Interview- New Risen

New Risen is a multitalented artist residing in beautiful France---lucky, lucky lad he is. He’s no stranger to the creative world---former model, with acting and musical chops to his long list of credentials, New Risen, has now come out with his debut album “Dark Winter”, and he will surly continue down a warmly welcomed and creative path of success. Find out more about this striking individual in the interview.

Grave Concerns: Hello New Risen, it’s such a pleasure to meet you. How are you?

New Risen:  Hello Lynda! Yeah I’m fine, it’s a real honor for me to be here at Grave Concerns.

Grave Concerns: My, oh, my, New Risen, you’re a man of many talents---I’m so impressed! You’ve been the lead singer in the bands “The Library” and “In Der Tat”. Tell us about those experiences.

New Risen:  Well, it’s been a while now…these bands could have been the best bands in the world! Great drummer, great bass player, great keyboardist and of course great singer! ‘The Library’ was a new wave band in a kind of 4AD label style (like the first Clan of Xymox), and ‘In Der Tat’ was more a cold wave band, a mix between The Bad Seeds and In Also the Trees…But unfortunately the guys had no music ambition, they are all school teachers now! And I’m still here, alone.

Grave Concerns: You were a professional model and appeared in French TV soaps. Did you appear as yourself, or were you cast as a character?  Do you watch any America soaps? Would you like to get back into acting? If so, what would you pursue?

New Risen: I made about ten years of modeling, catwalks, adverts, it was great but not really creative for me. In the French TV soap ‘Riviera’ I had only a walk-on part but as each scene are cut into slices… you can see me in several episodes! In ‘Le Gang des Tractions’ TV serial I had a very little role as an American G.I. barman. I also appeared as guitar player in a video for the French singer Florent Pagny. A very trying experience, listening and listening again his mainstream song all day long!!! And I remember when I went back to my home at night, I opened a whiskey bottle and played loud ‘Nocturne’ the live album from Siouxsie and the Banshees! Yes I’d like to have a role in a movie, a gore or scary movie could be fun! But please no more soaps!

Grave Concerns: You opened for “Cabaret Fantasmagothic”, an event lead by the band Nova et Vetera. Sounds amazing---please share some memories of that night.

New Risen:  Oh yes it was really AMAZING! This event celebrates all arts dealing with the ’dark’ feeling. Live performances, paintings, fashion, music…a really exciting evening organized by very cool people. I made a great concert there. The public was surprised to see a one-man-band with his dummy on stage.  Nova et Vetera is an exciting band too, post-rock gothic music, I love.

Grave Concerns: Tell us about your debut album “Dark Winter”? What brought on the inspiration for this album?

New Risen: Yeah I’m so proud of ‘Dark Winter’ my real debut album at last! You know I always been a live artist, afraid of studio recording…but after all these years it was time for me to record an album as until then I only recorded songs for various compilations. So, after the Cabaret Fantasmagothic, I became close friend with Mrslamort and Mrlamort from the band Nova et Vetera. They came to visit me at my home and Mrlamort suggested me to record ‘Dark Winter’ in the studio he was working in. So during the first week of January 2007 I spent one week of sleepless nights with him in the studio. Each song has its own inspiration and story, but the song ‘Dark Winter’ that opens my live gigs and the album gave the tone, the colour. It was inspired by the famous gothic painting ‘Cloister Cemetery in the Snow’ from Casper Friedrich. I was also very happy to record ‘Pandora’s Box’, one of my favorite songs I wrote long time ago, a kind of romantic waltz, and this new version of ‘Blood Party’, a minimal dance floor vampire love song. On ‘Private Cell’, I wrote some very personal and dark lyrics. Mrlamort suggested me to make the song more melodramatic, so we replaced the original violins part by a guitar solo and German spoken words. He made a great guitar part reminding me Viny Reilly from Durutti Column…Andreas Reese from the German band Monochronic made also a great dark remix of the single ‘Your Ghost’ that closes perfectly the album.

Grave Concerns: “Lord Konig”…is this your creation? Let’s find out some more about this assistant who often accompanies you on stage.

New Risen: Well, you should make an interview with him! Lord Konig is my dummy musician, a great assistant on stage as he doesn’t drink… so I keep all beers for me! he he. But is also there to show that New Risen is open to other musicians…I mean I hope to have a backing band in the future. So if some of your musician readers are interested, contact me, I don’t bite…

Grave Concerns: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received about following your musical and non-musical dreams?

