Jeg måtte jo sjekke litt rundt bandet nå som de skal pryde plakaten til Southern Discmfort, og slite scene lokalt etter mange års pause. Ailyn kastet seg rundt, og vi kjører det på engelsk.

Hey, and welcome to Heavymetal.no Ailyn! Life’s good?

«Thank you! Yes, life is good.»

Covid and comeback

I announced the comeback of Trail in October of 2020, naturally it wasn’t too easy to tour or do stuff back then, did you imagine it would take this long until recorded material or live gigs would happen?

«Yes, we were very ready to do the comeback when covid stroke. I remember we had plan to make the photoshoot to announce the comeback, and we had to delayed it some months because covid catched me in Spain, and I was stuck there for three and a half months before I could make it back home in Kristiansand. I never thought it would take that long, but you know, we are not kids anymore and life happens. We have, jobs, families and other obligations we have to attend, so its not that easy just to focus on music.

We also want to make music on our own pace and enjoy while making it, we don´t want to run and stress, we want to take our time and love the process.»

And five years, that’s a long time, have you been doing other stuff alongside being a Trail member?

«I worked on a few other projects in the meantime. In 2019 I formed a band called Her Charriot Awaits (New York) together with Mike Orlando (Adrenaline Mob), and in April 2020 we released the band’s first album.

In September 2022 I released another album called Burn the Beauty, this time with my band Lunarian (Italy), together with Aldo Lonobile (Secret Sphere).

Then I also did some collaborations with bands like Chaos Magic and Heart Healer by Magnus Karlsson (Primal Fear).»

Fell the Winds Of Disdain

‘The Winds Of Disdain’ release, what has it done for you? I felt it came out, got a fair bit of focus, and kind of disappeared. This perhaps due to the band not being very active…?

«Yeah, Winds of Disdain was the first music the band released after more than ten years of silence, and including new band members to the formation. We were very excited about it and we really wanted to see how the fans would react to the new music. Now we are working on new stuff and we can focus on what steps the band should follow.»

New album and rehersal

In an interview with Ronny there was mentioned a new album with an early 2025 at the latest, what is the status of a new release?

«Right now we are working on it, I already heard some songs, and I can just say that it sounds very cool and promising.»

How does the band work these days? Is it rehearsals every week, or everyone living all over the place, with digital tools as the solution? 

«As I mentioned, right now we are all quite busy. We actually live very close to each other, between Kristiansand and Vennesla, but Endre lives in Larvik, so it´s not that easy to have rehearsals every week. We are also currently searching for a new drummer, so I guess we will start rehearsing very soon to get ready for the shows to come.»

Inspiration

Inspiration, heroes, heroines, what bands/artists have you been listening to, been inspired by? 

«It´s a bit difficult to say. I like all kinds of music styles. I grow up in a house where my parents where quite open with music, so if the music is good I don’t mind the genre. I like to learn from every music genre I can.

The music I like the most it’s metal, but I can also find myself listening to other stuff, depending on my mood. I have to say than even if I love to listen to many bands from Symphonic Metal, in the end I always find myself listening to bands with male singers. For example, lately I’ve been listening a lot to A Wake in Providence, Red, Disturbed and many others, but I will probably change it in a few days or weeks.

I have a random list on Tidal with more than 200 songs with my favorite songs from all the bands/artists that I like, and everytime I find I song that I really like I add it to that list so I can listen to them on a loop.»

You have been doing a lot of femme fronted stuff, how does Trail of Tears compare to Sirenia? What are the differences between the bands/projects you have been doing? Are you a part of the creative force, or is the vocal sketched out for you?

«There’s a big difference between bands/projects where you’re just hired to add you voice and that’s it. I worked with some bands were I just gave my voice, and in some bands where I was allowed bring my own ideas, I enjoy both sides but being allow to be creative and be part of it it’s a lot more fulfilled.

In Trail of Tears I’m not just a voice. Since the very moment I joined the band, I had the freedom to deliver ideas, I’m a part of the creative process, which I love. Together with Ronny I work with lyrics and vocal ideas. We work very good together, we complement each other and that’s great. I also really enjoy working on all the choir arrangements, it’s a very fun process, and I love that part.»

Southern Discomfort

Southern Discomfort, that’s a cool booking! Not only a part of the festival’s comeback, but in Kristiansand, where a lot of the members have worn stages in the past. Will this be your first gig in Kristiansand?

«It is great we can be part on the festival comeback. I’m very excited to play in Kristiansand again. If everything goes as planned, this will be my third show in Kristiansand. I played home two times before with Sirenia. If I remember correctly my first show here was back in 2008 in På Hjørnet at that time I was still living in Spain, but my second one was in Håndtverkeren in 2012 and I was already living in Norway.»

And what plans are boiling regarding gigs? I know Ronny would like to tour in South America, where the band has a following.

«Right now we are working on getting some metal festivals, and hopefully we can also get some tours. And as Ronny said, I would also love to be back in South America. I went there some times before on tour, I loved it and I would love to repeat the experience, plus there are still a lot of countries where I would love to visit again and others that I have never had the pleasure to visit.»

Thanks a million for hanging out at Heavymetal.no, if life isn’t making any unexpected moves, I’ll be attending Southern Discomfort. Any last words, something people need to know and wasn’t included in the interview? Here is a great place to let out steam, make statements, give love or hate:

«Thank you guys for giving me the chance to talk a bit with you. I really hope to meet you at the Southern Discomfort festival. And thanks to everyone for the big support and I hope we can meet you all on tour someday soon.»