If you discuss the name “My Immortal,” you may mean one of two things. The first is the 2003 hit tune from rock band Evanescence. The second is a Harry Potter fanfic so transcendentally, mysteriously bad that its transfixed the internet for many years.
We acknowledged that “Wasted on You” had a bunch of lyrical content that felt like all of a sudden where we were. So we opted for that. I actually wanted it to be genuine on a level like people hadnt seen us before: in our own houses, in our real lives, not dressed up, not in makeup, simply the real, raw us.
The following interview has actually been condensed and lightly edited for clarity.
The fanfic My Immortal is about a time-traveling mall-goth teenage vampire wizard (called “Ebony Dark ness Dementia Raven Way”) who is consumed with Evanescence and a range of goth-inflected rock bands. Shes expected to look like Amy Lee, Evanescences lead songwriter, singer, and pianist. And to this day, nobody is sure who wrote the story or whether they were severe.
Youve made two videos under quarantine, and theyve taken extremely different methods. What was the procedure behind each of them?
These videos– recorded in living rooms, automobiles, and other individual areas– offer fans a brand-new kind of appearance into the band members lives. I was curious about a different kind of fan relationship: did the creators of “My Immortal” know about My Immortal?
We really needed to simply believe kind of quickly. We were working on another video treatment that would have been full-production, this whole offer with a huge crew and things we could no longer have due to the fact that of the pandemic– including the reality that we couldnt even physically get together since we live all over the world.
I hope it simply reveals more and more of that desire to be susceptible because as difficult as it is, it constantly leaves me feeling more pleased than simply putting on a pretty face.
A few of us have actually gone through some difficult things in the previous few years. Theres just been a lot of difficult. You understand when youre finally forced to stop being sidetracked by all the things that keep us delighted, theres silence– and that things comes out.
” When youre finally forced to stop being distracted, theres silence– which things comes out.”
Back in the genuine world, Lee and the rest of Evanescence have actually invested months under stay-at-home orders throughout the coronavirus pandemic. Theyve utilized that time to film two music videos in partnership with director P.R. Brown, each shot by band members and their households.
We were just sharing deeply in a manner that we do not normally go all the method with when it pertains to a minimum of our visuals. When I pour my lyrics into my music, its constantly really raw. In this, its like, were not going to hold back on the video side and simply make it beautiful– were going to go for it and let it be awful and share the dark parts of ourselves.
I consider a great deal of your music as being open and susceptible, and you connect with fans online. What does recording a video in the house like this communicate that your typical social media presence and music do not?
And when you go there, youre going to see that. I believe thats real for everybody. Its simply a place where individuals do not have to show their face to say things, and theres a lot of unsightly out there.
For the second one, its like “Okay, how do we take what weve learned and amp it up even more to make it look like a genuine video more than simply us being ourselves?” We have all been extremely severe about the lockdown, so we have been totally alone for the a lot of part throughout this time– and that is cool in some ways as a creator. However you actually have to deal with yourself all the time.
Image by Mark Horton/ Getty Images
Whats your relationship specifically with fanworks? Do people send you things that were motivated by you?
There are other things that you have to keep due to the fact that theyre so hilariously funny. Its like, I know this persons like 12 years completely sincere and old, however this is so funny.
Ive got this big collection of things that Ive been hanging on to just from the start. There are so many talented individuals out there that pour their efforts into making a piece of visual art that is either of something in the Evanescence world or simply something else that came out of them while they were listening to our music.
Which brings me to my next question: had you ever became aware of My Immortal?
I read I think not quite half of it, but it did have me in tears. I was laughing really, actually hard at one point, simply because of the rubbish. And then I began asking myself, is this real? I cant rather tell. Im completely undecided. Is it sincere? I feel like it started possibly as sincere, however they got in on it and started playing it up for the haters. I cant tell! What do you think?
There are features of it that arent cool to talk about. Like its not amusing to discuss slitting your wrists. It takes me a second to get past that joke, which is so repeating.
Yeah, if you go back to old web culture, a great deal of it is really ugly. And its unusual trying to separate that things out.
Its one of her preferred things that she believes is the most funny thing in the world, and I still simply kept not reading it. Its been sort of this ongoing joke with us. And after that I got a call a couple of days ago that you desired to discuss it, so I was like, “Oh, crap. I need to check out a bit of it.”
I noticed a misspelling that was like, rather of triumphantly, it was “triumelephantly.” And I was like, come on, you dont believe “elephant” is inside “triumphant.” Theres no chance.
” Is this genuine? Im absolutely undecided.”
I absolutely saw that, too! Im torn since I desire it to be sincere, type of … however I dont understand.
I think for quite a while I was just unaware of it. And then my negative, Reddit-loving younger sister whos also an English teacher, someplace throughout the vacation every year when the familys all together, itll come up for some reason. And shes like, “Wait– you still have not read My Immortal?” And Im like, “No, what do you mean?” Shes like, “You have to. Okay, hold on. Let me read you an excerpt.” And after that shell pull up her phone and read some awesome paragraph from the craziest, funniest thing ever that makes no sense.
At one point, the main characters name is spelled 2 different ways within 3 words of each other.
It would need to be so sophisticated, however there are a lot of cases that really make it appear like this individual understands much, far more than the character theyre putting on.
Is it much better now?
A few of us have gone through some challenging things in the past few years. Its just a place where individuals dont have to reveal their face to say things, and theres a lot of unsightly out there.
I do not understand because now Im too old to understand whats going on. However kids do seem nicer. They frequently appear better.
I believe this thing is poking fun at that world– I indicate it would have to be, come on– and that part of it actually resonates with me in a genuine method. Part of whats amusing and weird is like okay, this is explaining hating the preparations, and youre the cool one, youre the underground, you comprehend real life and the gravity of death, and I get it.
Because I did get an actually good laugh out of it last night, I kind of desire to thank you. Its not like, when I have spare time, Im motivated to go read some terribly bad thing. Its in fact quite fascinating.
Maybe everyone having a little bit more of a microphone has actually taught us some things that we need to be conscious of that are outside of our perception and our personal experiences. I think it would be cool if thats true.
And youve got ta love all the characters breaking into tune to sing My Chemical Romance tunes. Its pretty terrific.
That was what always turned me off about the word “goth” when that started being appointed to me in our early days. Im grunge if I was 15 years old and you d asked me what I was. I purchase all my clothing at yard sales, I dont do crap to my appearance, I prepare two seconds prior to school, and all the preps are the ones who put all their focus on their looks and what party theyre going to go to.
Its one of her favorite things that she believes is the most amusing thing in the world, and I still just kept not reading it. I think this thing is poking enjoyable at that world– I suggest it would have to be, come on– and that part of it actually resonates with me in a real method. Its not like, when I have totally free time, Im inspired to go check out some badly bad thing.
Yeah, that part was funny to me. That part existed.
I like the concept of you learning about this thing for years without having actually read it.
I was a teen around when My Immortal came out, and it seems like it explains a very recognizable “preps versus goths” competition. Did you feel that?
