Evanescence frontlady Amy Lee explains the band’s long hiatus, the album that could have been and the fight to stay true to their sound.

In 2011, Evanescence returned with their first album in nearly five years, leaving many fans asking, “What took so long?” Vocalist Amy Lee explains to Noise 11 that her rebellious nature may have played a role in the delay. “I need to feel free to get creative,” says Lee. “If I feel like I have to do something, like, everybody is expecting something out of me — I wanna do the exact opposite. So it can be hard for me to work sometimes.”

Lee’s difficulty with motivation began after touring behind their sophomore release, ‘The Open Door,’ in 2007. “I really badly needed a break from that identity,” Lee recalls. “I kind of didn’t have a plan. I didn’t know if we would get back together and make a record.”

When the initial brainstorming for new material did get underway, Evanescence was headed in a very different direction. “We were writing some music at first that was sort of folky and cool,” tells Lee. “Then I started writing [in] more kind of an electronic vein. It came back around to missing the aggression and power of the band.”

“The point is you need to take time to be inspired,” Lee deducts. “We’ve made a lot of cool music that I really love and put a lot of work and time into. I can’t just crap something out [that] I don’t care about. Everything I do, I feel like [it] has to be the best thing I’ve ever done or I’m not satisfied.”

As is the case with any band who becomes successful, Evanescence learned that the business of music sometimes gets in the way of the art. “There’s always a fight,” says Lee. “It’s about passion. If you really love what you do, you can fight through that pressure, those bad ideas and make something that you really believe in, but its not easy — in any way.”

Evanescence are currently wrapping their tour of Australia and will return to the U.S. for a tour that kicks off April 17 in Austin, Texas. On April 11 they are set to perform at the 2012 Revolver Golden Gods Awards, where the band is nominated for both ‘Album’ and ‘Comeback of the Year’ honors in addition to a ‘Best Vocalist’ nod for Amy Lee and a ‘Most Dedicated Fans’ nomination for their followers.

Amy Lee Talks Evanescence Hiatus

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