We had an amazing conversation with the symphonic operatic metal vocalist Dianne Van Giersbergen (Ex-Xandria, ExLibris). She spoke to us about her career, her band and all the details of the new solo era she is starting with the new single “After The Storm” and much more.
You can watch the interview below (in English), or read the transcribed interview.
LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW BELOW:
Leia A ENTREVISTA transcrita ABAIXO:
Playfonic: Well, come here at playfonic. We are here to talk about your career and your new single and the plans for the future. So I want to first congratulate you for the new single. It was so good to listen to it and the music video. So, so good. So I want to know when did you start planning to release a solo project?
Dianne: Well, I went on a one year sabbatical and that was mostly because I already knew that I wanted to do a solo album, but I didn’t yet know how I would be able to do it because I’m also busy with my other projects or companies like my jewelry company, Precious Metal Jewelry. I have a progressive metal band which is called Exhibitors, and I’m hosting a podcast together with Marcela Bovio. But I knew that I wanted to do this even a little bit further. I needed to do this because it’s 100% me. I just needed to find a way to balance everything because it’s such a massive undertaking. And I think so the idea already grew over the years, but this was for me, the moment on which I also knew how to put it into motion and to realize it and couldn’t be more happy that my first single is out now.
Playfonic: This is so good. Like the single, it brings the classic elements of symphonic metal. It has some power metal sounds too.
Dianne: Oh good, I love power metal. So yeah, I really wanted to return to where for me, my love for symphonic metal started, and that’s the earlier works of Nightwish. And I really wanted to create not only one song but also the whole of the album, more or less in that sound. But then with the production which we have now, I think I managed because it’s a little bit of that, but it’s still very much, very much me. And because of the power as elements, power, metal elements, I’ve been doing so many interviews today already, I might, Well, you’re over the place. Sorry for that. Now there’s a little bit of power metal in there. There’s also a little bit of progressive metal in there, which of course is where my roots are. Yeah, and loads and loads of symphonic metal because it’s in, in basic it’s symphonic metal and yes, with only operatic vocals because I feel that more and more singers are moving out of the operatic vocals and are now singing with a pop voice, which is really cool. And I do this with Ex Libris as well, but for this, for my own project, Dianne, I only wanted to use the classical voice and I’ve read so many comments that people are happy with this because it’s less used nowadays and yeah, yeah, yeah. And really, you know, and there’s a big difference between someone, how do you say this? Like adapting a classical sound and really organically singing classical with, with your technique and yeah, it’s, it’s not only making a darker sound and putting on a vibrato there, There’s, I mean, I studied classical music for six years, so one can do it by just like doing whole then, then it’s done. No, it’s not that easy.
Playfonic: No. Yeah. And you’re, you have the talents like yourself are talents the way you sing, but you studied.
Dianne: So it’s not only talent, it’s also knowledge by this point.
Playfonic: Yeah. It’s like, it’s like to say I like a lot of bands that are changing their style. There is the sound of symphonic metal there, but the vocal is changing too. Some are pop oriented, the vocal and sometimes singing.
Dianne: I just missed the classical voice in the original one.
Playfonic: Yeah, because one day I posted a reels in playfonic Instagram of an old song of After Forever and like people, Oh my God, I miss this, this type of sound. I miss these operatic vocals. And so people will love it. Love choirs because they miss that. So in the music video, when you fall to the ground in your turn off your arm or is there a sign like that you have this stoppage of fighting or running away from something?
Dianne: It’s not definitely not a sign that I stop fighting, but it is me unburdening myself. Yes, I’m really happy to hear that you’ve picked up on that. Yeah. I don’t need to wear the bell, the burden, the guilt, the armor anymore. So I undo myself from all that. And then I move into the future, step out of the forest and into the light with the wind blowing in my face, you know, in my hair blowing in the wind, my cape blowing. And it is. Yeah, it’s all a metaphor for me moving into the future. Yes. Stepping out of the dark into the light with no burden anymore.
Playfonic: Like when you say after this time. This time you say a personal experience for you. Like it’s a solo project or something of a fiction story?
