Dear Sabine!

Thank you for giving your fans in Russia an opportunity to learn more about your life and your personality!

We’d like to offer some questions for you.

MG: Sabine, tell please where and when did you study singing? How did you discover you talent of singing?

Sabine: Since I was a little child music was a direct access to my inner self more than anything else. I recognized soon that music is bringing me to myself, to my emotions as to my inner force what I would define as soul today.
Especially my mother has supported my way unconsciously with her sensitive being. She loved to sing with me without restraint and without having the aim to reach something. We spent whole afternoons like this and had a lot of fun. The fact that I didn´t grow up with her, this common ground bound us together and this will last for a lifetime.
Besides I have been working on training my voice since I´ve been a little child. I have put a lot of effort that my voice sounds clear and I have experimented with that endlessly and on my expression. And I have also recorded everything with a simple cassette recorder and listened to it with critical ears. That was a lot of fun.
My wish was to become a professional singer from now on although I never made up my mind about stardom or fame or anything else. I also never had anybody as an example, I always listened to my inner voice when singing. I sang in choirs when I was a child. Later I took lessons at a very good teacher, who sent me on my inner way with her breathing and body exercises. This way I still follow.
The biggest challenge for me was to follow the inner desire to express my feelings in front of an audience. ‘Cause on the one hand I wished for nothing more than touch other people with my voice, on the other hand it was my biggest fear to be on stage and attract all the audiences eyes. My stage experience before Edenbridge was just a girlie pub band where I was guitarist first and then singer, so I was not the front woman.
With Edenbridge I jumped into the cold water in the year 2000, ‘cause we changed from a project to a band with our first CD “Sunrise in Eden” and immediately went on European tour. That was heavy for me. But I soon recognized how Lanvall´s music that suits me down to the ground, is carrying me and how the power of the boys in the band are layering down the ground, where I can venture outside. I face this as a life time developing process.

MG: People often characterize your voice like cosmic. And recently Interstellar movie have been released. Would you like to record a conceptual album dedicated to the Cosmos and the Galaxy?

Sabine: Oh thank you. I receive this as a big compliment when people say that I've got a cosmic voice. I love those special moments when I realize something in myself is bringing heaven on earth. I didn't make up my mind for a conceptual album, but of course if somebody asked me to sing great songs for a good movie, it would be amazing.

MG: Do you have any occupation except singing? Or do you fully devote yourself to music?

Sabine: Before I got famous with Edenbridge, I had become a nurse and later on I worked with terminally ill persons. Over the years I accompanied lots of people on their last way in life. In my other life of course, I've been the star on stage. You can imagine, how challenging for me it was to handle those different kinds of energies in me. But my spiritual mind thought it's important to check out in reality what life means. In my opinion our ambitious mystical lyrics need to be aware of a deeper understanding of life and death.
I have several kinds of further educations, but mostly I learned from different kind of artists like dancers, actors, singers and also from healing therapists. For now beside the music I do workshops and trainings for people to train their voice and mind. Teaching people how to sing with their soul, being authentic and how to develop awareness.

MG: Sabine, actually Edenbridge is a product mostly of Lanvall’s creativity. I know Lanvall does almost everything – he composes music, writes lyrics, records almost all the instruments. Tell please how do you influence the creative process of Edenbridge? Do you take active part in making your beautiful music?

Sabine: As you probably know Lanvall and I have been a couple long before Edenbridge was born. Next year we celebrate our 20th anniversary. Over the years we made so many great experiences in our life and of course we also know the hard times. Our relationship developed during the years and you can follow our both processes in the way Lanvall is writing songs and how I'm singing them. The music is our baby although Lanvall is doing all the music, lyrics and organisation.
Since our new project Voiciano we know, how great it is writing the lyrics together. Let's wait and see how it will be for the next Edenbridge album :-))

MG: What’s your favorite album of Edenbridge? Can you name any songs you love most of all?

Sabine: Musically it's always a step forward with every album. I'm listening to old songs very rarely, although it's very interesting to dig into the past for example with „Centennial Legend“ or Arcana. I love the early songs with the more angelic style.
Normally the new album is my favorite of course, but when I refresh listening to all the songs in my mind, I'm not able to give you an answer to this question. It's like to say which of your children you prefer :-))

MG: Could you recommend to your fans three Austian young not very well-known bands for mandatory listening? Which band does Sabine’s playlist consist of?

