The most frustrating thing about discovering a first record we love is the fact that getting a face to face interview with a young band is often almost impossible. So as soon as we learned that the German singer Johanna Sadonis was coming to Paris to discuss the first LUCIFER release, we could not wait to sit down and talk with her.
A discussion with a musician who completely accepts her fan-like spirit, to talk about passion, stagefright and freedom.
Excerpts, check the podcast for the full interview.
I think it is actually very important that everybody in LUCIFER has such diverse music taste.
Gus : “Lucifer 1”, your first record with LUCIFER was released last May. Four months later, how do you feel about the way it’s been received?
Johanna : Very good it actually exceeded our expectations, how people perceived it. We just came back from a tour in America and you know, the thing is that we did this in the first place because we love to be in the studio and record something, usually I’m on the other side on the fence i’m the music fanatic and I like to go to shows and listen to albums, so it’s a great thing me to make a record but when you actually play a show and you see like few people singing along that’s crazy because usually I’m on that side you know? So yeah, we’ve gotten really nice reviews and it’s very gratifying.
Gus : Listening to LUCIFER, THE OATH, ANGEL WITCH, CATHEDRAL, DEATH PENALTY and all those bands, I realise that all the musicians from LUCIFER come from very very different musical backgrounds. Is it because of that diversity that you manage to always keep your sound very unique and fresh on every song you do?
Johanna : That’s hard to say because when you do it yourself then you don’t have the view that you have you know? I don’t have an objective view onto how the music sounds? It’s hard to step out of the picture for me and to observe it like you do. I could if it were another band record that I’m listening to. But I think it is actually very important that everybody in LUCIFER has such diverse music taste. But we also have common grounds and that’s funny when we are hanging out together, being in the studio and spending all that time together or being in the van together driving to the show, it’s like four nerds sitting together and it’s non-stop blablabla this band, that band, blablabla and have you and Itunes on shuffle and this and that. It’s like a non-stop chatter and it’s great because we all learn from each other but there’s also a lot of stuff we have in common and what we have in common is that we’re all music fanatics and I think it’s great. I think it would be boring if everybody had the same favorite band and least favorite band and all that.
My favorite part of music is being in the studio with the boys, take like the beginning of a song and shape it like a real song and recording it
Gus : You said that you do magic rock, and not occult rock which,is as i’ve read in interviews, from what you’ve said a distinction you always do. And I think you’re right, the record really feels like a ritual of some sort. Do you see yourself when you write or when you sing as some sort of high priestess that delivers the magic to the audience?
Johanna : Well the thing is that… I would never say something like this about me because I don’t have that kind of ego. I mean is you know all the lyrics also the visual stuff and the concept of LUCIFER and so on that’s kind of just how it feels natural and organic. And it’s very sincere and organic because I’m very kind of spiritual as a person and I try to include magic thinking into my life as much as possible for me it’s just a natural way it comes out. I don’t do things, and I can speak for the others as well, I don’t think we do anything because we want other people… We don’t do anything for other people you know we just do what feels right. So it’s not so much about to make somebody think that you’re this or that. That’s all very kind of more natural you know.
Gus : The tour in America was with bands like HIGH ON FIRE and PALLBEARER. Now in Europe you’re going to tour with PARADISE LOST. Two very different moods and two very different audience (smiles). How are you going to seduce the more gothic people from PARADISE LOST, compared to what you did with HIGH ON FIRE?
Johanna : Yeah I think with PARADISE LOST gothic is one thing but I also think it’s a more metal kind of crowd while HIGH ON FIRE you have lots of stoners. One cool thing I think with LUCIFER is that we actually work in the different genres because we do have that big part of doom, but we all are coming from a metal background with CATHERAL and ANGEL WITCH and THE OATH so I think I actually do prefer to play in front of a metal audience than for a stoner audience, I hate the word stoner actually. But the thing is that I’m a heavy metal kid you know, I grew up with that kind of stuff so I’m really looking forward to that tour. I think it’s more my kind of background to do that kind of tour. You know, because if you would ask me who I’d like to be on tour with, I’d like to support DANZIG or KING DIAMOND or something like that. Not WEED EATER or something like that (chuckles) you know what I mean.
Gus : You’ve mentionned in previous interviews to that you’re rather shy and that you prefer being in the studio rather than being on stage. Is that still the case or did touring with LUCIFER change that situation a little bit?
Johanna : I mean it’s true, I’m not comfortable with being the monkey on stage and really my favorite part of music is being in the studio with the boys, take like the beginning of a song and shape it like a real song and recording it. That’s the best thing but I must say that last tour, the 21 shows kind of… now I think I’m starting to get a hang of it and that it can actually be fun. Because the one cool thing about playing live is the difference between being in studio and playing on stage is that the songs are kind of new when you write them; it’s like getting to know a person but if you play them over and over they become their own thing and then also when you’re in a room and you have this big speakers and it’s so loud, the songs are going to be played differently the songs are going to be played differently they will develop a whole different dynamic when you do them live. SO you actually physically feel it when you close your eyes and you forget that there’s like people actually staring at you and it’s fucking horrible because you have lights in your face and “oh my god they’re gonna see me” but if you forget about that and you just close your eyes and you just feel the music then that’s actually a good thing and I just learned it.
Full interview to be found in the podcast.
