Floor Jansen has made quite a name for herself in the metal world these days. From her early work fronting After Forever to fronting her own band ReVamp and most recently Nightwish, Floor Jansen has done more in her 33 years on this earth than most do in a lifetime. When ReVamp announced that they would be making their Atlanta debut opening for Sabaton and Iced Earth I jumped at the opportunity to talk with Floor.
Floor is a really sweet, gracious, and kind person. She is also very outspoken which I found to be a really awesome thing. For 30 minutes we basked in the warm weather and talked about how she emerged from her breakdown, her interaction with fans, and why she loves Pantera. This was a really fun chat with a really unique and talented individual. I hope you all dig this one and if so, go give Floor and ReVamp a listen.
Welcome back to Atlanta Floor.
Thank you so much Don.
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Floor, thanks so much for taking the time to talk to me today. Do you ever get tired of doing these things?
[laughs] No. I never really get tired of doing them. It depends on the quality of the questions honestly. I don’t mind answering things about the band and what we’re doing. It’s great that the word gets out and that there’s an interest in what we’re doing and what I’m doing. I’m always proud and happy to talk about those things.
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What is a question that you get asked way too frequently during interviews?
Um, well, no so much in just interviews but particularly here, every freaking day is, “How tall are you?” [laughs] It’s like, does it matter if I 6 feet? 6’2? 5’9? It’s tall. You have eyes in your head and you see that I’m taller than average. Why do you have to point it out 100 times a day? In general, I also don’t like getting questions that ask about my opinion on things. “What do you think about the singer of…” or “What do you think of THIS band…” things like that.
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I feel like a lot of times people use interviews to spark some sort of controversy but for me I like to have a conversation you know? Get to know a person.
Exactly. I mean, of course there can be a personal interest that can only make a conversation nicer. Like you’re telling a story that other people will read or hear so the questions should interest everyone. I’m here because I’m a musician and an artist. Not because I’m Floor Jansen who wants to talk about my personal life. I mean, it doesn’t matter what my favorite color is for the music that I right. I prefer to really focus on those kinds of conversations and unfortunately not all people get that.
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You’ve been here before with Mayan and with After Forever but this is ReVamp’s first US tour. Is there a bit of pressure
on you at all right now?
No. Not really. The good thing about doing something for the first time is that you don’t have too many expectations. I think I speak for everyone when I say that we didn’t have any. Let’s go here and just convince everyone that we’re a cool band and that we play good music and that we’re not just some band starting out. To see the reception of us as a band being so big is really amazing to us. You have no idea.
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Does it ever bug you when people assume that you and Mark Jansen are siblings?
[laughs] No. We’ve been having this happen for 15 years and after a while you get used to it. Matter of fact, after a while we started joking and saying, “Yes, we’re siblings” or “No, we’re not siblings. We’re married! Didn’t you know?” [laughs]
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Being the singer of both Nightwish and your own band ReVamp, do you consider ReVamp your baby so to speak and where you feel like you’d like to put most of your focus?
No, actually, I consider both Nightwish and ReVamp equal. I mean, of course I started ReVamp but I connected with Nightwish so well both musically and personally. I don’t see that as just a project. Nightwish is my band and so is ReVamp. They both get my 100% which is why I also cannot do them both at the same time. They’re both my babies.
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I wanted to ask you a bit about your burnout phase that was documented in the ReVamp suite “The Anatomy of a Nervous Breakdown.” As a creative person I can totally identify with this and I’m sure others can as well. How did you come out of that dark place to emerge as strong as you did?
Thank you, Don. For me it felt like, “I’m sick. I’m too sick to do anything.” It wasn’t just a moment of not feeling well or not having energy. It was a complete breakdown. I was literally unable to do anything. I couldn’t even go grocery shopping or to a mall. Any kind of big spaces, loud noises, places like that. This wasn’t something that was there for a month. This is something that happened over a year. I think everyone has this happen in their own way and the only way to come out of it is to acknowledge it. I personally ignored it way too long which is why it took so long to get so deep. It’s a scary thing.