New Risen:  You know, there are many assholes in the music industry always wanted to show you the ‘right’ way to follow…For me, music and dreams are the only and last places for freedom, so I keep on following my own way.

Grave Concerns: New Risen, I’d love to visit your beautiful land---especially the castles, quaint towns and historical buildings, and the gorgeous landscapes---most especially forests. Please share for me, and your fans some of those lovely places to visit?

New Risen: Well it’s true, France is a very beautiful land with so many different landscapes…it’s hard to tell you the best place to visit, but if you or some of my fans come here, it will be a great pleasure for me to be your personal guide!  Okay?
Grave Concerns:  You’re on my friend! (: I’ll have to take some strong pills though to get over my fear of flying…but you as a personal guide…sweet!

Grave Concerns: When it comes to writing new material, which do you feel comes first in the creative process--- the lyrics or the music, or doesn’t it matter?

New Risen: That depends. Most of the time I compose music first sitting in front of my synthesizer, finding great sounds that inspire me a melody and then a full song. I often have a word or a sentence in mind that will be the start of the writing lyrics process. You know like if I put a name on a painting, a title. But it could take months before I finish the complete lyrics. But when I’m very inspired I write the lyrics first like for the song ‘Pandora’s Box’.

Grave Concerns: How do you differentiate a real good song, from a classic? In other words, what really makes a song stand out and last? And with your music, which song or songs do you feel have met that challenge, have come close to it, or are you currently just enjoying the creative bliss?

New Risen: Humm good question Lynda. For me a real good song is a song that really makes you feel something deep inside. It’s more a personal feeling in fact at one moment of your life. A classic song is a great melody that can stand alone without any music, a melody you can sing a capella or you can dress with any musical background from jazz to metal. Martin Gore from Depeche Mode is certainly one of the best melodists on earth. He wrote many classic songs covered by many bands in various genres. Of course when I write songs I enjoy the creative bliss, it’s an important and exciting part of creativity, but I also want my songs to sound good at the end. ‘Private Cell’ could be a classic song…I’m proud of the melody and lyrics. But it’s very pretentious from me to say that, future will tell and my fans too…

Grave Concerns: Grave Concerns: Are you into the creative art of illusions? If so, whom do you admire?

New Risen: I really enjoy to watch these amazing pictures and particularly in the field of gothic or Sci-Fi. It’s very inspiring, but I can’t name any artists, sorry.
                                                                                                   
Grave Concerns: Are you superstitious?
                    
New Risen:  (crossing his fingers) Not really.
Grave Concerns: (:

Grave Concerns: How did you know you truly wanted to be a musician? Did you ever have doubts about giving up? What is one thing you would say to those interested in pursing a music career?

New Risen: Well, I started singing at school with rock bands, I think it was a need, a kind of delivery from my childhood solitude and shyness. After my past bands split I felt bad, angry with such waste of time and creativity and yes, I was about to give up… but only for few minutes! But I knew music was my life, my blood, so I bought a synthesizer and started writing my own songs. And like a vampire I came back to life again. A rebirth, new risen!!! So my advice is: believe in your dreams, never give up, and if you are true and sincere, people will follow you one day. But the road is long…

Grave Concerns: What’s your favorite flower?

New Risen:  No specific one but all blue and black flowers.
Grave Concerns: Sounds lovely and VERY striking. May I please have some seed packets?

Grave Concerns: Name four places, yet to be traveled to, that you want to see?

New Risen:  Greenland, Scotland, Transylvania and of course United States (I only been once in Pittsburgh, PA).
Grave Concerns: I have a lot of Scottish in me…I’d love to visit there as well. ABSOULIRY Transylvania…man, I’m going to need to marry a Pharmacist…lol!

Grave Concerns: If you were asked to become a vampire, would you?

New Risen:  Of course I would!!! Being immortal and born again as a rock’n’roll star! Ah ah yeahh welcome mister Lestat!

Grave Concerns: Grave Concerns: Being a member of MySpace, how has it helped, or hindered your musical endeavors? And which countries do you feel have embraced your music the most?

New Risen: It’s a great place to ‘meet’ interesting personalities or artists, and make great connections like it happened with the band Monochronic for the remix of ‘Your Ghost’. And of course it’s also a good place to promote your work. I found Russian fans! I noticed that my music has great feedback from people from Germany, Portugal, USA, Italia, UK, South America and East Europe. Cool.

Grave Concerns: In a log, in a forest that you frequently travel, you found a red sack---inside was money, $986.22 to be exact. What do you do with it?

