Interview: Lena Scissorhands - Infected Rain (February 2024)

Infected Rain released their sixth album, Time, on 9th February 2024. Hotel Hobbies spoke with vocalist Lena Scissorhands about the band, the album and her approach to singing. Read a review of Time here: https://www.hotelhobbies.com/post/album-review-infected-rain-time-2024-napalm-records

Hotel Hobbies: Thank you for taking the time to talk to. First of all, how are you? I imagine you are very busy right now.

Lena Scissorhands: Yeah, getting ready for the European Tour. There's still so much to do; getting quite nervous, to be honest. It’s always like that. The amount of travelling is just so much. Even though I'm used to packing and I know what to pack and I know what to do. I'm used to the entire ritual of travelling. Still, it feels like every single time is a struggle and a little bit stressful. I wish I could somehow take that away. I thought maybe with travelling more often it's going to be easier, but it's not getting easier to be honest.

HH: More than fifteen years have passed since the band's formation and you are now on your sixth album. How would you describe the journey that has led to this album?

LS: I mean, it was quite a journey. I won't lie. Our beginning was quite rough for many reasons, but I wouldn't change it. If I could go into the past and change something, I really wouldn't, no matter what, because I feel like this is why we are where we are. Thanks to the mistakes we've made in the past and thanks to the achievements we've made in the past. It could sound quite cliche or quite obvious for many people, but really I really mean it. Coming from such a small country from Eastern Europe, a country with no opportunities, very low economy, people barely make it, so in order to invest in your dream, your passion, your hobby, you have to have a second job. You don't have time for your dream or your path, so it all ends up being like quite a closed circle. I'm very proud looking back and now being here on our sixth full length album. I am proud of my musicians and everybody who is even now on board, even if they joined recently. I am proud of even myself for being stubborn when I needed to be stubborn and continue no matter the difficulties. When I say difficulties, I mean all kinds of challenges: financial challenges, physical challenges, health challenges and personal life challenges if you can even have a personal life. If someone sticks around for a little bit, you barely see them and they barely see you, and it's quite challenging. I'm not going to sit here and complain, but all of that somehow brought us to where we are and somehow taught us more.

HH: It sounds like it has been an interesting but challenging journey. You have just released, Time, which I think is your most accomplished album. It feels like another step up and what stands out to me, apart from particular songs, is the flow of the album. How did the band work on getting the track listing just right?

LS: Thank you so much. I'll be honest with you though here. I completely trusted my musicians. Vidick and Eugene worked on that. I was quite surprised that they chose Because I Left You first because of just how emotional that song is. But on the other hand, I was quite happy because we immediately gave people the most sensitive, the most painful song. Maybe some people will disagree with us and be like, yeah, maybe you had to warm us up before you let us listen to that song but I didn't mind. In a way, it also felt like a connection. Every single song is like a gear that’s connected to another gear and to another gear. It’s our first conceptual album and we really didn’t do that on purpose at first. Eventually when we thought, oh my God, this album is mainly coming out about this theme and the name was proposed and it’s perfect. Along with other names that we had, that name was perfect for the concept. Every single song, no matter how diverse the songs are, in a way, speak about time in a certain way, speak about the moments that go away and how we value those moments.

HH: You mentioned the opening song. It is full of emotion and feeling. I say that based on the song and the video too, which is heart-breaking. Did you have to dig deep inside yourself in relation to that particular track?

LS: Yeah, absolutely full of emotion but it wasn't that hard for me to dig deep and find something to write about. It's unfortunately something I’ve lived with for quite some years now. Give or take around five years since, let's say, the major factor happened that hurt me that much. Since then, I just continue reflecting on that a lot and I continue reflecting on how that is impacting my everyday life choices, how that is impacting my relationship with other people and what I've learned from it and what I didn’t learn from it. It’s still very much a painful and deep wound and I have to do something about it because it's not helping me move on. I am moving on, of course, but at the same time. I have a lot of fears connected to what happened and I chose to write about it. I started those lyrics years ago. I just wasn't ready or I didn't have the right song to apply those lyrics to. I don't mean the entire like lyrics were done, just partially. The theme was there. I put it down and I knew eventually I was going to go back to it. I do that for every single song, give or take. It is very rare the whole song is born during the composing process, born last minute or is born with full complete lyrics.