Dianne: No, no, I’m talking about my split with Xandria. Yeah, but not me being in the band anymore. This is purely about me and how I felt in the moment of making that decision. And then you see me in the video running away. That’s me running away from the battlefield. And of course, the battlefield stands for the split up that I had, the break that I had with the band. So it’s me running away from all that I’m burdening myself and finding my way towards myself again. Cause so then, like breaking away from that, those bad things that happened to you and heading towards better things. Yes. And I think a lot of people will be able to relate to this because there are so many breakups that one goes through in his or her life. I mean, it could be a work situation. It could be a private situation, a relationship ending up having difficulties with relatives, with friends, with neighbors, anything, you know. So it’s very relatable for people to listen to the lyrics and to think, oh, there was a storm in my life as well, and it was a low for me and I needed to get up and move forward, which is not always an easy thing to do. That’s why the lyrics are so full of emotion. I mean, there’s sadness, there’s anger, there’s betrayal, there’s total oblivion in thinking like, how did I end up here? How did it come to be like this today? Still, at this point, I sometimes wonder, how could things take such a turn for the worse? And it’s all in the lyrics. And I’m sure that even though I’m singing about my story, I’m totally convinced that people have their own storms in which they can relate to my song.
Playfonic: That’s really nice to hear because not only is the story, but the whole world that a lot of people are suffering from depression and they can relate to getting out of the bad situations. And it is like an encouragement song.
Dianne: It definitely is. Yes. Yes. And it’s also a lesson to everyone, but also to myself that there are always friends and people to help you with stepping out of your song, of your troublesome situation. But it’s you who has to do the hard work because no one does the hard work for you.
Playfonic: So, uh, you worked with another band a month ago collaborating in a song, The Archie Cane. a project. How did it happen? How did you come together?
Dianne: Oh, well, I. He just approached me. And to be honest, a lot of people do. And I almost never take up these offers because I listen to the music and it just doesn’t fit me or it doesn’t fit my voice well. It just needs another singer. Um, but he came to me at a point where I hadn’t much going on musically, and I listened to his music and the vocal lines that he wrote for me, I was like, This is weird. It’s almost like he knows my voice because it’s perfect. You also gave me a free hand, and he said, if you need to change the tonality, the music key in any way, feel free to tell me. And I was sitting behind the piano and I was like, No, this is actually perfect. So I contacted him and asked him, Hey, this is weird. How did you manage to write your vocal lines like this? And then he said, I studied music as well. I believe he studied not classical music, but musical. And he said, I listen to your voice. I analyzed it, and then I wrote the vocal lines on your voice and where your best notes are and keeping your timeline in mind. And then I just knew like, Oh, wow, he really, really, really did his research and it was his dream to have me on the album. And I love music. I still do. There’s this last song. I don’t I cannot seem to get it out of my head. It is always bare in the background, like looped looping and looping and yeah, it just was perfect. So I said, okay, let’s do this.
Playfonic: And this song is perfected. The Arch Cane whole album is so good.
Dianne: Is really underrated. Yeah.
Playfonic: Yeah. So you are working with a team behind it. The first single and solo project. Can you tell me about the people? Who are you working with?
Dianne: I am writing all my songs, so I’ve also written this one After the Storm together with Joost and Luke, who is a I think by now famous producer here from the Netherlands. And for example, he produces Epica and he’s also teaming up with Paul with Blind Guardian. So he’s working with the big guys. Yeah. And I know him from Sangria, and I approached him like, Hey, I’m one too. I’m planning on doing a solo album, but I kind of need you because you are so distinctive for the country of sound and I am just so good at what he does. So I said, I really want to work with you on this album. Would you be up for that? And he said, Yeah, let’s do it. So we had a couple of writing sessions together and then, you know, the next phase is like pre-production mixing, mastering all together with him. Well, the mastering is done separately by a different company in Amsterdam, Amsterdam, mastering, I think they’re called, but everything else is used to meet together. And we have the chance to invite some friends of mine who are amazing musicians such as Isaac from Africa. Oh, there’s no place for blind Guardian, but you might know him from a stream of passion. Harris, who plays with Thunder Bay from the NBA, but he also played with Armin from Bruno, which is a huge, huge, hugely famous DJ. And they are actually friends of mine. And I asked them, Are you willing to team up with me for my first single? And they all said yes. So we had a really, really strong band there to record this first single with, and the other singles will be with different bands, band musicians. So I’m already looking forward to it. I haven’t contacted any of them yet. So yeah, if you’re watching this, you might, you might get a phone call from me..