Sabine: I only know famous bands like “Visions of Atlantis” from Styria and Serenity from the Tyrol. I know them personal of course. But in this kind of music the scene is small in Austria. I don't know any other bands.

MG: Could you describe your usual day?

Sabine: I'm waking up at about 8 o'clock, having breakfast with coffee and toasted bread. After got dressed I'm doing my morning program of body exercises and warming up my voice. Then I'm doing the office work with e-mails and working out something for workshops and courses. Supposed it is a day where I record vocals in our studio, I concentrate more on relaxing and doing a walk into nature. We're living near a very beautiful place what you can see in our last video of “Alight A New Tomorrow”. After lunch, Lanvall and I are cooking most of the time by ourselves, we like to relax outside. In summer we love going swimming. On a recording day I'm then starting with breathing and bodywork and warming up myself with singing. In the evening I'm starting with the recordings in the studio and the best tracks are always late in the night when others normally sleep :-) I always think I will start earlier, but it doesn't really work; I am a bat in the studio. So during the recording days I'm sleeping longer in the morning of course.

MG: History of Edenbridge starts in the very end of the 20th century. Since that time the band has released many albums, and each of them has its own face and atmosphere. Sabine, in your opinion, how has Edenbridge’s music been changing during all these years? Have it become more mature?

Sabine: Of course the music grew with us and everybody can see that it is really authentic what we are doing.

MG: Sabine, you used to participate in some side-projects, such as ‘Beto Vazquez Infinity’ and ‘Missa Mercuria’. Also we could hear you guest vocals within Angra and Power Quest. Do you have an intention to make new collaboration with famous bands or vocalists? Who would you like to work with?

Sabine: It was a big honor for me being a part of so many projects in the past. Especially it was amazing, when Beto Vazquez contacted me. I was quite new in the music scene at that time and so I was really surprised. Going on tour with Angra and to sing with Edu on stage was another big thing I really loved. Just saw the recordings for our History DVD which is coming out next year in spring.
Of course there are lots of bands and singers I'd like to work with. I would love to have a duet with Scorpions singer Klaus Meine. That seems to be a dream, but who knows? :-)

MG: And of course – a question about Beto Vazquez Infinity. Sabine, how did you feel working in the same project with such famous vocalists as Tarja Turunen, Fabio Lione and Candice Night? What do you think about ‘Infinity’ after these 10 years?



Sabine: I still appreciate their high musical talent and I still like most of the songs of the album. Just listened to it few weeks ago when a friend asked me about it. Although I really like Fabio´s voice with Rhapsody, but I don't like the song he is singing on ‘Infinity’. It seems to be a bit out of place.

MG: Sabine, please tell a few words about ‘Voiciano’. How did the idea of it come to Lanvall and you?

Sabine: The idea was born after our Edenbridge promotion acoustic show in Vietnam. In 2010 Lanvall and I flew to Vietnam for a 10 minutes show case, to perform 3 songs on the 1000 Years Hanoi Festival. The simplicity of the whole process concerning the rehearsals and the show were pure fun for us. You just request for a microphone and a grand piano, enter the stage and perform. When we came back, Lanvall went through his files and piles of sketches of numerous ideas, which remained unused to this point. He was astonished how many great songs he found in layouts in this acoustic form. This inspired him immediately to write completely new songs additionally.
I always had the idea for a solo project with more balladesque songs. VOICIANO is exactly, what I had in mind. In VOICIANO my voice gets more room in all its nuances, this is what I enjoy of course. Furthermore I will bring myself in into the lyrics. The mystic atmosphere of our songs will remain of course – I think we cannot do it differently – it´s a part of us.

MG: Your acoustic project ‘Voiciano’ became a really great surprise for all the Edenbridge’s fans. So, can we expect for the next piece of music within ‘Voiciano’ project? Maybe, a mini tour with live performance, too?

Sabine: At the moment we are concentrating on other things (our big history DVD package), so we don´t know what will happen with Voiciano in the next time.

MG: Another one question about ‘Voiciano’. You had a successful crowdfunding campaign to record this material and release it. Could you describe your impressions about this experience?

Sabine: With all the wonderful experiences we made with the crowdfunding action related to our last Edenbridge album „The Bonding“, where we were able to outfinance the whole orchestra costs, we continued this way with VOICIANO, and here even more than in the past. In recent times the relationship fan to musician/band is more important than ever. It was extremely enriching to see in the process of „The Bonding“, how many people wish to support „real“ music.