HH: In my review, I wrote that you can be formidable and vulnerable within the same song. I've seen you talking with passion about how you developed your screaming vocals but I think your clean vocals on this album are beautiful. Do you think about balancing the two across a song or an album?

LS: I don't really decide how to balance them. I approach it just like different techniques, nothing else. Basically, there are different techniques that help us create certain sounds -  the most common one is singing. It’s the sound which we are most used to because from the beginning of days, people started singing to each other. Like little lullabies from a mother to children and slowly it became what it is right now. We all listen to music and we all love music. That is the most common one we hear, the singing voice. It's just a technique. It's just a vocal technique. Applying slightly different technique to your vocals with slightly different position of your vocal cords or your talent will create just different other sounds. Now my vocal teacher, Melissa Cross, was the one that guided me through this path the best. My very first vocal teacher was a classical vocal teacher in the University of Music, and she was teaching everything that is connected to the classical music, the basics. It helped me a lot. Don't get me wrong, I still couldn't figure it all out. What are the techniques I have to apply in order to have this more good roll sound, a more sharp sound or a higher sound or whatever?

It wasn't until 2013, when I slowly started studying with Melissa Cross through DVDs and lessons in person, that I started to know what are the exact sensations of your body that you have to feel, and what are the actual things you have to apply when you emanate specific sounds. She had the best approach when it comes to alternative types of vocalising. I think in this industry, she was the first one to say that singing, screaming and speaking - the three S words - have to feel the same. If they feel the same, you will never hurt yourself and you will be empowered within your own body. Now it is quite difficult to mentally agree or accept that speaking, singing and screaming could be the same. But it can be if you learn the technique. If you prepare your voice and you warm up and you are good to your body. I do mean aware of your body, not of the music, not of the sound, because this is another mistake that at least I was making very often. We need to be that note. We need to know that note before we even do it right. I know it sounds very easy, but obviously it takes years. I'm still learning. I'm learning a lot. I've learned a lot from her and I've learned a lot from my own mistakes. I've made a lot of mistakes vocally. I'm never going to deny this because I've lost my voice so many times in the past. I get pretty frustrated with myself and that takes me to a darker place and it doesn't help at all. If you're healthy enough and you are prepared enough, it's going be just as easy for you to scream the entire show or to sing the entire show. In the past I've discovered that sometimes it was harder to sing than scream. Go with the flow, feel the music and be the music.

HH: That is a very interesting answer. Thank you. The band are known for having an eclectic sound. Some intense metal, some more progressive quieter sections and the use of electronica. In the past, I think there has been a more blinkered approach from some metal fans about the blending of sub-genres and what metal can be. Do you think that's changing now?

LS: Yeah, it's definitely changing. I remember, for instance, growing up when I was listening to more alternative music and I slowly got to know some kids that were more alternative. I would hang out with them somewhere in the centre of the city, exchanging music and talking about stuff we liked. I'm glad actually it's changing because music should not have rules. When it comes to genre mixing, it shouldn't be looked at as something negative. I'm very thankful to the nu-metal era because those bands were the first ones to mix everything together. Remember? All those bands on MTV would pop up and they were so unique sounding. Often they were similar to each other, but they were new in comparison to what was before them. Things like mixing electronics, a live DJ and rapping with metal. We always try to just follow our hearts when it comes to the music and the melody that we are trying to put together. If it feels right to have a violin here, even if we don't have a live violin player, we will have it in the tracks. We feel like that violin adds that interesting sprinkle of emotion throughout the song, so why not? There are so many instruments on this planet if you are able to compose with those instruments. I am not. I know I'm not. I have zero knowledge when it comes to composing for instruments or with instruments. But my musicians do that and I'm very, very happy that's happening.

HH: Thinking about musicians in the bands, I have to comment on Alice Lane and her contribution to the album. What has she brought to the band from your point of view?

