Krepuskulum: Talk to us about the band tragectory and about your musical formation ? Do you study music??

Michelle: The band Arise From Thorns was created by guitarist Scott Loose (my brother) and drummer Trevor Schrotz in 1997. I joined the band shortly afterwards originally only doing background vocals and keys. When we recorded that summer I ended up doing most of the vocal work and that is how our sound was really established. The music was very much based on acoustic guitar, keyboards and organic/tribal drum work. In 1998 we added a full time bass player named Chris Welborn (most noted for his work in the American band Division) and While Heaven Wept founder Tom Phillips joined the band
providing additional electric guitars in 1999.

Scott, Trevor and Tom have all studied music formally whereas Chris and myself are self taught. We all continue to improve dramatically as musicians and I think that is heard in the progression of the music. From the first self-titled album to our most recent recording, a four song EP entitled "Waist Deep In Dark Waters" there is major improvement.


ARISE FROM THORNS is an sad name, with great concept of pain behind. Are you a sad or nihilist person !!! What is the reason to put this name in the band??

Michelle: Scott really came up with the band name a long time ago and the meaning behind it really has to do with overcoming depression and situations that may hold you back from whatever it is that you want. It is not meant to be rebellious or sad, but rather it is meant to signify hope.


Now the band change the name to BRAVE. What is the reason for this??

Michelle: Changing the band name was a very difficult decision to make. We pondered the idea for about a year before we officially changed it. We were finding that the name Arise From Thorns was being interpreted that we were a religious band, or a metal band and people would constantly mispronounce the name when we would tell them who we were. So we changed it to BRAVE - which is very much a development of Arise From Thorns, both musically and personally.


The music of ARISE FROM THORNS is very sweet and deep, it touch our mind and soul. Where come from the inspiration to create this melodic atmospheric opus??

Michelle: Thank you for the compliments! The inspiration for the music is based mostly on real life. We try to keep the music honest and very real so we really write whatever we are feeling and I think that comes through in the lyrics and melodies.


We can't call ARISE FROM THORNS of metal band, but you sign with a label dedicated to doom & dark metal style. Is it a paradox? Do you like doom metal bands like NOVEMBERS DOOM, PARADISE LOST & ANATHEMA??

Michelle: True, our music is definitely not metal, but for reasons that I am not quite sure of yet our fanbase is mostly from the metal community. Our most successful live performances have been the ones where we play with metal bands. The majority of people who contact us because they like our music listen to bands like Cradle of Filth, Sentenced, Anathema, My Dying Bridge, etc. I think that we go over well with the metal crowd because there are traces of metal that can be heard in our music - everyone in the band, with the exception of myself, have played in other metal bands. Musically and lyrically our music is also usually very dark. We use mostly minor key signatures (well only one song in our recording career has been in a major key -"Ivy" from the debut CD) and the majority of the lyrics are very depressive in nature. So yes we do listen to bands like Anathema and other doom metal bands. As for signing with Dark Symphonies - we believe in the label and respect their business philosophies. Even though their releases may be mostly dedicated to doom and dark metal, we feel (and Dark Symphonies agrees) that our music would be accepted in their genre.

What do you named your music style ?

Michelle: We have had such a hard time categorizing ourselves musically - which for us is a great thing. We don't want to be in the huge mixing bowl of bands that have no originality and who all sound alike. I am glad that people can't really peg where we fit in the musical scheme of things. When asked what kind of style we are we usually respond with "progressive rock with female vocals."

Your great and beautiful voice can be loved by fans of pop music. If you will be invited to sing sweet pop songs in the CELINE DION style, Do you leave the underground scene and the band??

Michelle: Thank you so much! Hell no I would never leave the band. This band has my every waking moment invested in it. I so much believe in our music - I would never leave it. But I must admit - and the guys in the band would very much disagree with me - I do like some of the more "poppy" songs a la Celine Dion. I think she has an incredible voice. But no I would never quit BRAVE to explore the pop scene.

What are your vocal influences?

Michelle: I am mostly influenced by singers who can sing with incredible passion and who believe in what they are singing. There are some singers for me that absolutely make me melt when I hear them. These include Ray Alder of Fates Warning, Steve Perry from Journey, David Gahan from Depeche Mode, Geoff Tate of Queensryche, Tori Amos, Sarah McLachlan, Bjork, Lisa Gerrard and probably a few others that I'm not thinking of.


Talk to us about the creative process of the album "..Before an Audience of Stars..". Scott Loose (your brother) and you are the only composers?

Michelle: This album was written by myself, Scott and Trevor. In 1999 the three of us lived in a house in rural Stafford County, Virginia and we just wrote one song after another. Usually Scott would come up with the basic melody of the songs and then each of us would add our own spices to it. Same thing with the lyrics, Scott wrote the majority of the, but Trevor and I contributed to them as well.

What is the inspiration to write the songs: I CAN'T BELIEVE, REMEMBER THE STARS, RETURN TO THE OLD FOREST & THE CALLING??

Michelle: Well, lets start with the short ones - the one liner in The Calling "…and it is so much easier to hate you than to acknowledge you…" is pretty self explanatory. I wrote that about someone that I cared about very much and that person very much let me down…so rather than thinking about this person, it was just easier to hate them than acknowledge their existence. J Pretty uplifting huh?? Return of the Old Forest is a largely improvised piano instrumental inspired by the poem "Restoration" written by Trevor on our first album that is about the careless attitudes of mankind towards the environment. Remember the Stars is a very personal song written by Scott about a close friend of ours. We have never discussed this song
publicly, so the reader will have to take what they will from it. I Can't Believe was written by both Scott and myself - Scott wrote the verses and I wrote the midsection. It is kind of a free flowing song - like reading a diary and questioning certain things in life. "I can't believe I'm going to die…will I ever know the reason why? Well in the church they know the reason's why, or are they just afraid to die?"

What is the concept behind the cover art and the name of the album ... BEFORE AN AUDIENCE OF STARS...??

Michelle: The name "Before an Audience of Stars" is a line out of the song "Surrender" on the album. Our former bassist, Chad Peevy wrote the line and we all liked the imagery associated with it. The cover art is very "spacey" relating to the title. We felt that this type of imagery summed up the general feel of the album.

In your opinion wath are the 10 best albuns of the music history ??

Michelle: Well, in my opinion - and everyone else in the band would have drastically different opinions - there is no way I could come up with best albums - but I'll give you my top 10 favorite bands at the moment (not in order)

1. Sarah McLachlan
2. Led Zeppelin
3. Anathema
4. Tori Amos
5. Dead Can Dance
6. Queensryche
7. Depeche Mode
8. Journey
9. Fates Warning
10. King Crimson

What are the plans for the BRAVE's future ?

Michelle: We will be releasing in about a week our first Brave recording, a four song EP entitled "Waist Deep In Dark Waters." This recording is by far our best effort. The musicianship is as tight as we have ever been - a
definite progression from "Before an Audience…" We are also now working on material for the first full-length BRAVE cd that will appear courtesy of Dark Symphonies. We hope to start recording that this fall. For information about obtaining any of our CD's or for a t-shirt please email michelle@bravemusic.com. Or write: Brave, P.O. Box 1077, Dale City, Virginia 22195-1077, USA. Website: www.bravemusic.com

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