Rock band Evanescence fears that humanity is descending into a real-life version of The Matrix movie, but lead singer Amy Lee is ready to battle any fakery. The band is back with a new album titled Sanctuary, which they describe as a "sanctuary of truth and community." The music blends their signature gothic roots with modern electronic production.
New Single and Album Themes
The recent single, Who Will You Follow, encapsulates themes of anxiety and hope that pervade the record, according to Amy Lee. "I feel like 'Who Will You Follow' is more than anything like the plot of The Matrix," she said. "It's waking up, it's the disillusionment of this and wanting that. I want us to look at each other in the eyes as human beings and go, 'Is this real life? You're a real human being. Great, let's have a glass of wine and get through this sh*t together.'"
She added, "Because running away from it and pretending like it isn't happening, and just going along with the lies while they step on your neck isn't working. Love is strong, people are powerful; remember we have each other."
Concerns About Reality and AI
Amy Lee believes we are bombarded with too much information, and soon nobody will know what is real or fake. "Like who will you follow if you don't even know what is real?" she asked. "How can you base any action if you don't even know what's true, if you don't even know what's AI, you don't know what is being fed to you on your feed."
While she appreciates the sense of community that social media can offer, she also fears its stranglehold on people. "It's so hard; I'm just as guilty. I have to stop myself," she said, pointing at her own phone. "Holy sh*t, an hour just went by and I don't even know what I just looked at, but I'm mad and scared. I feel like all of this input is such a drain, at the same time we do have to face reality... we are exhausted, we need change. First of all, let's face it together."
Collaborations and New Sound
The new album Sanctuary features collaborations with Jordan Fish (formerly of Bring Me The Horizon), who helped Evanescence pivot into a more electronic-driven direction. Celebrated producer Zack Cervini, known for his work with Simple Plan and Blink-182, also contributed. "It was such a beautiful new energy," recalled Amy. "It came out of an experiment. I'm in a moment where I'm saying 'yes' to things that sound like they could be cool."
She continued, "Jordan and Zack—the first session we had was very much, 'nice to meet you all, let's see what happens.' It was really fast—the first day we had almost all of 'Tell Me When You've Had Enough,' it was killer fast-paced energy. When you've got that energy, I know I'm gonna chase this until we get enough."
The duo also helped Evanescence reconnect with their roots. "The fact that they get us as producers but also as fans. To be able to see yourself through somebody else's eyes who loves and respects it was really good for me. I feel like this album has a very future feeling but at the same time more roots than there has been since the first one."
Upcoming UK Tour
Evanescence will play four UK arena shows in September.