Playfonic: Nice. So it’s cool because each single will have a different musician, so each musician will give their thoughts.
Dianne: Exactly. Yeah, it will be me and Joost still writing. He will also do the arrangements, orchestrations and piano and keyboards. The other options they will change with every song. Yeah.
Playfonic: That’s nice. You mention the like, I mean, Armin Van Buren, it’s some I, I missed what you said, but it’s like a person that does the electronic part.
Dianne: No, no, no. Our drummer. The drummer. He also drums on tour with Armin van buuren.
Playfonic: Oh, okay. Yeah, because I’m a huge fan of Armin. Yeah, that’s just really good. That’s so cool. So with all these artists is and you also contacted the Blackbriar team to record the video, right?
Dianne: Yes. Because, I mean, have you seen their videos? They are just such a high quality in production and in product. And it’s amazing what they do. And I’ve already worked with them for a video with experience, because the last video, which was the one, the chapter about Anne Frank. Yeah, yeah, yeah. The diary. That’s, that’s the video that oh my words. That video was already recorded with the guys from prior. So now when they heard that I was doing the solo single, Rene actually said to me, Well, if you need another video, we can look into that. And I was like, Are you willing to do that? And then he was. And then we worked together on finding this amazing location and the outfit. So I have the dress and I have the armor, and of course, I’m wearing my own jewelry. And we drove up to Luxembourg because that’s actually the location where we filmed where I used to hike when I was little with my parents. I drove up there and we scouted some locations and yeah, we shot the video there and it was an amazing weekend because we had so much fun together. We really hit it off on a personal level, and I think that only makes the video better for it.
Playfonic: So is it like a place in the Netherlands?
Dianne: No, it ‘s in Luxembourg. So it was like, I think, a three hour drive. So it’s, it’s, it’s doable drive wise and I used to hike there when I was smaller on holidays with my parents. So I remember the places being this kind of magical, mystical environment. And there were actually a lot of tourists there who all saw me perform, but luckily none of them made it into the video.
Playfonic: Okay. And that makes a beautiful place really good. So I have this question, like you said, the guy from Blackbriar produces the video, but is it the musicians that shoot the video or is the company that they work with?
Dianne: No, it’s actually Rene who is the drummer. And then I was also there with Robin. The actual musicians from Blackbriar, they also shoot their own videos or most of their own videos. And yeah, they also shot this video for me.
Playfonic: Yeah, their videos are really amazing. You can see the storytelling of the song there.
Dianne: Yeah. But you know, that’s also why the video is such a good fit to my music, because it’s shot by musicians and it’s edited by musicians. So they hear the music and they instantly know all we have to put the frames like this and make the edit like this. And then if there is an X and in the music, make sure that the video follows it added wise or cup wise or whatever, you know, it’s musicians totally feeling the vibe of the music and then putting that into the video.
Playfonic: It ‘s so good. Fun fact just for fun here. I don’t think you will remember me, but when you were here in Brazil back then in 2016 I had the opportunity to take a photo with you in person.
Dianne: That ‘s so cool. Yeah, but in this setting it was like just outside of the venue. In this little place it wasn’t a garden, but like a patio. And then we were all lined up in the band and there was a big line of people wanting to take a photo and they indeed, they pushed multiple people like you take the picture. Yeah. There. Yeah, I remember that. Yeah.
Playfonic: It was so cool. Yeah. Yeah. And the Ex Libris, it’s an amazing project. Like what are your plans for the future of Ex Libris? Are you planning to release more songs together for the solo projects?
Dianne: Yeah, yeah. Because my solo album will take five years to complete, which means that I will do ten singles, ten songs, and each song will be a single. And I’m planning on releasing two songs per year. So that means that in five years it’s completed. Meanwhile, I’m also planning on releasing new music with experience. Definitely. We’ve already put our heads together and already chosen a topic and have started writing music and now it’s we. We need to take the next steps. But with Ex Libris we always take our time. It’s never like, Oh, we needed to, we needed to have it out then and then not. There’s total freedom. And whenever it’s, it’s ready, it’s ready. But to answer your question, yes, there will definitely be a new experience, a CD coming out.
Playfonic: Yeah, I think you’re like, you do need to do a lot of research because, you know, you talk about historical situations.
