Carie van Heden
(AnsoticcA)

Musical Discoveries: Can you tell us a little bit about your backround?

Carie van Heden: Being a musician sounds very professional, but indeed, in the beginning music was a hobby for me. I loved to sing and wanted to learn playing guitar to be able to accompany myself.

At the age of fourteen I founded my first band with which I played some cover songs and my first self-written songs. After that I took part in a lot of music projects, such as a professional cover band, a pop choir or school projects.

While developing as an artist, music became more and more important to me and I decided to study music. Joining AnsoticcA was a lucky shot. I've know Maarten from the pop choir I sing in. I heard that he was starting a new project and that he was looking for a female singer but I didn’t expect that to affect me one day. After auditioning some singers, Adrian and Maarten called me, asking, if I wanted to join the band. They looked for someone with a more powerful voice who at the same time would also be able to sing the softer parts of their songs. First I thought they were joking. My voice couldn’t possibly fit that kind of music. But I was completely wrong!

What musical artists have influenced you?

It's not easy just to name a few bands or musicians I like, because I listen to various kinds of music. I guess that is the reason why I'm able of using my voice in different ways. Singing along with the music I like is typical for me and I think learning by doing is one of the best ways to achieve new abilities. Music that touches me also inspires me. At the last recording session with Maarten and Adrian I was even surprised about myself singing the bridge of "Heaven Burns" with a classical technique.

Since I started studying at the Rockacadmie I found it interesting to learn more about music of other genres and I also started to listen to various musical genres as soul, gothic, hard rock and metal, funk, RnB or blues. On my iPod play lists you can find a lot of female fronted bands but in the end I like music that touches me. The genre or whether it is sung by a man or a woman doesn't really matter to me.

Some of my favorite singer are: P!nk, Skin, Sharon den Adel, Melissa Etheridge, Adam Levine, Anouk, Nelly Furtado, Beth Hart, Eric Martin, Christina Aguilera, Stefanie Kloß, Sandra Nasić and Marta Jandová. And some of my favorite songwriters are: Alanis Morissette, Michael McDonald, Elton John, Bruce Hornsby, Ingrid Michaelson and Jack Johnson.

Can you tell us more about the cover bands you worked with earlier in your career?

I started singing in cover bands at the age of seventeen. In some of the bands I also played acoustic guitar and did some percussion. The cover bands I sang in are rock oriented top 40 cover bands.

Think of bands like Bryan Adams, Rammstein, P!nk, Alanis Morissette, Katy Perry, Roxette, AC/DC, some German 80s bands, Joan Jett or Bon Jovie.

Roof Garden and SIX come from the outskirts of Berlin and Jigger Skin is a band from the south of Germany, near Lake Constance.

At the moment I still tour with Jigger Skin through southern Germany. Bearing in mind that I live in the Netherlands you can imagine that I spend a lot of my weekend time on airplanes, in a car or on a train.

What is the origin of the songs on your MySpace page?

The songs on my MySpace don't have to do anything with the cover bands. Besides AnsoticcA I write my own music which is mostly pop oriented. In 2006 I worked together with a lovely band from Berlin. Together we recorded the tracks "Cry" and "Say You Are Mine."

I used these songs to apply at the Rockacademie in Tilburg. When I moved to Tilburg I had to give up my band from Berlin but put together a new band with musicians from the Rockacademie. One them is the current drummer of the Hermes House Band, Alexander Bergmann.

"Can I Stop Love" is a recording from that time. This song was written as a duet between a man and a woman but honestly I love to sing it together with a good friend of mine, Susana--known from "Shivers“ and "If you should go" with DJ Armin van Buuren.

The other two songs you can find on my MySpace--"Frag mich nicht warum" and "Like You Always Do"--are results from school assignments from the Rockacademie. I recorded these songs at what I call 'my home studio.'"Frag mich nicht warum" is the first song I wrote on the piano. It won't be my last!

How did AnsotticA form and how did you get involved?

The project has been originally formed by Adrian and Maarten due to their passion for epic symphonic-metal. They do the composing, including lyrics writing. There has not been that classical kind of audition, after some try-outs of different singers Maarten sent me some takes to record some vocal tracks, I sent that back and it seemed they were disappointed.