New Risen:  To be true with you Lynda, I have no idea about what this sum match to… But If I found it, I’ll keep it to finish the building of my own rehearsal studio!

Grave Concerns: What color is your kitchen floor?

New Risen:  A kind of vomit yellow color ah ah. It helps sometimes to not bring up twice!
Grave Concerns: You’re forth word said it all my friend…(;

Grave Concerns: You’ve been invited to a masquerade ball, what does your costume look like? And when you first walked in, what was the music being played, and who did you see looking intently at you…perhaps even through you? What do you think that means to you?

New Risen:  I will be dressed like Dorian Gray in a beautiful 19th century costume you will see in the future video of the song ‘Dark Winter’…

So I enter the huge wood door and get inside…the first notes of ‘Wunderbar’ from Deine Lakaien are playing…and then I saw you Lynda, in a beautiful blue velvet dress staring at me…I follow you upstairs in a Victorian room… we drink a cup of champagne… and we make… the interview.
Grave Concerns: You’re a man after my heart…my dreams…I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this answer! You know, you may just have something there with a future music video…hmmm. (;

Grave Concerns: Do you have a preference for jam or jelly? What flavor?

New Risen:  Apricot flavor jam. Jelly is not so common in France.

Grave Concerns: If it were possible to have trees and flowers which only bloom in the springtime, be able to bloom once every other year in complete safety, for three extra weeks, which trees and flowers would you like to see, and what season would they bloom in for you?

New Risen:  Certainly during a dark winter… I love fir trees.

Grave Concerns: Same question as above, although this time it’s in regard to birds. I’d love to see the Hummingbirds…in winter. It would look amazing to see snowflakes and a thin glaze of ice on their wings, and iridescent bodies.

New Risen:  A majestic eagle, again in this dark winter…

Grave Concerns: You’ve been asked to create a new word defining your style of music. What is that word?

New Risen:  ‘Synthpop-gothic’ music. But it’s more to critics to define and name the style, no?
Grave Concerns: If you like it…you stand behind it! You just may create something that’s very catchy. Plus, you’re the artist…you know where your passions lie.

Grave Concerns: What has been the most beautiful sunrise or sunset that you’ve seen?

New Risen:  I live in front of the sea by the Atlantic Coast so I can see amazing sunrises and sunsets all year long and especially during wintertime.

Grave Concerns: Besides the obvious necessities of life, what are six things that you can’t be without?

New Risen:  Whiskey, whiskey, whiskey, whiskey, whiskey, and my toothbrush!
Grave Concerns: Hey, where’s the toothpaste? (;

Grave Concerns: If you were able to put on a concert for charity, which one/s would you be supporting, and which artists would you like to headline?

New Risen:  Hard to tell as they are, unfortunately, so many charity causes to defend. Maybe for child violence, I think it’s the worst! I’d like to headline Annie Lennox and make a duet with her… but please NO Bono!!!
Grave Concerns: Monsters who do such evil...It’s so beyond a crime. Love Annie Lennox! Oh no…what’s up Bono?

Grave Concerns: What is something about the human race that really gets you down…make you wonder…how could that person do that, act that way…say that?

New Risen:  Violence! How some people can kill, hurt, rape!!! I’m appalled by violence!

Grave Concerns: I feel it too.

Grave Concerns: What then, on the other hand, does the human race do to make you feel simply proud and amazed by?

New Risen:  Sorry, nothing! But I will think about it.

Grave Concerns: Since nature is very precious to me, I tend to be drawn more toward the Earth element. Although each one has its own special attributes, together they are priceless. Which element do you see yourself more drawn toward?

New Risen:  As I told you, I live by the sea, so Water is the most important natural element for me.

Grave Concerns: If you were to plant a tree to symbolize something special in your life, where would that tree be planted, and what kind is it?

New Risen:  A Fir tree in Greenland and an Olive tree on Mars!

Grave Concerns: If your were to write a short story or a novel based on one of your songs, which one would it be? And if it was to be adapted to the silver screen, who would be your leading actor and actress?

New Risen: The song ‘Pandora’s Box’ with Amy Lee (Evanescence) and Peter Steele (Type O Negative) as leading actors! Does Grave Concerns want to produce the movie???
Grave Concerns: What do you think Julie?! (:

Grave Concerns: How do you define happiness and love?

New Risen:  Humm well you know I’m a very romantic man, so I think that if you find the right person to share your dreams and life with, you have found love and happiness.