Dianne: Yes. Which we will do again. This time. I won’t just give you the character, but it’s much older than the ones we did previously.
Playfonic: Okay. That’s nice. So, uh, I wanted to know, um, when did you start, like, being a singer in your personal life? Because it’s a solo project, I think it would be a good question.
Dianne: Oh, God. I actually received my first thinking lesson on my fourth birthday with my parents when I was a little toddler. They noticed that I was responding to music like, forever and always when they would have the radio on or a study on, I would be like happy and jumping around and I don’t know, wiggling or something. And they never got to have musical education. So they thought whenever the first chance that we have for her to give her a musical education, we must do that. And they did. So I had my first singing lesson at my fourth, fourth birthday and it was the best gift that I could ever receive. And I have had singing lessons ever since. And then in 2012, I auditioned for the conservatory to study classical music, singing obviously, and I completed my bachelor and my master with distinction. So it’s kind of my career in musical education. And soon after my master’s degree, I joined Xandria. I, of course, had actually been there before I started studying at the conservatory, and I think you know the rest of the story.
Playfonic: So when you graduated before joining Xandria, you created Ex Libris before that?
Dianne: Yeah, I created Ex Libris in 2004 already. So it was even before I applied to audition for the conservatory.
Playfonic: Oh, nice. Let’s go. So in the conservatory you had singing lessons that you learned how to play the piano and all their instruments?
Dianne: No, They tried to teach me how to play the piano. No, because I would definitely not call myself a pianist. Absolutely not. I am able to accompany myself, but this is only for me or the quarantine quiz that is up on my YouTube channel there. I play a little bit of piano, but it’s only a little bit. I would never do that on stage. I would be way too nervous and not be not be able to focus on my singing enough. So it’s only for the videos and only so I can accompany students, which I don’t have any more because I don’t have the time to teach anymore. So now it’s only to accompany myself when I’m studying or vocalizing.
Playfonic: And it helps. This helps you to compose the songs.
Dianne: Yes. Because you need a chord instrument. Like a guitar or what? Like a piano to understand the basic structure of a song. If you don’t understand that, then it’s really hard to write a song. So yes, of course, I do know that. Just that I’m not a great pianist. And then my fingers, they move in a different direction than I want them to move. So I’m always fighting. Yeah, I played in that Quarantine Quiz.
Playfonic: So I wanted to know in a very open way or an abstract two way, what is the symphonic matter to you? What it represents?
Dianne: I think you can say it’s my home. Even though my roots are with my band. This is a crossover between progressive metal and symphonic metal. And the progressive metal part comes mostly from the drummer and guitar player with which I started the band and the symphonic part comes from me. So I say symphonic metal is my home. I love the community that we have in symphonic metal. I find that people are really nice to one another. There’s really not that kind of pressure as there is in society nowadays. So I love that. I feel safe in that. And music wise, it’s just everything to me. My voice feels at home. I can literally do anything I want to vocalize and no one will be like, That’s too much. It will all be like, Can you give us even more? Which I know because I love making a massive sound and it’s, oh, I don’t know. Nothing is too silly. And I just love that I can express myself the best in symphonic metal. And I yeah, I think I can sum it up in one word. It’s home to me.
Playfonic: It ‘s home, too. It’s nice. Yeah. It’s the kind of music that you can, like, act like an actress. You can exaggerate, you can create. Yeah.
Dianne: It’s funny, but I also love the community. It’s not only the music, it’s also the community and the togetherness that lives amongst the fans. That’s it. That’s really something wonderful. And I’m sad to say it’s something unique because there’s so much negativity in the world. And I feel that within our genre, people are just nice to one another or most of the time.
Playfonic: Yeah, yeah, that’s true. That’s true. Because when you join symphonic metal groups in social media. People are nice talking to each other.
Dianne: Welcoming. Yeah, I love that.
Playfonic: Yeah. When do you plan to release the next single? In 2023 yet?
Dianne: That ‘s the plan. Yes. But I haven’t written a single note yet so I’m already starting to get nervous.
Playfonic: I think you can take your time.
Dianne: There’s still time. Yes, there is a story, an idea of what it should be sound wise, song wise. And obviously I know what the lyrics will be about yet. And I’m not going to tell you yet, but I know what they should be about. So there is that. So I think the blueprint is there, but I still need to write everything.