LS: I am not one hundred percent sure which exact songs she recorded because Alice joined us a little later so she did not influence the composing process at all. However, she did record her instrument on a lot of songs on this album. I know it was not all of the album because at one point, we needed to go on tour and there was not enough time. Vidick recorded some of the bass but I don't know exactly which songs. So, I want to apologise even to Alice in advance if she sees this interview. I don't want to mislead anybody here. However, Alice brought a lot to the band. Before a new bass player,  the energy in the band was significantly different. Not because of anything specific that the older members did or brought to the band, I don't want to go there. However, I want to tell you that the line-up change in Infected Rain was a long time coming. We didn't even know how much we needed it or how important that it was. Eventually, we felt stagnant and it was very obvious that we were going in different directions and that was not working very well. When it comes to the band's career, of course, we kept that as private as possible. I'm not going to sit here and blame anyone. It's everybody's fault. It's better for both parties to continue our life, you know? Do what we know how to do best separately.

When we were composing, it was just three of us: Eugene, Vidick and me. There was a palpable freedom I could feel in the creativity of those two when they were sending me the songs to work on. I was so excited to work on those songs. They were so different but also very much us. I don't want to talk on the behalf of my musicians. I want to invite you to try and interview Vidick. He's a very interesting person to talk to. What I'm trying to say is, based on what I've asked them and what I've seen. I think that in our case, having too many hands in the cookie jar in the past was probably not the best way to compose music. It’s not about who composes; it's about how you accept the work of each other. It was quite difficult before and even Vidick felt frustrated because a lot of his ideas were not accepted. I trust Vidick with all my heart when it comes to music. I have known him since I was sixteen. His knowledge of music and his taste in music are very similar to mine. I don't want to give you an impression that I'm trying to say that someone was bad or good. What I'm trying to say is, it’s normal when multiple people create something specific together. It is very obvious and very common to have different opinions on how it should be done. Often, if you're lucky, those opinions will be very close to yours, but I think the majority of bands out there know that the more people say their opinion about that one thing, the more difficult it's going to be to realise it and to do something about it.

That’s why often in a band, there is a person that records, another composes, another writes lyrics , another does the visuals and another person does something completely different, whatever they are good at. The thing is, you have to find that one thing you're good at and let someone else do what they are good at. You don't necessarily have to be present everywhere, and that was the part where we failed as a band. All of us – the members that left and the members that stayed. We failed at that. We couldn't specifically understand and feel what our task was as a band member. It's okay if your strength is only to play your instrument. If that's what it is, then step back and let the others do what they know how to do or do what they do better than you.

HH: How much do you think about pushing the boundaries of your own expectations with each album that you do?

LS: Well, musically, I don't know if Vidick and Eugene had anything specific like that, or if they even thought about it that way. When it comes to the vocals, I did. I tried to forget about the rules, feel the music on a different level and be an open book. When you’re honest with yourself, it’s so much easier to understand what you want to deliver, at least for me. Although human beings are much the same, we are also still very different because we act based on knowledge from the past. I don’t just mean life experience but also I mean actual studies. In that moment of my life, I did have the opportunity to study my skill with my vocal teacher on a different level and I feel like I did apply that a little bit more. Sometimes we do these things without thinking subconsciously. So, I think that’s the answer for your question. I think that's what made it a little bit different this time.

HH: At the start of the track Paura, there is a quiet spoken section in Italian. How did that come about? It’s a very emotive part of the album.

LS: Thank you so much. There wasn't an actual like band decision when it came to that. However, when the song was given to me to think about the melody and the lyrics, I immediately thought,  what if we could create something more? Something witch like. A curse, a magic spell, like an enchantment. I thought about it that way because of the music itself. I will tell you that Paura is actually a continuation of Never To Return musically but lyrically, it's completely different. I've always wanted to introduce a little bit of some of the languages that I speak. The specific lyrics that I picked for this song speak about fear. When Vidick came out with this idea about the electronic intro for this song, I thought I will give an introduction for the song in a different language and I did in Italian. I said to my boys I could even name it in Italian and if you guys like it we could even have a first part or a chorus in Italian. Now my musicians really liked the way I was going with it, but they said let's keep the song in English because it's quite powerful and just make the intro text a little longer. We will give you this chance of telling the story in a different language first and then go for the music. The reason I did that is because my entire family lives in Italy. I used to live in Italy and it's like an homage to my family in a way.

