Interview by Ed MacLaren

 

  UK metal singer Sarah Jezebel Deva is the epitome of good things coming to those who wait. After years contributing background vocals to Cradle of Filth and many other high-profile metal bands, Sarah finally stepped out on her own. All her growth, work, triumphs and setbacks over the years have culminated in her stellar sophomore album, "A Corruption of Mercy". A diverse and rock solid effort, "A Corruption of Mercy"  will ensure that Sarah’s microphone stands front and center stage for the rest of her career. Sarah took some time to give Femme Metal some straight talk on music, marriage and staying true to your vision.

Congratulations on the new album, "A Corruption of Mercy", Sarah! You must be very pleased with how it turned out!

Very. A musician must be proud and then it doesn't matter what anyone else says or thinks. We know this album is 10 times better than the last. On the last album, I couldn't hold my head high but now I can and that makes me and the rest of the band very happy.

When you made your first solo album, "A Sign of Sublime", there must have been a lot of pressure since it was your first solo outing. Did you feel the same when recording "The Corruption of Mercy" or was the pressure gone since the monkey was off your back, so to speak?

There was more pressure for "The Corruption of Mercy" because I knew it had to be a million times better and I had a lot to prove. ASOS never got much promo, the press it did get was 50/50 good and negative but even the good reviews… Well, I never believed it because I knew what went wrong. When you put your heart and soul into something and the end result ends up being less than 1 out of 10 on your own satisfaction scale you want to bury your head in the sand and hope it all goes away, I decided to get on with it and prove I had a voice and a goal and nothing was going to stop me. I love the movie score tracks and the ballad on ASOS; I don't mind the title track but the rest of it just went horribly wrong. It did me no favors but that’s life.

You’ve described "A Sign of Sublime" as running the musical gamut between extreme metal and atmospheric tracks right out of a movie score. Was your original plan to continue that musical approach with "The Corruption of Mercy" ?

I now describe ASOS as a big mistake! (Laughs) I had a vision and it failed due to "higher powers" losing files and ruining a lot for this release. After the mess that album was left in, I just thought, "Don't plan and just see what happens. Whatever will be will be". We don’t set out to be like anyone, to sound like anyone. We don't sit there and say, "Ah, this band is big right now, we must copy them to make sure we get good reviews and sales". We do what comes naturally. We sit, we write and we put a lot of energy and emotion into what we do. If you don’t, people do see through it eventually.

You’ve been quoted as saying that "The Corruption of Mercy" should have been your first solo album. Were there specific things about "A Sign of Sublime" that you weren’t happy with? How did you rectify them with "The Corruption of Mercy" ?

I think if most people who have an idea about what a sound should sound like, they know what went wrong. ASOS was recorded in four different countries. It sounds exotic but it didn't work. The big problem was the hands it fell into. The new album was done in one place – apart from the orchestrations and programming – one studio and two people had control, myself and Dan Abela – who owns Escape Route/Legacy London Studios. The album was just better planned with a clearer vision.

There were artwork issues that caused a delay in the album’s release. What happened? Did you have to compromise your vision for the original artwork?

The record company was slightly worried that having such a graphic image on the front cover would get the release banned from the shelf. See, we all knew what the image was about but most people just see "tits" and "arse" and don’t bother to look at the rest of the image and just judge it as cheap. That’s not what that image is about. Just like the front cover of the Angtoria album.

"The Corruption of Mercy"  is your first in a three-album deal with Listenable Records. How did the deal come about? What went wrong with Rising Records?

As far as I’m concerned, misplaced trust and lies and attitude. I would like to think it never happened. Listenable have ALWAYS been nice, honest, loyal and get the job done properly and professionally. They’ve always supported me too, so I just didn't really want to take a chance with a stranger again. Listenable put music first, that’s what I needed and that’s what I knew they would do and I knew this because Angtoria is signed to Listenable.

Your voice is in fine form on the new album – as always. You have such a flexible and versatile voice it must have a blast working out your vocal lines and melodies.

My voice has its moments! (Laughs) I mean, you can look at some live Cradle of Filth stuff to know it’s not always in top form but when you can't hear yourself on stage and you are not a priority because you are "just" a backing singer, you try your best and hope for the best. My hearing is messed up due to all that now. Now I’m the lead singer, I have a fighting chance of being able to hear myself and hit notes. (Laughs) You take a lot of the big bands out there, they have the money for amazing gear on stage and sound effects. We don’t have that yet, maybe one day. The studio is different – you can hear yourself! You can play around and experiment. That’s what I do. I just wanna be me. Don’t expect anything from me... I have passion for what I do; I don’t want to be perfect but thank you for the kind words.

That vocal adaptability is a huge reason you’ve had so much success as a vocalist on so many different projects. What do you do to take care of the pipes?

Well, I don't take care of them... When my voice was in top form, the live sound always went against me. On tour, just try and sleep with a load of piss heads running up and down the aisles, smoking and shouting, so, you kinda join in otherwise you won't fit in. I always warmed up though, always. I smoke a lot less now, I don't do drugs and I barely drink anymore. What is left, I value!

You were the “go to” female vocalist for bands during the 2000s. Your resume – with Cradle of Filth, Therion, and Mortiis and many others – looks like a who’s who of European metal. And then you turn around and break out solo to start the new decade. Were you interested in a solo career during that time or were you just preparing yourself and gaining experience before making the leap?