Playfonic: Okay, so we are heading towards the end of the interview. But I wanted to know how you and Marcela Bovio started the podcast? It is so good to listen to.
Dianne: Thank you. Well, Marcela and me, we’re both entrepreneurs. We do everything by ourselves. So she does that and well, her music, she writes it herself, produces it. I think maybe also together with with yours, everything you see also the promotion and know the whole shebang, as they say. She does it herself as well. So we like to team up and exchange knowledge. And then we said, well, if you’re teaming up like this, we can also team up to do something together, for example, like a podcast, because it’s not anymore, but or maybe still, but it was like a real trend to start a podcast. So we were like, Oh, I need to jump on the trend. We need to join in. But what on earth were we going to talk about? And we’ve been brainstorming about this. And then I think I was the one who said that to her. We can just try to make a podcast in which we become better friends and we can ask one another if we managed to become better friends. And then she said, That’s a brilliant name. And I said, What a brilliant name and that better friend. Yes. Oh, yeah, that’s indeed, that’s a really good, good idea for a podcast, because now we can put any topic we want, we can put into an episode and at the end of the episode we discover and I’ll be best friends. Now, have we learned stuff about one another that we didn’t know yet? And the answer is yes, because we’re actually even better friends than before we started the podcast. It’s amazing because that’s something that we didn’t expect that we would actually become better friends because of the podcast. And but we have but it’s also very, very funny to see that we think differently about everything. Everything except for maybe things in music. But we are our characters, we’re opposites, and that’s also why our friendship is such a good fit, because we are this one person that can do anything and the things that she can do, I can help her with and the things I can do. She helps me with it. And it’s brilliant. Yeah.
Playfonic: Yeah, it is really cool. It’s fun and it’s so relaxing to listen to the podcast “We are Better Friends”
Dianne: Yeah. The idea is that you really have to feel as if you’re sitting there on the table together with us and just joining the conversation.
Playfonic: That ‘s so cool. So yeah, I want to thank you for your time. Really, really nice to talk to you. Do you have anything else that you can share with us about the project? That I didn’t ask.
Dianne: And no, I don’t think so. I don’t have any merch yet. I am thinking about maybe pressing a t shirt, but if that becomes more realistic or yeah, I’m brainstorming about what to do next. People have asked me if I would do a crowdfunding or a patron, or maybe we need some merch and it’s been so busy the whole process leading up to the release and now all the promotion and the interview that I’m thinking about that I might actually do that. So if people are interested, just keep an eye open on my social media pages because if it’s happening, I will definitely let you know through my Instagram and Facebook and website.
Playfonic: That ‘s good. That’s good so people can follow Dianne on all social media. Then you get noticed about the songs.
Dianne: So yeah, yes. And there’s already one way to support me in the video and that’s if you would like to own a piece of jewelry that I’m actually also wearing in the video because of course I could my very own jewelry brand precious metal jewelry in the video. The necklace that I’m wearing in the video is up for sale and also the earring and you can find that on my website.
Playfonic: Yeah, the jewels are really beautiful. They are handmade, right? So something unique.
Dianne: So, for example, I mean, this is the necklace that I’m wearing. It is the bass guitar string then you can see, right? Yeah. So that’s the necklace that I’m wearing and that’s up for sale. And I also have the earring, which is made out of a symbol. Yeah. It’s a medieval sword. Yeah. So it’s like after the storm. So you can lay down the fight, but you still appear.
Playfonic: That ‘s so cool. Yeah. And in the website you send for all countries. Like, we can buy it from Brazil and other places?
Dianne: Yes. Yeah. I have a lot of customers from Latin America, but mostly from Mexico. Yeah.
Playfonic: Mexico is a good place. Marcela Bovio is from there.
Dianne: Maybe that’s why all my customers are from Mexico. Yeah.
Playfonic: Oh, So thank you, Dianne, for your time. It was really nice talking to you. I really enjoyed the song. If there is time, a music video is amazing. I wish you success and we keep following.
Dianne: That would be wonderful. And maybe we’ll talk in the future again. And for the next single.
Playfonic: Yeah, definitely. We can talk in the future so we can spread the word.
Dianne: Thank you so much for having me.
Playfonic: Thank you. Have a great day there.
Dianne: You too. Bye bye.
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Thank you for reading our interview with DIANNE. We hope you liked it 🙂