Grave Concerns: What’s your favorite French expression? What’s your favorite American expression?

New Risen:  ‘Oh merde!’ ‘ Oh shit!’ Not so romantic ah ah.
Grave Concerns: NICE! (: Well…

Grave Concerns: Who are some of your favorite painters, poets, and writers? I read that your song “Dark Winter” was inspired from Casper Friedrich’s “Cloister Cemetery in the Snow”. And I read that the painting was destroyed in 1945, in the National Gallery, Berlin. Such a loss—it’s an amazingly beautiful painting. Thank you for mentioning the painting. I’m glad to know of it.

New Risen:  Oh yes thanks Lynda I was completely staggered by this painting from Casper Friedrich ‘Cloister Cemetery in the Snow’! Woah! I didn’t know about this great painter before, but when I found this wonderful gothic painting I felt really inspired to write a story, a song about it. That’s how I composed the song ‘Dark Winter’. And I felt so sad to learn that this masterpiece was no longer here, destroyed during the war…so bad and stupid. I love old gothic literature such as Mary Shelley, Emily Brontë, Oscar Wilde, Allan Edgar Poe…But I know there’s also a lot of new talentuous authors, just have to find time to read more.

Grave Concerns: Grave Concerns: As a musician, how does the music in movies affect you? And if you were asked to compose a song for a soundtrack, which genera would that be in? Now let me take that question even further---actually backward; if you were to go back to the past, with your current music in hand, and were asked that same question, would any of your songs stand out as a good fit? If so, which song and movie would it have been?

New Risen:  I love the soundtrack from ‘The Lord of the Rings’, so great! But you know Lynda, I think it’s a very different job to compose music or song for a movie than composing for its own musical project. I mean I would prefer a film director to say “hey New Risen, I love your song, can I use it for my movie?” you see. So I can’t really answer to this question, but of course if someone directs a movie about Casper Friedrich, I will be proud to have ‘Dark Winter’ part of the soundtrack!

Grave Concerns: OK. Here are a couple of fun questions. You’ve just created a jigsaw puzzle…how many pieces does it have, and what will the final picture be of?

New Risen:  Maybe 666 pieces to portray Heaven!

Grave Concerns: Proudest moment yet?

New Risen:  Just now, answering your questions Lynda.
Grave Concerns: (: Now that’s so sweet…thank you. No one has answered this question like that.

Grave Concerns: Have you ever had a music/lyrics dream? And if so, were you able to remember it enough to write down the melody and lyrics?  

New Risen:  Oh no! I have so many ideas of music and lyrics sleeping in my drawers. Wait for the next album from New Risen!

Grave Concerns: I’m giving you 13 letters to choose from, in any order; you only have to use 6 of them (you can use more if you want, but not less than 6) and you have to make up a phrase describing an encounter with a half woman, half butterfly who has just asked you to dance with her. But only with these letters... MBCJGSALIEYRO.

New Risen:  More jig (?)

Grave Concerns: Do you throw coins in the fountain and make wishes?

New Risen:  Yes it already happened, but especially during foreign holidays after having sea bath and long drinks…shame on me!  

Grave Concerns: If you had the power to live the life of any character in a movie for one-week after the end credits rolled, who would you choose and why?

New Risen:  Smeagol in ‘The Lord of the Rings’! We have a lot of in commons…

Grave Concerns: What are your favorite breakfast foods?

New Risen:  Only tea with milk and dietetic cakes…but if one of my American fans could send me the recipe of cinnamon rolls!!! I’m completely mad of this US cakes!
Grave Concerns: Cinnamon rolls are YUMMY!

Grave Concerns: What do you feel are the biggest misconceptions about your style of music? Have you’ve been able to sway those who once weren’t to keen on it; or do you just let it roll, and continue to do what you love? And what is it about the New wave/ Gothic/Alternative scene that is so appealing to you?

New Risen:  You know I was there during the post-punk music explosion years. Of course I was younger but I was there to buy the first LPs from Bauhaus, Siouxsie & the Banshees, The Cure, Depeche Mode, Christian Death, The Cramps…all these great bands I still love today! So it’s my life, it’s my culture, it’s my blood! I love sad, melodramatic songs along with the aestheticism of the dark culture.
But far from all these influences I simply write songs and sing with my heart and my soul, that’s all!

Grave Concerns: I love ghost stories, dark beings, magical creatures, and unexplained occurrences, in general; what kind of unusual and wonderful stories have you heard living on the west coast of France? And do you believe them?