HH: With the new songs, you've also released a few videos and I know you have more planned. It seems the visual aspect of the band and the presentation of the songs is something you value and enjoy too.

LS: Yes, you’re so right. It is very important to us. Our guitar player, Vidick, is very passionate about visual and he long ago started studying. He created the artwork. Many years ago. I don't even remember exactly when but he picked up this new skill and started studying and self-learning it by himself, thanks to videos online and thanks to just hours of practising. He told me multiple times that if it wasn't for the music, that's probably the path he would choose because he is very passionate about it. Throughout our career, he helped very often with special effects or 3D effects to the directors and editors of our music videos. Eventually, he took that burden on his shoulders. He said, you know what? I want to direct them and edit them myself. We love the results we are having and because it's also our own songs, our own band member working on it, it's quite different. No one will know better than the member of that same band. What is the emotion? What is the colour? How do you visualise that?

HH: While we are discussing visuals, there is something I would like to show you if I may. When I write, my girlfriend spends her spare time drawing. Recently, she has been drawing various rock and metal stars she likes and her latest pencil drawing was one of you.

LS: Oh wow, that is so beautiful. Please say thank you. Thank you for getting inspired by me and by the music. I'm very flattered. It's beautiful too. She's so talented. If you come to a show please bring it and I will sign it.

HH: You mentioned the European tour earlier. It is a tour with DragonForce and Amaranthe. I will be at the London show. You must be looking forward to the chance of playing some new songs and older songs to some possibly new crowds.

LS: Yes, absolutely. This set list is mainly composed of newer songs. We are playing two older songs. maybe three. Being a support band limits your time on stage, so obviously that is the main reason why. Because our set list is not that big, we want to present to people our new album, so that's another reason why we are very excited to play the new songs. This whole tour sounds amazing. We've only heard good things about DragonForce and Amaranthe, and it's challenging, but pretty exciting to play in front of a new crowd.

HH: As a support band this time around and considering your love of visuals, how much of your own lighting and production will you be able to have?

LS: It has been a while for us since we were able to actually bring special production for the stage with us. We do have specific lights that we programme if we headline, that do a specific thing based on the sound. However, those things often can work against you because not every show is the same. Not every stage is the same and often there are technical difficulties. Obviously, having a light technician that can do manually all these things is the best thing out there, and we've only experienced that a couple of times. During this tour, even as support band, we are bringing extra crew, one of them being a lighting engineer. I haven't even met the guy yet but he has been preparing with my other musicians for the tour. I'm very excited. We are slowly introducing more people. So basically, when you have bigger production, you need more crew. You need somebody that will be in charge of the stage and the front of house. What is the sound that people hear because it's a completely different sound that we hear on stage. Or what is the light that they see? Oh my God, I sometimes felt like I was playing in the middle of the day because a white light was constantly on my face. Then somebody from our crew in front of us would be like, no, actually it looked fantastic for people. The sensation the musician has on the stage is completely different than the sensation a person is living through in the crowd. That being said, we do want to improve the setting when it comes to our visuals and the production on stage, but for now, we are choosing not to invest in it. We are choosing to invest in making our crew slightly bigger so that will hopefully take certain things to the next level.

Firstly, because there are so many bands out there that have such a big production on stage. They bring with them so many things and such a big crew and everything, but nothing works well together. You see a show, you see two shows. Some bands we even went on tour with and you're like okay, maybe you put your priorities a little bit wrong and maybe you should work on this first before you invest in everything else. But again, everybody should have their own opinion and should create their own opinion by themselves by watching their own videos. That's very important - to watch and listen to your own sound. It's very important, because then you can say oh fuck, I didn't think this sounded that way. Maybe I should work on it or even do something completely different or that was good, I will repeat that. You should also make notes and get inspired by other musicians and other bands out there, because you might learn a lot. We learn a lot every day.