Interview with Adara

Interview by Olga Schneider

1. First of all, I wanted to express my gratitude for seeing another strong and talented woman take part in another issue of this webzine! How are you doing after such a long time of damn restrictions? Some massive shows are planned as I can see!

I’m doing well after the restrictions. It’s great to have some freedom back and to be back in the studio with the band. There are some shows booked but this year we want to mainly focus on the recording of the upcoming second album.

2. Now let’s talk about the history of the band as it is nowadays. Tell us a bit more about your appearance in Agrona. How was it to join a band that had been existing for a while as a new leader?

So first of all I joined Agrona, as a vocalist in 2016 because the guys wanted me to do guest vocals on their debut album ‘Realm of the Fallen’ and I basically never left! So for a couple of years I was their secondary vocalist. Eventually after some personnel changes in Agrona the primary vocalist Taranis left and I had the opportunity to take over as sole frontwoman. For me it was a big responsibility as I wanted to deliver a really good show and be a good frontwoman.

3. As we can see, Agrona didn’t have any big releases before 2018. Do I understand it right that when you joined the band, that was the first time even when Agrona started some solid activities, such as releasing a LP, starting some concert activities etc?

Before I joined, Agrona were working on demos and had played the New Blood stage at Bloodstock Open Air. They were also already working on the first album by the time I joined the band which is why I only appear on two songs (Immaterium and Summoning the Void) but as I said before it wasn’t planned. I really thought that this was literally just to do guest vocals, but they asked me to join the band as a full member and co-vocalist to Taranis.

4.What difficulties did you meet starting your activity in Agrona and taking the most part of everything happening in the band and with the band as your responsibility? What where the biggest steps you took for making band kinda alive and more known?

The main element that was difficult in the start was very much being one of two vocalists, as sharing this role meant there was less space for both of us to do what we do and to properly express ourselves. When I later took over as sole vocalist I remember mention ing in one interview I had “unleashed the beast”. Pushing the band to be what it is today I have to give credit to our guitarist Aeron first and foremost. Obviously I think all of us have put in a lot of work, and of course I am the frontwoman but I’m actually very shy in my personal life. A lot of the music industry is based on your relationships and contacts, Aeron in particular really excels at this. I’m much happier in a dark corner somewhere, away from people, ha.

5. How do you see the difference between your activity in Agrona and your previous band Wolvencrown? Where do you see more freedom for self-expression and why?

Wolvencrown was great experi ence and I love those guys to bits but musi cally I think I’m definitely better suited to Agrona. At the moment where I am in Agrona, I’m where I want to be. This is where I can have my alter ego as an evil witch who shouts at people and looks like they eat kids! For me the performance is like therapy, just to get it off your chest through screaming.

6. You have an incredibly strong stage look. What was the prototype/ inspiration for it? Does it express a solid part of who you are in everyday life? Or is it something completely different, and you’re one on stage and completely different in life?

I just always liked the spiritualism and the folklore, and I think that I’m completely different off stage. On stage I’m a person who is enjoying the power and wants to be seen, who wants to siphon that energy from the audience and transform it into something bigger and more powerful. Off stage I’m quite reserved and much more introverted, I like to have a decent conversation, but I am definitely not a party animal. I would say I prefer my cat to most people!

7. In my opinion, you’re an incredible example of an Extreme Metal frontwoman who manages to combine feminity and harshness on stage without dragging yourself to the commercial side. What and who do you take inspi ration from?

Thank you for your kind words, I don’t see the point in show i n g off my body or having a sexy cos tume b e cause I think it’s more about my voice and my presence. Agrona is not that type of band, none of us wants to build our career on my gender, it doesn’t matter who we are, only the music that we create together matters. When I was younger a big one for me was Anorexia Nervosa.

Over the years I’ve also drawn influence from bands such as Blut Aus Nord, Ultar, Grima and Cult of Fire. A really important one is Ihsahn of Emperor though. I also remember at age 14 seeing Angela Gossow (Arch Enemy) and trying to replicate that in my living room, to the confusion of my parents. But despite that, I wouldn’t really call myself a particularly big fan of Arch Enemy, I always really preferred male vocals.

8. Are you currently working with any new material? What should we expect from you this time and how soon if it’s not a secret? ^^

We’re aiming to start recording our new album in the second half of the year and hopefully it will be released at the end of 2022 or early in 2023. It’ll be a concept album about Welsh folklore. Wales is an ancient place with many varied stories, many of them are very dark and twisted but they are largely unknown outside of Wales. The new album will have a lot of beautiful symphonic melodies but with a twisted harshness and full of blast beats.

9. In the end of this interview, what would you like to say to our readers and crew?

First of all, I would like to say thank you for the interview and your kindness. Keep a close eye on Agrona because the upcoming album will be something very special. Also, if there are any girls dreaming of being on stage, don’t be shy and go for your dreams. Because everyone can do it with a bit of willpower. Don’t listen to people who say you can’t do it, fuck them.