New Risen:  Of course I believe in all these legends, it’s an inexhaustible source for creativity and imagination. You certainly heard about King Arthur, Merlin the magician, Excalibur, Lady of the Lake… this wonderful and gripping legends took place in the Forest of Brocéliande, just near to my home… great stories.
Grave Concerns: Wonderful and enchanting stories…I’m sure in a past life I was there.

Grave Concerns: If you had the chance to travel back to the past, where would you go, and what would you want to leave as a reminder of time spent, as well as, something to take back with you?

New Risen:  I would go back to childhood, leaving here my tears and bringing back my dreams and hopes…

Grave Concerns: If you had the ability to change the color of the sky during the daylight hours to a color of your choice…once every 3 months, what four colors would you choose, and why?

New Risen:  True blue, cool blue, marine blue, dark blue. I love the blue color. When I was young I read an old fairy tale, and I thought my eyes could become blue while staring at the sky…
Grave Concerns: Lovely colors of blue… and a very intriguing fairy tale.

Grave Concerns: New Risen, how do you define romance? And what has been the most romantic thing you’ve done, or that someone has done for you?

New Risen:  Romance? Well I will sound typical, but a fire in the chimney, black roses on the table, a good meal I cooked, good wines…and a kiss under the full moon. A ‘cliché’ but it already happened.
Grave Concerns: Awww, how wonderful! (:

Grave Concerns: Here’s another game I like to call “Would You Rather”…
1. Host a party for the undead, or be the guest of honor?
2. Swim in a lagoon with a vampriess during a full moon, or swim with a high priestess during an eclipse?
3. Contact a spirit from the past world, or the future?

New Risen:  1. Host a party for the undead 2. Swim in a lagoon with a vampriess during a full moon 3. Contact a spirit from the past world.

Grave Concerns: I love the intricate looks of Labyrinths, and the mysteriousness of what lies within them. If you were to create one, how would it look?

New Risen:  A beautiful English labyrinth garden made with box trees…

Grave Concerns: Favorite drink? Favorite pub? Or just simply, a favorite hangout you like to mention?

New Risen:  Islay whiskeys, especially Laphroaig one!

Grave Concerns: Please share some of your fun interests you have---and do you have a pet? Or perhaps pets?

New Risen:  Oh normally I don’t like pets, but since few months I have two adorable wild baby cats in my garden. A red and a grey one looking like twins! Sooo cute, and now as I give them some little food, they are in love with me and want to jump on my synthesizer! Grrhhh.

Grave Concerns: Write whatever comes to your mind after reading the following:
1. The red veil covered her face…
2. At the edge of the tower…
3. Sometime during the night…
4. So blue was the water when…
5. At the alter stood…

New Risen:
The red veil covered her face as she stared at him with grace
At the edge of the tower she stood with dead flowers
Sometime during the night she could see a light  
So blue was the water, like a deadly treasure
At the alter stood the one she was promised to…
Grave Concerns: Incredible---love your responses! (:

Grave Concerns: What is something about yourself, that your fans would be surprised to know.

New Risen: My artist name ‘New Risen’ was chosen in tribute to the English band ‘Eyeless in Gaza’ (Martyn Bates & Peter Becker). It’s one of my favourite bands ever and ‘New Risen’ is one of their old songs, and it also means ‘rebirth’…

Grave Concerns: Since your music has such lovely and fantastic influences of other worlds, if you could create your own magical place, what would it be called, and how would it look?

New Risen:  Since I’ve seen Peter Jackson’s ‘Lord of the Rings’, I think New Zealand could be that magical place.

Grave Concerns: What would you like to say to your fans right now?

New Risen:  I hope you really enjoy songs from my album ‘Dark Winter’ while reading this interview. And hope to meet you in concert soon!

Grave Concerns: Anything else you care to share about yourself and/or your music?

New Risen:  Well, I also hope you could watch song’s videos from ‘Dark Winter’ very soon. I’m working on it but didn’t find the right director yet…I just fired the last one!
Grave Concerns: Oops…looking forward to the videos. Keep us posted!

Grave Concerns: Many thank-yous New Risen for this interview. We here at Grave Concerns wish you wondrously creative opportunities within your endeavors. Please keep in touch! Cheers!

New Risen:  Many thanks to you Lynda and to all at Grave Concerns, it was a real pleasure to answer your questions. See you soon, dark embraces!

For more information on New Risen check out
https://www.myspace.com/newrisen and https://newrisen.free.fr/