Who are Sirenia and who is Ailyn?
Sirenia is a Norwegian gothic metal band, formed in Stavanger, Norway in 2001. Sirenia combines strong melodic instrumentals, keyboard synthesis, and guitar works with light, female vocals (Fabienne Gondamin, Henriette Bordvik, Monika Pedersen, and currently Ailyn), male death vocals, and a choir. Current band members are Morten Veland (programming, growling, clean vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards), Ailyn (female vocals), Jonathan Perez (drums), and Michael Krumins (guitars, ex-Green Carnation). (From last.fm)
Pilar Giménez García (born May 29, 1982), known first as An Ling, then as Ailyn, is a Spanish singer born in Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain. She is the current female vocalist of the Norwegian gothic metal band Sirenia, she is also known as a member of the young team in the Spanish version of X Factor (TV series). On April 9, 2008 Morten Veland announced Ailyn as the new singer of Sirenia, replacing Monika Pedersen. She was selected among more than 500 female singers that applied for Sirenia’s female vocalist position. (From last.fm)
- Hello Ailyn, this is Rami from LebMetal.com. On behalf of LebMetal.com I would like to thank you for this interview. Tell us about your past musical projects and how where you chosen as Sirenia female vocalist out of 500 women.
Ailyn: I started singing when I was about 11 or 12, but as a professional I started at 18. I was singing with two other girls for 2 years, but I decided to go solo because we had different points of view. Later I attended some national and international competitions, and I was in the first places. Sometime later I auditioned for X Factor.I got selected as Sirenia’s new vocalist as an accident. My sister added them to my myspace’s friends, but we didn’t realize that if you wanted to audition for the band you had to send them your demo or add them as friends, so I was shocked when they wrote to me asking to go to Norway and audition for the new vocalist. I went there twice, the first time was an studio audition and the second one with all the band members. I think I was selected because I’m what Morten was looking for the band, and also since the first moment we connected all the members from Sirenia and me.
- Lebmetal: Was the material for the new album “The 13th Floor” ready when you joined Sirenia? Did you add in some personal touches?
Ailyn: When I arrived to the band almost all material was done. Morten gave me the music with the melody already done and I sung it, but he never told me to sing one way or another, he let me sing the tunes my own way. But yes, if sometimes he thought I had to be more powerful with my voice or make it softer, he told me. Morten is the one who composes and he’s the only one who really knows how he wants the end results to be like. I’m not sure if I added a lot or little, because we both have similar tastes so we had no problems in the recording process, it was in fact really fun.
- Lebmetal: Any new material being written currently? If any, can you give us an idea about the theme and titles?
Ailyn: It’s too soon to talk about it, right now we’re trying to do as much shows as we can to promote ‘The 13th Floor”.
At first, being selected as the new vocalist was a challenge for me, because I came from a reality and people weren’t happy about that, but slowly it seems people are accepting that I’m the new vocalist for Sirenia.
Ailyn: Sirenia has added a lot of things to my experience as a vocalist, because before I got in the band, I had little experience in stage, and also as I was a solo artist, all the music was previously recorded and it was played on a CD. Sirenia taught me how wonderful is to be in a stage with your band mates and the music being live.
- Lebmetal: Will we see Sirenia in concert in Lebanon and any last words for the metal heads in the Middle East?
Ailyn: We all would like to visit Lebanon, it would be really great to perform there. Also I would like to thank all the people who day by day are there supporting us unconditionally. Thank you all.
