I think I may be in love with melodic rock songstress Lana Lane. Don't tell
her husband/keyboardist Erik Norlander that though. Ever since I head her
angelic voice, I just can't get enough of her music. I think it's because
her beautiful and melodic vocals contrast just enough with the crunchy guitars
and textured keyboards that play along beside her.
Most female vocalists
in rock music today are just screaming. Lana actually sings, and that
goes a long way in my book. Every two years Lana does a special album for
her
fans. This year it's Gemini (read
CD review); a covers album with the theme
of "two." As the Zodiac sign for Gemini represents twins, each track on
the album is
paired
up with another by the same artist. To keep thing intresting, some of the
song titles pair up too, and even keyboardist Erik Norlander (read
interview)
released a covers album of his own.
RIL: Every two years you release a “specialty album” for
your fans. Over
the years each album had a particular theme to it.
How did you
arrive at the theme for your latest covers album
Gemini?
LL: The songs for my first covers album were
primarily suggestions from fans, friends, and business
associates, with my own personal choices as well. I
really wanted to record a second covers album with
just songs that Erik and I chose. We decided to call
the album Gemini (astrological sign for twins) instead
of Covers Collection II, because we were covering two
songs by each artist and it was my second covers
collection.
RIL: How long did you have the concept in mind?
LL: Erik and I were on a walk
one day and were
talking about doing another album of covers. We talked
about some artists that would be interesting for me to
cover and over the course of a few months we narrowed
down the choices and began the recording process.
RIL: Was it difficult finding
songs that “paired” up with
each other?
LL: Not really. We took an artist (or group) and
went through their catalog of songs. We chose songs
that I really liked and that would make sense for me
to cover.
RIL: How did the decision to blend Heart’s “Johnny Moon” with
most of Pink
Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon?
LL: This was actually Erik's idea.
One day while we
were listening to our choices for the CD, Erik
said "I've got a really screwed up idea..." These
ideas usually turn out to be quite cool as was the
case with this one. Erik noticed that the chord
changes for Johnny Moon and Breathe In the Air were
the same, so he created "Pink Moon Suite" -- which I
think is just brilliant!
RIL: Did you find it difficult to put your own “stamp” on
these songs, as
it is typical to try and stay true to the original?
LL: Sometimes I'm
criticized for not changing the
originals very much. My school of thought is that it
is imperitive to stay true to the original song while
injecting my own interpretation of it.
RIL: Have you had the chance to meet or
hear feedback
from the artists you
cover on the album?
LL: Not yet, but I hope to someday. Actually, that's
not entirely true -- John Wetton really liked my cover of Weep in Silence
that he wrote when he was in Uriah Heep. John also complimented our version
of In the Court
of the Crimson King. He didn't write that one of course, but he was in the
King Crimson band later on, and he still performs that songs nowadays.
RIL: It
seems like a game of “musical chairs” when it
comes to your
backing band on each Lana Lane album. Have you been
able to solidify
a line-up for the future?
LL: We purposely use different musicians during
the
recordings of the specialty" albums. That's what
adds to their appeal. My touring band is always the
same, though.
RIL: Has Think Tank Media become an official record label
and distributor
for your music now? I recall past albums of yours
being released
through Frontiers.
LL: We have been an official record label since
1993. We license our titles to different countries
for international distribution. In the United States
we have teamed up with with Prog Rock Records and Ryko
Distribution for domestic distribution of our titles. Frontiers has
handled a few releases in Europe for us. They're a great company.
RIL: Did you
have a falling out with Frontiers?
LL: Not at all. Frontiers has been
terrific and was
instrumental in creating the opportunity for me to
play at Sweden Rock Fest. I'm looking forward to working with
Frontiers again in the future. It just has to be the right project for all
of us.
RIL: Think Tank is based in California and your fan base
is overseas.
Won’t this become a problem in distributing your
material to the
areas that it is in most demand?
LL: Our fan base is actually all over
the world,
including the United States. We have great
distribution support in all areas and have not had a
problem yet.
RIL: Will you be touring in support of Gemini?
LL: Probably not. I enjoy doing
one or two covers
during a concert, but prefer to perform my owns songs
live.
RIL: Last year you celebrated your 10th Anniversary in
the music business
with a tour and a DVD release (read
DVD review). Was the tour a
success?
LL: Very much so. The band (except for Erik and I)
had never been to Japan before and their excitement of
being there translated into their performances. The
audiences at the Japanese shows was amazing! :-)
RIL: Are there any moments from
that tour that stood out
for you?
LL: Being able to have Mark McCrite back with us
adding his great harmonies and additional guitar work
was really special to me. Mark had been to Japan with
us two times before, but had been unable to go back
with us for several years. He and I have co-written
many of my favorite songs, and being able to perform
them with him by my side was moving for me. He is not
only a great musician but a great friend.
The way the Japanese audience embraced Peer Verschuren
(lead guitarist) was also very memorable. He
developed a strong connection with them during the
concerts which was fantastic to see.
RIL: You mentioned in our last interview that
the 10th
Anniversary Tour
would be taking you to places the band has never
played before;
Sweden, Switzerland and Lithuania. What was it like
to visit those
countries?
LL: As usual I am always fascinated by the beauty of
other countries and cultures. And I am always
overwhelmed by the support that we receive at the
shows -- proving that music is truly the universal
language.
RIL: Japan seems to be a special place for you. You’ve
recorded live
albums there as well as the DVD. What makes it so
special for you?
LL: Japan was the first country to embrace the music
of Lana Lane and they have remained loyal fans for
over 10 years. It just doesn't get much better than
that.
RIL: What is a typical day like for you when it doesn’t
involve your music
career?
LL: Good question ;-) A typical day usually includes
lots of cooking. I love to cook and enjoy fine wines.
Caring for our dogs, one is 16 and the other is 10 so
they require a bit of TLC, working in the yard, even
doing laundry...how "un-rock'n roll" ;-) I'm also a
huge movie fan and rent a lot of DVDs.
RIL: Between his producing work, solo work,
and work with
Rocket Scientists, how much do you get to see Erik?
LL: Our offices are in our
house, so I actually see
Erik quite a bit.
I usually help him with his other projects, mostly as
a sounding board. Life is good.
RIL: Would it bother you if symphonic metal never
caught
on in the United
States?
LL: No. I didn't become a singer to be a pop star,
and that seems to be what America wants...the next pop
star. I'd rather do music that has substance. I feel
that a true sign of success is being able to make a
good living at what you love to do.
RIL: Do you have your next “special album” concept
in
mind yet?
LL: Not yet, but they usually come out of the blue,
so stay tuned ;-)
RIL: Is there another Lana Lane studio album on the
horizon?
LL: I have started writing some new songs, so
hopefully by the end of this year I'll have an albums
worth. I would like to do some co-writing with people
as well, so I'm looking forward to it.
LANA
LANE
