DR: How did you come to create a double concept album?

Victoria Mazze: Our “Secrets” double album is the unleashing of years of longing, frustration, desire, passion, loneliness and love. It is as if, like star-crossed lovers, every moment before was just waiting; waiting to mean something and create something that would last. And, naturally, a massive undertaking began.
       I remember when we were mixing the songs for the album; there were so many of them, it was very intimidating even to ourselves. But some things just make sense no matter how impossible. The naming of the two discs, (‘Paradiso’ and ‘Inferno’), stand for the dichotomy in our band stylistically as well as within us.

How does the live show differ from the CD?

VM: The show is a chance for everyone in the band to show off their chops. Combine Cano’s solid drumming, Chris Ride’s keys at the speed of light, Moni’s command of a stage, and Mike Crawford's grooves, and you’ve got quite a show. There is also such a strong bond between us that I think comes across in the performances. And, similar to the album, our shows have a lot of variety; we move seamlessly from “Crawl” to “Redemption,” that flexibility that is very rare.

Is fashion and presentation equally important to all of you?

VM: (smile) Well, the music is first and foremost but from there we create a world that showcases who we are. But there is another way to look at it; visuals are an art form all their own; there is meaning hidden behind the surface. That, I think, is why we love to make videos and have built a reputation for being so visual. For ‘The Rapture’ album we are working with an artist that we love and respect, Davey Jones. He is creating art pieces that are inspirited by the music; they will be magnificent. I am very excited to see where he takes it.

Have you ever been a solo performer?

VM: Strangely, not really. I was and still am a film composer, but it can get very lonely; I guess I just like collaboration too much. To work with other artists that take you and your abilities to another level is the real joy of what we do.

Who are your historical muses?

VM: Queen Elizabeth, Thomas Edison, Ludwig van Beethoven, Edgar Allan Poe, Julius Caesar, Emily Bronte, Sylvia Plath, Socrates, Ben Franklin, William Shakespeare, Hildegard of Bingen, and too many to count.

Which contemporary songwriters inspire you?

VM: Not many. I mean, there are a lot of contemporary artists whose CD I will buy and have it playing while I am eating dinner and such. Have you ever tried to eat while playing The Doors? It just doesn’t work; the walls start coming alive, your heart starts racing, and you feel at any moment you will no longer have control of your body as it separates in all directions. I guess there are many that I respect but few that can possess me.

Which songs on the albums excite you the most, and why?

VM: I love how ‘out there’ many of the songs are; for example, having a harpsichord or an autoharp as the grounding instrument in a rock song is kryptonite to the “industry” folk. But we did so in “Secrets” and “Blessed."
I really like the fact that we don’t know any better. I keep telling myself, ok, we have to make this song tangible to listeners that aren’t musicians and are used to what is on the radio, but we can’t.
    It might be insanity, perhaps arrogance, naiveté, or maybe just a combination of all of the above. I can’t tell you how many times we have heard, “You are not radio friendly." I guess that’s a bad thing. We are however imagination friendly; the Anti-Christ of the industry has arrived!

Who are your favorite classic composers? poets?

VM: Claude Debussy, Sergey Prokofiev, Dmitri Shostakovich, Arnold Schoenberg, Franz Liszt, Rachel Portman, Danny Elfman, David Bowie, Grimm Brother’s Fairy Tales, Emily Dickinson, T.S. Eliot, Henrik Ibsen, George Bernard Shaw, Bram Stoker, and Mary Shelley.

Have you opened for any well-known bands yet?

VM: Not yet, but it might be fun; we almost opened for Berlin, which would have been awesome because we have so much in common. Give us a few months.

Are you sponsored by anyone?

VM: Nope, just the best fans in the world..