To be "just" a backing singer was never the aim. I just got comfortable. I loved the touring, the big shows, I neglected myself but then my confidence wasn't too high back then, I mean, be honest, I was a chunky girl on a scene full of men and the press never gave a damn or acknowledged anything other than the size of my hips and breasts. It was a lot harder back then. (Laughs) By the time I grew some balls and went it alone, well, I think now, maybe I’ve left it too late? I’m not sure.... I have years and years of experience standing in the background doing "ohh" and "ahhs"... and only 14 shows worth of front woman experience. I have a lot to learn!

 

How does it feel to have your name on the marquee now? Succeed or fail, it’s all on you. It must be an empowering feeling.

But my name isn't on the marquee ... I don’t fit the press’ idea of what should be in their magazines. I don’t have an emo haircut and I’m not a size zero. The attitude of some of the press is much like a pop mag, "If WE think you look good enough, we will support your band". Metal used to be about sound, having fun and head banging, now it’s about image and selling mags. I miss RAW magazine. Only UK people will know that mag: it was a good read. You know, succeeding and failing is in your head. If I’m happy, then I’ve succeeded, only I can measure that, no one else. It’s all about how YOU feel inside; in the words of Suicidal Tendencies, "You Can't Bring Me Down" (Laughs) That’s how every human should think!

What are the best and worst parts of being a solo artist compared to being part of a band?

The thing I really hate is when the band gets ignored and excluded. When people say, "Sarah, your new album is amazing" or "Sarah, your new songs and riffs are great". You get what I’m saying, I hate it. The lead singer is normally the one that does the least. The band can survive without me, I can't survive without my band. We are equal and people need to remember that. So because of that, I’m the first one to get the blame for something. If a fan doesn't like a song, it’s my fault! (Laughs) No one else's.

There aren’t too many singers that have taken the career route that you have. It must take a certain type of personality to provide strong contributions in a support role for such a long time and still be ready to handle the spotlight when it’s finally pointed directly at you.

It’s my life; I’m the one that has to wake up being me. I’m the one that wants to wake up when I’m 60 and think "I tried to be something, someone. I got off my arse and instead of sitting online slagging people off for trying, I was the one that tried and I busted my balls and did something." I’m very lucky, you know, to be blessed with a size zero body and the voice of an angel. (Laughs) I’m honestly grateful to everyone that has ever given me a chance and I’m also very grateful for all the knob heads I have come across because they’ve taught me one thing: you’ll never get anywhere by being bitter and judgmental. I used to be narrow-minded, and then I grew up. I started to help people and I tried that with my lyrics. I have met some amazing people and I can't wait to meet even more.

This is your third album handling full-vocal duties – two solo plus one with Angtoria – but you’ve been in the business for over 15 years. What did you learn during that time to prepare you for stepping out on your own as a vocalist and songwriter?

Just be me and not let anyone bring me down. Don’t do things to make others happy. Do not write music to fit into the current trends. I’m not fake. I just love music and want to sing!

Are there any differences between how you approach your vocals when you’re recording your own music versus interpreting music and melodies written by others? There must be a science to it!

I ask them what they want and I give my opinion and they normally ask me what I want to do. I ask if I can be me! I normally get "Do what you feel is right" which I am glad for. I mean, they know what they are getting when they work with me. (Laughs)

Several years ago, you had critical and musical success with Angtoria – your first solo vocal gig. What’s the current status of that project? Is there a chance of another Angtoria album down the road?

To be honest, I don’t think so now. I mean, I wouldn't rule it out but so many things happened to stop Angtoria being what it should have been. I favored COF over everything. I suppose fear stopped me from moving on and also being told by someone that I won't do better than COF. Well... maybe I listened to the wrong people. Also, Tommy and Chris have families; they needed to support their families and they needed to work and put their families first. If it happens, trust me, you will know about it but I’m glad we did the album and video but do regret not pushing harder.

So you’re getting married… Is a ring on your finger going to have any impact on your future musical or touring plans – you’ve been on the road constantly for over 10 years. Maybe having a husband will be a new source of inspiration and give you more to write about –the next album could be full of happy and joyful songs spilling over with domestic bliss…

I rarely do happy, joyful songs. (Laughs) They normally make for very uninteresting reading. It’s been a very busy time but no, being married will not change a thing. My husband has always been supportive. We first dated when I was 15 and not long after we broke up and I became part of COF, so he knows what music means to me. So he wouldn't ever put demands on me or hold me back – I would kick his arse if he tried! (Laughs)

Helena Iren Michaelsen and Liv Kristine have talked to Femme Metal about the challenges of balancing familes and children with their careers. Are you planning on starting a family after you tie the knot?

To be honest, although I am 34, I still feel too young. You need to have a child when you are mentally ready not because doctors tell you your body clock is ticking. You can't have a child out of pressure. Look around, so many children are having children. It sickens me. I just know that to be able to be a good parent, to guide your child and be there fully, you need to be ready and I still feel like I’m a child myself. I don’t think I’ve totally grown up BUT it will happen in a few years for sure, once my husband has stopped playing with WW II tanks! (Laughs)

You’ve always been very cause oriented. How does your passion in that area infuse itself into your music?

I try not to preach. That doesn't help but I try to make people think. I think that’s the best way: be honest, say what you feel but in a tactful way without forcing issues down people's throats. You choose to read something so I say if people do not like a current issue I am trying to bring light to, just don't read it!

(Famous) Last words?

"How dare we decide the fate of animals".

 

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