I misunderstood that they wanted my voice and not a voice that is so typical for the genre. I have listened to some of the famous bands like Nightwish, Within Temptation and so on, but I initially realized later on that copying traditional ways of singing isn't what the guys have been looking for.

Some days later we met in the studio just to get the direction right. That was, when I realized what they aim for. Although we are surely influenced by what is typical for the gothic / symphonic genre we have found a way to integrate my voice in a way that is way beyond typical and time and again I'm surprised what Maarten gets out of my voice during the recording sessions.

What can you tell us about the writing and making of The Dark Age album?

As I have mentioned above, I do the vocal parts, the complete production and writing process is in the hands of the boys. The vocal lines are mainly rough ideas that Maarten shows to me when we meet in the studio. Until now we haven't managed to get me the demo tracks way before I come into the studio.

It's really interesting this way, many of the things that happen vocally on the album are really really spontaneous. The album wasrecorded at the Rockfeld Records Studios near Berlin. The backing vocals on the album are done by Maarten, Adrian and me. There are no live-choirs involved in the recordings, but who knows what will come in the future.

Where did the name Ansoticca come from?

Actually the name came from a friend of ours. While listening to some of our first recordings he said, "this sounds like AnsotticA." And so the name was born but with one more 'c.' It is the name of a goddess that has been worshipped around the area of Croatia. It is comparable to the Latin Venus.

And how would you characterize the material?

Our music is very epically arranged with a truly guitar oriented approach. It is extremely powerful and rough but at the same time deeply melodic and emotional. The songs are catchy and our sound is unique. You will easily recognize it any time. People say, the voice combined with the music has a new feel to it, different from what is typical for the genre. It is not that famous classical background but it is more pop-oriented. After all you'll have to listen for yourself to find what is special about it. We aim to touch the listener, this can happen in very different ways.

So, what is it like for you to be attending Rockacademie?

There are numerous musicians that have successfully absolved the academy and where able to establish themselves in the music business, such as the band Krezip, Floor of After Forever, Rob of Delain or Johan of Stream of Passion. Unlike universities or musical high schools where you can study jazz or classical music, at the Rockacademie it is possible to perform in several musical genres such as rock, funk, pop, mMetal, punk, soul or hiphop. When you successfully absolve the Rockacademie you get the Bachelor degree of Arts (Music).

In the first year you gain some basic skills which you need if you want to go on with the study. After that you have to choose a specialisation such as sound engineering, session musician, management or education. Even a combination of several specialisations is possible, as long as it is realizable. Usually the study takes four years. Probably I will finish my study in February after three and a half years.

What can you tell us about your 400 live performances?

I really love to be on stage. Especially when it comes to harder rock music. I'm full of energy and on stage I'm able to entirely express myself. The audience will experience a powerful girl who rocks the stage and involves the crowd in her energetic show. Unfortunately I don't have any good live video material online. Feel free to come to one of my concerts and record it!

How important do you think "image" is to a young woman in the music business today?

Luckily I never felt I'd have to create a certain image. Maybe it is necessary for some artists but I always felt free to be who I am.

It's important that you have an opinion and a story to tell. How should an artist express feelings if there is nothing behind the texts he or she is singing?

Personally I'm not busy with my image but I find it important to keep my fans updated and tell them what's up in my life. This is why AnsoticcA comments on the developments concerning the recordings.

The listener will always get new material. I like to be interactive with people even if it's sometime difficult because of a chronic lack of time everyone has to face nowadays.

How has the internet -- iTunes, MySpace, Official Website, etc -- influenced your musical career and the promotion of your music?

Maarten does also some web design besides making music, so the whole web thing is also in our hands. MySpace, for example, is a fantastic tool to promote your stuff or demos to a worldwide audience, though I have to admit that you'll have to spend a lot of time to get it working. But I know no easier way for an unsigned band to promote their material. Of course it gets easier when you have found a label, but if you're really willing to be heard, this is the place to go.

I can't say much about itunes apart from the way I use it myself as a listener because the album has not been released yet. Let's talk about that quite a time after the release of the album!