Anneke 2008: "Air", water and elements of crime...

Last time we met, it was in 2006, pour the promotion of the ‘Home’ Lp. Since, you left The Gathering. Did you sometimes regret your decision?

-Anneke: I didn’t regret my decision, because the feeling was very strong that I wanted to do something different, something new, especially. If I had my own time, my own agenda, I had a lot of things I wanted to do: make this record, but also work with other people, have my personal life and be with my family a little bit more, all those little things became one big feeling than a change. Of course it was hard to leave, and I miss The Gathering very much, I miss the guys, the touring and all, but I don’t regret my decision because I’m really happy today, this record and this band are doing well, and I’ve never thought about how it would do, I only thought about I wanted to it, realize my own song, work with my husband Rob on drums, be with Finn, my son, during the week, I’m very happy and didn’t expect things going so well. Of course, I had to built everything again, but it’s gay because I oversee it, I feel I can carry it. Sure, when I’m here, I’m full of Gathering memories, because we’ve been here for years, and everywhere I go, it’s The Gathering, and I’m very proud of it.

-And I suppose that the fact to be a mother had an influential part on this decision, in terms of life?

A: Yes, I think so, it’s exactly what it is: when you have a child, things don’t change so much, but get more intense, and everything you decide have to be a good decision. That’s why this decision came maybe a little faster than if I didn’t have a child.

-So Aqua de Annique was born last year, with your husband Rob: I suppose that new band, after the birth of Finn, was another exciting challenge?

-A: Yes, very much: I have many songs now, enough already for a second album. We’re working on that a little bit, in my own time, which is nice, I let things get carried away. It’s less pressure, because it’s small now. I like to be big, but I enjoy to take my time.

-Your website is very funny!

A: yeah, girlie, no? Everything is pink!

-Do you think your next video will be also very cartoonesque?

-A: No, I liked it like this, it was very spontaneous, but the next one should be more with human figures!

-Is it a DVD in project?

-A: Not already, I’ll wait to have more ‘repertoire’. A DVD is more for an established band. I’m an established artist, but that band has to grow.

-Where does this fascination for airplanes and stewardesses comes from? You told me once you weren’t found of travelling yourself…

-A: Well, in fact, I like travelling, but touring for a long time is tiring on your body. But I love to be in airplanes, in airports. I love their uniforms, but I especially love the stewardesses, because they take care of you, they are beautiful, they are like perfect creatures. I think this profession is really underestimated, because they bring your coffee. The classical stewardesses are supposed to be spokeless, and I like it. All human beings have their dark sides, and it’s stupid, but I think about it when I see one, I think she’s so beautiful and caring and pretty, but what is it about her, what is her thing. All the human beings have a dark side, and it’s fascinating. I think aviation is a lot like rock’n’roll, you travel your town to town, you meet a lot of people and your kind of perform as well, you have a role. To me, it’s very rock’n’roll, pretty much like a band, and that’s why I like it too!

-Is it something you would have liked to do, if you weren’t a singer?

-A: No, because I’m not very punctual, I admire their punctuality and the rest, I’m not like that at all, and it’s something I could never be doing

-You wrote about all music and lyrics for this album: is it to say you’re kind of a control freak, more a pleasure to get everything by yourself?

-A: Yes, but I have to say I’m not good for other things, like business parts or calculating parts, I leave that to other people. I can’t do everything myself, because I would go crazy. So I write, I compose, I have a lot of ideas, and people help me then. I’m not very down to earth, ‘au contraire’ (en français dans le texte)!

-Tell me about Kristin Fjellseth, who sing on the record and wrote a song…

A: She’s a friend from Norway, and she sings in a band called Pale Forest. We did some show together with them. We are very good friends. She has also done albums by her own, and I wanted her to be there, so she came to Holland, and made some shows with us.

-Recently, I’ve read you made a concert in Amsterdam for Tibet, and a single too…

-A: That organisation, that made the festival, also initiated the single, in dutch language, with big bands from Holland, mine is a really small one. It was really fun to work with all those people, and the single is number one at the moment. It was a charity concert and a charity record for Tibet, all money goes to those nuns who are living in exile in India because they were singing protest songs: they were tortured and lived in hell. We did this to support them, to raise money. Today, everything is focused on China and Olympic games, and it’s good that Tibet gets some attention.

-What has been the reaction of the Gathering fans to your record?

-A: Very good, actually. Of course, I understand that, because The Gathering is quite a big band, a lot of people will have to take time to get used to another form, as The Gathering with another singer, or me without The Gathering. I know this now, and we are for half a year together in this band, which is my absolute priority. I don’t expect as much fame as for the Gathering, which is very known and respected, but I enjoy that people will like the band, and me as a singer and give me a chance, give me the space to do something new, and I’m really happy about all that when I see the result. But I know it takes time, for people getting used to it, I think it natural.

-What souvenirs do you have from your collaboration with Napalm Death?

-A: It was great: I was asked to sing on song. When I was younger, I listened to their albums, and so I was very honoured when they asked me. They are very serious about what they do, and it’s a very great band.

-And Moonspell, this year?

-A: Well, the very first tour for The Gathering was with Moonspell, around 95, we were quite small bands, we started at the same level. They grew very big, specially in Portugal but in the rest of the world too, and I was very happy when they asked me too. There should be a single out of it, and a video maybe also.

-No DVD in sight?

-A: Not already, I’ll wait to have more ‘repertoire’. A DVD is more for an established band. I’m an established artist, but that band has to grow, before.

-Nothing to add?

-A: I’m very happy to be back in France, and I hope people will show up and like what we do. We’re working on a new record, and everything is fine!

Interview made on April 24th 2008 at la Locomotive, Paris.

Thanks to Guillaume from Season Of Mist, as well as Sander, for their efficient collaboration.