Utter Trash--Carmen Espanaes of Midnattsol

Believe In Magic

An Interview With Midnattsol's Carmen Espanaes

by Taliesin Govannon

l to r: (back row) Chris Merzinsky, Christian Hector, Daniel Fischer, Daniel Droste
(front row) Carmen Espanaes, Birgit Ollbrunner

In a European music scene where it's getting more and more crowded everyday, bands are having to fight to be heard. One band catching attention on both sides of the Atlantic is Midnattsol, whose debut album "Where Twilight Dwells" has a mystical, magickal vibe that is truly entrancing. The added attention given the band because lead singer Carmen Espanaes's older sister is Liv Kristine from the hot new band Leaves' Eyes doesn't hurt either. Recently I got the chance to ask Carmen some questions about music, musicians, and relations, as well as much more.

Taliesin Govannon: A lot is being made of you being the sister of Liv Kristine from Leaves' Eyes. Do the inevitable comparisons bother you, and how would you describe the ways that your styles are different?

Carmen Espanaes: To be honest, I don't really care about it, I don't see it in a negative way, because in a way, it`s beneficial. We get the promotion automatically, and who doesn't want promotion? Of course, I don't want to be seen as "Liv's sister" and the band (doesn't want to) be seen as the band of Liv's sister, but as Carmen and Midnattsol. But the people that are close to me, they know who I am and what I and my band stands for, and that's the important thing. Midnattsol is also much more folky than Leaves Eyes, and we often have acoustic parts and songs. Our voices are also different I think...I have a deeper voice compared to her sweet high voice.

TG: Do you two come from a musical family, or did lightening simply strike twice here?

CE: No, our parents aren't professional musicians, so I really don't know why. Our mother always sang at home, though. Personally, I think it was my interest for making music and singing, I also like to express my feelings, to cope with the things that I go through through music. Then I have to say that our father was surely the greatest Ozzy-fan in our town at that time, so we grew up with hard rock music. When I hear the beginning of "Mama, I'm coming home...", I think about my childhood. Nearly every Saturday evening that song was played. So it isn't like a shock that both Liv and I play metal music!

TG: Midnattsol is part of a renaissance of European Progressive Hard Rock, especially Progressive Hard Rock with female vocals. Do you worry that things are going to hit a saturation point soon and venture into overkill, or do you think that sheer musical quality will win out no matter how crowded the field gets?

CE: I'm for sure not a pessimist, why worry about that now? I want to have fun now, and if I worry and everything goes wrong, then I had a bad time before that, so to worry is really waste of time. And when I hear and see the responce of "Where Twilight Dwells", I just can't think negative things. I have to admit that I can't believe what's happened to the band in the last three years, its just unbelievable, e.g. the thousands of downloads of Desolate (on a Swedish music website...ed.). So I just make the best out of it and see what comes.

CE: The folk is a very important element I don't mean that we play Viking metal or very folky music, but the elements are there, especially in the folky melodies of mine and the guitars. It's important for the special Nordic atmosphere and emotions that we want to give to the listeners. I don't want to say that Nordic mythology is the basis of Midanttsol or something. But that and the Nordic nature are always in the music, indirect or direct, regarding the fact that the nature, the creatures of nature and the Nordic tales inspire me so much to make music, it gives me such emotions, and it's these emotions that I want to express through the music of Midnattsol. And the inspiration that one has, you also find in the music, or in the lyrics in any case. I just love the mystical and beautiful side of nature in these tales, it makes me dream about an anti-capitalistic, mystic and beautiful world. If you go to Norway, stand in the middle of a wood, everywhere you turn around (there) are mountains, and you take a deep breath - then you know what I feel when I make music and write lyrics.

TG: The lyrics for "Another Return" are particularly etherial... sensual, almost magical. Would you care to elaborate on them?

CE: Generally, I think each person should interpret the lyrics in their way, it's open for that. But of course I can say what I think about when I sing it: a person has a special meeting with an elf. Once she went into the woods and she thought that she heard somebody laughing and talking to her. She didn't see anybody, it was quite dark. Every time when she turned around, their was nothing. But she never stopped, hoping to find out what it was, and suddenly she felt something. She could see a face of an elf with so much beauty, and when he touched her, it was like every sorrow went away, it was like flying. The moment was so special, she can't really describe what she has seen. the person wanted to experience that another time and she always hopes that the elf would one day return.

CE: I have to admit that I don't try to be like other singers, because I think it's important to sing with the voice you have, to be you. But I adore Lisa from Dead Can Dance, she is my favourite, she has a very honest, deep, melancholic voice.

TG: You did a guest vocal on Leaves' Eyes song "Into Your Light"... do you and your sister have any plans (or hopes) of doing something together in the future?

CE: I would love to do something with her! I think our voices match very well together, I deep and she high, but still there's something similar, it makes a special kind of sound. But we are both so busy, we see each other really seldom. And when we meet, we don't talk much about music. So nothing is planned yet, but it will surely come in the future! And of course, it would be great to go on tour with my lovely sister, that would be a great experience! Who wouldn't like to have your closest friend with you at tour? But we haven't planned anything yet. We have to think about how the bands fit to each other and which bands make a interesting match.

CE: we didn't plan to make a video or a single, because we were and still are really busy planning the concerts for 2005, but it will surely come in the future! But unfortunately I can't tell exactly at what time we'll make it. But when we make it, it has to be connected with the music an the texts, and we want to identify with the concept in the video. With other words, I hope for a special video with much emotions ? In any case, I don't want to make it fast and half- minded!

TG: Are there any plans to tour the US this year? What else does 2005 hold for Midnattsol?

CE: Of course we'd love to come over for a tour! But at the moment I don't think it's quite realistic? Maybe we can manage to come over when our second album is finished. I guess you know how expensive it is to tour in America as a European band... But we never stop hoping, one day we're suddenly there ;) And at the moment we are all very excited and looking forward to playing concerts!! And there will be a lot of concerts, I can tell you that... We are going to play at some of the summer festivals in Germany, for example the cool "Feuertanz festival" on 25th of June on burg Abenberg, WGT (famous wave Gotik Treffen at Whitsun in Leipzig-eastern Germany), small tours and many concerts. But it's not official yet, so I can't say so much. So we hope to have a lot of fun with the fans at our concerts!! Beside planning concerts, we're also writing new songs, I really hope it won't go too long before we can record our next album, I'm already looking forward to it!

CE: I truly hope that I and the other members of Midnattsol can give you something through our music, that we can reach you in a special way. Stay yourself, don't change because of others and please take good care of yourself, other people, animals and our nature. And last but not least: have fun! Hehe!