The Gathering

Interview with Silje Wergeland
As many of you will know by now Silje Wergeland is the new lead vocalist of The Gathering with whom she has already released a new studio album entitled The West Pole. On 26th June The Gathering are due to perform at the Graspop Metal Meeting in what might turn out to be the first of a number of announced tour dates, in the words of Silje we'll just have to wait and see...

(Q)Thanks for agreeing to this interview, I suppose the first thing people might want to know is - what led to your decision to join The Gathering?

(A): My pleasure:) Well, Octavia wasn't very busy at the time I saw the advert on Blabbermouth I think. I like their music (of course) and I thought it would be interesting to see how my voice would fit with the direction they wanted to go now. TG gives me the freedom to come up with my own vocal lines and lyrics as well as make music which is the way I love to work. And of course it is quite important that the guys and girl are super nice and funny to be with:)

(Q)The Gathering have already released the studio album "The West Pole", what can you tell us about this and working with singers Anne van den Hoogen and Marcela Bovio?

(A)The album has a lot of atmosphere and at the same time it has this rock attitude with some heavy elements. It was an exciting time as we got to know each other both as friends and as colleagues as we worked. I really like what we have created; it has some much soul and layers in the music. René has done a brilliant job with the production. It has of course been fun as well as exciting, and it is soo nice with all the good feedback we have got now on the three songs on myspace. I have never met either Anne or Marcela, hopefully we will meet soon. Their singing is really beautiful so you can look forward to hearing it:)

(Q)Stream of Passion are currently on the verge of releasing their own album. Given your respective bands share female lead vocalists how would you feel about performing alongside them?

(A) To be honest I hadn't heard much of SOP before I joined TG. I have never listened much to what the music business call 'female fronted metal bands', so I don't know much about this. I did check out the band and I think they are very good. I hope I get to see them play live at some point. Marcela is a great vocalist too!

(Q)The Gathering have already announced they are to perform at the Graspop Metal Meeting on 26th June, assuming that there are other shows to follow what can the fans expect from the forthcoming tour?

(A) Well, that is a big question, isn't it..hehe;) I guess we will have to wait and see...

(Q)If a film was to be made about your life which actress would you most like to play you and why?

(A)Wow, never thought of that. Hmm..I have no idea, or maybe Minnie Driver as she can sing and some people has even said to me she looks a bit like me haha;)

(Q)Do you have any regrets in leaving Octavia Sperati?

(A) Octavia is put 'on ice', and I don't think anybody has any regrets doing that. Octavia was at a point where we all agreed we needed to take a break, and it had nothing to do with me being in The Gathering.

(Q)Your musical education in both singing and learning the piano is listed as being of a classical nature, what made you decide to perform in a rock genre of music?

(A) Rock has always had a big place in my heart. My first favorite band was when I was six; a Norwegian rock band called The Kids. My mum wanted me to do classical education (sing in choirs and stuff which I never wanted to do as I wanted to sing in a band), but I always managed to turn it into some kind of rock and later metal;) When I started taking singing lessons I had to look for teachers that could work with me on my style, not too much classical as I never wanted to go quite there. I have classical training, but I never wanted to be singing pure classical (not that I don't like it:)

(Q)If Silje Wergeland wasn't involved in the music business, what do you think you would be most likely to do be doing now?

(A) I have always been doing something creative, like painting and drawing, but I also have a degree in marketing communication and project management, so I guess it would have been something within that..or take an additional degree in either nature medicine or in ecological matters as I believe we have been neglecting the holistic lifestyle and nature around us too much.

(Q)Thank you for your time, is there anything you wish to say which hasn't been mentioned?

(A) Thanks to everyone that has given me such a nice and warm welcome in the Gathering camp.