MG: Edenbridge’s album ‘The Bonding’ seems to be really one of the brightest releases of the year 2013 in symphonic metal. Do you have any ideas for the next release? Are there any certain plans and when can we expect to hear your new album?

Sabine: I know that Lanvall is slowly making up his mind about music for a new album. He began working out something on the piano. First it wasn't clear if it is for Voiciano, but it seems going more into the metal direction now. But at the moment he is totally busy with the DVD; he is doing all the editing of the movies and music by himself, and we collected tons of material, also from our trip to Moscow. Furthermore we recorded a nice session with our musicians from the beginnings of Edenbridge, Kurt and Andy, talking about the early years, which was very funny. I think, as soon as the DVD is out, all the energy is going into a new Edenbridge album.

MG: Can we expect to hear from Edenbridge a conceptual album some day? I mean something like Pink Floyd’s ‘The Wall’ or Nightwish’s ‘Imaginaerum’?

Sabine: Who knows? The flow will bring us there if it's time for something like this. But if not, the creativity will hopefully not stop on other ideas.

MG: What’s the last book you have read?

Sabine: It's a healing book from Arnold Mindell. “The Quantum Mind and Healing: How to Listen and Respond to your body's Symptoms”

MG: As a musician you used to travel a lot. What places in the world have impressed you most? What cities perhaps?

Sabine: Busan and Seoul in Korea was very impressing; we were able to see a lot during our stay. There was a very nice city on our last tour in England called York. We said, that we should come there again for holidays, because it's really beautiful to see the old houses and to feel the atmosphere from the past, even when you go for a tea in one of these small houses. And of course Moscow was very impressive, although I remind that it was extremely cold when we were there.

MG: How do you see Sabine Edelsbacher after 10-15 years? =) Are you going to continue creating music or would you like to concentrate on your family?

Sabine: If both comes together in a kind of way it would be perfect. I don't like to choose one or the other.

MG: Sabine, as I know you live in Linz, Austria. Please, name some reasons why people from all over the world should visit your home land?

Sabine: Since 3 years Lanvall and I are living about 20 kilometers away from Linz in the country side. We love being in nature, it's such a different life quality than the years before directly in the city. But I still like Linz as a beautiful city which is not too big. It's great watching the river Danube, to go shopping or meeting friends in a cafè. As a tourist you have many attractions like different museums, one of the newest is famous for modern art. Linz in general is famous for science like the Ars Electronica. If somebody is visiting us, we always show them the Pöstlingberg. A small hill which is the landmark of Linz. You go up there with an old tram. The nature itself looks fairylike. There you have a good view on the whole city. Not only it's nice for children to have a ride on a little train, which has the form of a dragon and is located in the underground in a fairytale landscape.

MG: Do you have a female singer who is a kind of idol for you?

Sabine: She isn't an idol, but I'm impressed of her technique and expression. It's Celine Dion. And my second singer I really love is Whitney Houston. It's a pity losing her so early.

MG: Sabine, I know you visited Russia with Edenbridge. Did you like Moscow? Tell a few words about your impressions. Can we expect to hear and see Edenbridge in Russia again?

Sabine: I hope to come again to Moscow. Just recorded some lines for the Russian band called CATHARSIS yesterday. They wanted me to sing 4 lines in German, what's really funny. Never before I recorded something in German, but it became great. It sounds a bit like musical and I love good musicals.
From Moscow I remember primarily an extreme enthusiastic and friendly audience in a beautiful venue because it was a theater. On the other day we were walking around on a beautiful place outside of the city on a small hill. There was a white church or a chapel on the top and somebody was playing with sound plates. The atmosphere was really special, it was mystical. We've been very quiet and I filmed this with the camera – it will be on our DVD. And the “Red Place” was beautiful too of course. It's something totally different to be there and see it personal than in the TV. In my case it could be a bit warmer next time :-)

MG: And the last question is… could you say a few words to your Russian fans?

Sabine: Thank you for being with us and that you follow our music. I got you known as very warm persons and I hope to see you soon on a concert of Edenbridge in Moscow or somewhere else. Have a look to our DVD “A decade and a half...the history so far” – coming out soon! You can see the information here: www.edenbridgefanclub.org

Merry Christmas and a happy new year to all of you
from Sabine and Edenbridge