Margarita Monet from Edge Of Paradise

THE NAMM SHOW 2022 INTERVIEWS

Interview by Ken Morton - Photo by Jack Lue

Edge Of Paradise unveil music from another world - inspirational and intriguing - crossing genres and setting the imagination in flight. At this year’s edition of The NAMM Show, vocalist Margarita Monet stopped by The Highwire Daze Booth for a meet and greet with fans, signing copies of her poster from Issue #122 photographed by Jack Lue. After the signing, Highwire Daze interviewed Margarita Monet discuss the new Edge Of Paradise album entitled The Unknown, their upcoming European tour with Temperance, the 10 year anniversary of their debut album Mask, a brand new cover song on the horizon, and more!

What are you looking forward to the most about The NAMM Show this year?

Just catching up with people I haven’t seen in so long, like you. And it’s always fun to see new gear. Having fun and catching up with people.

What are you looking forward to the most about your upcoming tour with Temperance?

We’ve been waiting to get back out there and we’re finally going to the UK. Because before we did one show in London, so we’re finally doing more of an extensive UK tour. We’re doing 10 shows – then we have some Netherlands and Belgium shows. We’re just super excited to get out there again and to play this new music, because we really haven’t brought The Unknown to the live stages yet. Temperance is a great band, so it’s going to be a great tour and we’re super excited.

Let’s talk about the new album. Is there any story or concept behind the title The Unknown?

The Unknown – we made the album through 2020. We were supposed to go on tour with Hammerfall, and Beast In Black – it was a full tour here (in North America) for us. We were working towards that, and then everything just sort of cancelled. We had just started recording the new music, but when everything cancelled, we went into the studio with Mike (Plotnikoff) – and Neil (Sanderson) was on the Skype in Canada. So we spent the whole year there. And the story behind it – the song The Unknown is probably closest to my heart because that’s kind of how I want to live my life – not to fear The Unknown – not to fear what tomorrow will bring – whether it’s in this life or the next life or whatever you believe in. I just want to believe things happen for a reason and there’s a good outcome no matter what your situation is now. All the songs always have a positive message at the end, but we do explore some dark places in the universe.

Believe – tell me about that song.

That song – the idea sort of came from my childhood. I think when we are very new to the world, we have very open minds, open hearts – we wouldn’t experience a lot of hardships yet. And there’s this wonder, and the childlike innocence is lost throughout the years because life can be (very difficult). And I noticed it within myself, so I just wanted the song to remind myself and the people to sort of keep that inner fire that we are all born with and believe in something greater. And I think just having that open mind and that outlook is a doorway to a brighter future.

Your first album Mask celebrated it’s 10 year anniversary last year. When you look back on that and think of how you recorded something ten years ago, what do you think of it now in retrospect?

It’s kind of crazy, because I was just talking to Tony Franklin who played bass on that – and this was the first time I met him and we’ve been keeping in touch for 10 years. We’re such a different band now. Back then, I didn’t even know anything about metal or rock or singing when I recorded that album. I would have never imagined myself being where I am today, so it kind of cool looking back to where it all started.

What is the Robin McAuley connection with Edge Of Paradise?

Robin wrote Mask with Dave (Bates) before Dave met me, so that was his music. After Mask, that was when I started writing with Dave. Robin was always very supportive of me – he’s a really great guy!

Do you have any new music on the horizon?

In a month we’re releasing a Welcome To The Jungle cover. It’s nuts! We did a really crazy cyber industrial Welcome To The Jungle – and a maze of madness because we have a really crazy video to go along with it. We wanted to release something before the next album, because we’ve already started to work on the new music. Our next album will be finished in December and will come out early next year – but it’s something to hold people over until we bring the next single forward.

And do you have any messages for Edge Of Paradise fans who are reading this right now?

A huge thank and just so grateful to people that support us – because without people that listen to our music, we would be nowhere completely. So I’m just super grateful and love how music brings us together. It’s like a big family that we’re building, so we’re just very grateful. I just want to thank everyone and can’t wait to see them at a show.

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