topics, but rather went for a more political approach. Let’s say there’s not a whole lot of stand-by-your-man stuff on this album. Plus each song has some sort of meta level to it, too.
Ji-In: As far as touring is concerned there will be shows all over Europe, in Asia and in South America as well. We are stoked about the fact that promoters seem to want us, especially because about two months ago nobody knew this band even existed. We’re craving the opportunity to play for as many people as possible that want to see and meet us.
3- How was the composing & writing process, any special idea or inspiration for it?
Ji-In: All four of us are creative minds so we put all our individual ideas on the table. We are all coming from different musical backgrounds, yet we totally complement and inspire each other which I think is a huge asset of this band. We started the recordings last year and so far we are more than happy with what we’ve come up with. Now, as far as the lyrics are concerned our drummer Kuschi is the mastermind in that regard.
Kusch: We are quite an emotional and intense group of people with a tendency to incorporate our personal experiences in our music. There’s a lot of rage and yearning involved, it’s about loss. But there’s also a lot of resolve, defiance and hope to it. See, we have been pushed to the edge a number of times over the last couple of years. It hasn’t all been peaches and cream, but we fight for what we love, for each other, for our dream. This is what we do and we won’t let ourselves be destroyed by anybody but ourselves (laughs). Apparently, we had a lot to get off our chest. That said we always make sure that our songs are not of the “woe is me” variety. It is important to us that our lyrics relate to people of all walks of life so they hopefully can identify not only with the music but with the words as well.
4- Why choosing "And Then She Came" as the band's name?
Ji-In: Actually, we chose And Then She Came because we wanted people to think, to find their own interpretation as far as the meaning of the name is concerned. Like in life there’s always more than just one side to a story, more than just one truth behind a headline. Even with all the information out there you still have to come to your own conclusion.
5- For what i know, you guys are fans from Evanescence, how much their music influenced this project?
Ji-In: I just love good melodies packed up in powerful arrangements sung by good voices. And to me Evanescence provide all these elements. I am very happy that they achieved to make this kind of music, sung by a female voice no less, so popular in the whole world.
Kusch: When „Fallen“ first came out it was obvious that with this record alone Evanescence would totally change the landscape within this genre. Amy has this incredibly unique voice and her singing is so hauntingly beautiful. What really sets them apart, besides excellent songwriting, is the fact they sound way more modern than the majority of their contemporaries. It’s grippingly dramatic and deep without too much classical fluff, no knights and fairies and stuff. It’s very refreshing and still resonates with us. Evanescence is one of the few bands out there all four members of ATSC unanimously can agree on when it comes to naming artists we love best.
6- let's talk about the guest musicians on the album...... Alissa is such a sweet & kickass singer, how was working with her?
Kuschi: Well, I’ve known Alissa for a number of years now, and not only is she an killer performer, but she is an amazing soul as well. See, she’s a pro’s pro. She’s a warrior, she has to be. Nothing’s gonna faze her. But as a friend she is super sweet and she doesn’t mind going that extra mile. That’s what she did for us. When we asked her if she would be interested in adding that signature beast mode intensity of hers to our song „Five Billion Lies“ she didn’t even hesitate. Alissa is very dear to our hearts and we can’t thank her enough for her wonderful support. It means a lot to us.
7- Why choosing evanescence's guitarist Jen Majura as a guest?
Kusch: We have known Jen for way over ten years, and it’s always great meeting her at a festival, a show or a music fair. She’s such a sweetheart and an awesome guitarist, and we’re so proud her being part of the hottest bands in the world right now. I’d say Jen is one of the most easy-going, most open-minded musicians out there, and her guitar solo on our song „Spit It Out“ is nothing short of spectacular. It’s amazing musicianship, creative cleverness and a fistful of good-natured cheekiness all rolled into one. Beautiful! Now, having both these ladies appear on our record is particularly special, as it now features contributions by three boys and three girls. This just adds to the excitement.
8- does ATSC going to include in a future any song in latin?, personally that's one of my favorite things from Krypteria, or at least any song will include a chorus in latin?
Ji-In: No, I'm sorry to disappoint you, the Latin choirs were an essential feature of just Krypteria,
Kusch: See, we’re trying to carve a niche for And Then She Came. And because this band has a whole different personality and philosophy we’d rather not dwell on the past too much but look to establish our own identity. That said, there’s a number of different languages on our debut album, too. Let’s see if anybody can spot and name all of them?
9- How is the band feeling in this new "era", is ATSC keeping that "Goth" look or gonna try different outfits from Krypteria?
Kusch: Since it’s a different band we would be doing ourselves and our fans a disservice if we were to use the same old look again. So rest assured you will see a rougher, much more streamlined approach with And Then She Came. Don’t worry, though, we’re not gonna pull a Kraftwerk look on you guys...or Gwar for that matter (laughs).
10- any special collab you wish to do?
Kusch: This summer we will play a number of shows alongside Arch Enemy. They are fantastic musicians and cool colleagues, too. So it’s not too shabby of a start, is it? We are looking very much forward to this even though it’s not the most obvious of pairings.
Ji-In: My personal dream would be a tour with Evanescence, Linkin Park, 30 Seconds To Mars or Alter Bridge. That would be phenomenal!
Kusch: Basically we’ll play almost anywhere if you just let us. That’s what drives this band. We just love playing music together and performing for people willing to give us a shot.
11- lemme ask a last thing about evanescence, what & why you guys, like from them?
Kusch: Since we already stated the obvious qualities that set Evanescence apart from the rest earlier in this interview I’d like to take this opportunity and give props to their drummer Will. I think everybody will agree on he fact that he is doing a phenomenal job with Evanescence, but take it from a fellow drummer: This guys is the real deal! He is super solid, packs a mean punch, and to me he’s right at the top of the greatest skinsmen in Rock. In my book Will is what I call a prime-time performer and another reason we can’t get enough of Evanescence.
12- anything else you wanna share with the fans who are going to read this?.... I'm very excited for the album & this new project!!!
Kusch: Whoa, thank you, that’s wonderful to hear. Guys, we cannot wait to learn what you think of our debut album, which by the way just came out. So give it a shot and maybe share your thoughts with us on our Facebook page. We love communicating with you, so drop us a line or two, and hopefully sooner rather than later we’ll meet at an ATSC show and get a chance to chat some face to face.
Ji-In: Yes, we can't wait to get out and meet you guys, and feed off your energy on stage!