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Since then, do you find yourself doing things a bit differently to avoid that from happening again?
Yes, definitely. It’s not really about the amount of work because honestly, I’ve never worked as much as I do now weird enough. It’s more about the way of doing things.
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So it’s not so much how hard you’re working but how much you’re mentally and emotionally putting into your work?
Exactly, and to say, “Ok, I’ve pushed enough.” I’ve had to learn that if 10 is the best, a 7 is ok and even a 6 is ok. I don’t always have to be the best. Things don’t always have to be perfect. I just need to be able to let go sometimes. If something isn’t working that way you want it to be, it’s ok.
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Do you kind of like the idea that maybe all that you went through and how you came through it all could inspire someone else.
Sure. That is that part of the reason why I wrote it. For one, it was in me and it just needed to come out. The music is there because of that. Writing about something that happened to me and hoping people could relate to it. I don’t expect everyone to exactly understand everything I went through and I don’t want that. For some it might make sense and for others maybe not.
We will probably play at least one of the sections of that song, maybe two. It depends on the setlist.
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When you perform these selections, does it feel somewhat therapeutic to sing them?
Sometimes. It’s not like I’m going through it again every time. That’s just not possible or you’ll get crazy.
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You have some very intense fans all over the world and they love to give you gifts. What is the strangest gift a fan has given you?
I don’t think I’ve had anything that is really strange. A lot of people put in a lot of effort to make something themselves or bring me something from their home countries, especially in Latin America. They’ll bring you local crafts and sometimes people jewelry and clothing. I did one time get a bracelet made out of ivory from a fan and I am completely against the hunt of any animal. Oh man, I didn’t even want to touch the thing. That was very awkward because I didn’t want to offend the person that gave it to me. There’s a big culture difference there but I just couldn’t.
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Floor, you have some pretty diehard and at times fanatic fans. Is it ever too hard or overwhelming to go out and face them after a performance?
Yes. Very much and I don’t that a fan should expect that of you either. They are there for your show and if there is energy left then sure. On a day like today when you’re playing 30 minutes, I’ll have some energy left to meet people. 9/10 days I do but when you play for an hour and a half or longer, everything you have goes in and then afterwards I don’t have the energy because it’s just too much. The people take a little bit of you every time. I really like to meet people but only when I have the energy for it. If I don’t have the energy for it, it’s nothing personal towards the crowd. It’s not like they weren’t nice enough or friendly enough or supportive enough. It’s just how it is. They want me to be healthy, happy, and a good musician. I’m not someone that you personally have to meet. That’s a luxury and not mandatory.
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This is a really interesting thing to hear, Floor. Fans do tend for forget just how much of yourselves you’re giving us from the stage night after night.
Exactly. And it’s never just meeting someone. It’s always more. It’s one picture, and then “can I have another picture, a signature, another signature, I want, I want, I want.” Yeah, I want things too. Can I have a beer? Can I have some personal space [laughs].” I know from the fan’s point of view its like, “This is the only second in time that I have with my favorite artist.” I understand that they want to make the best of that moment but I sometimes wish that people would think a little bit more from our point of view. Sometimes people do see it and that’s nice. For instance, somebody brought me drinks and said, “I don’t want you to run out of drinks while meeting people so here.” That was very nice and it’s an interaction. You’re happy to see me, I’m happy to be here but don’t feel like you can just take take take.”
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Fans can also tend to feel a sense of entitlement sometimes when it comes to wanting to meet their favorite artists.
Oh yeah, definitely. And like I said, that feeling where fans say, “She’s here right now and I need to make the best of this” also makes people a little more insensitive to human behavior.
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Let’s go back in time and visit a young Floor. When did you realize that you wanted to be a performer?
I was 13 or 14 years old and I sang in a school musical. After being on stage for that I was like, “I’m sold. I want to do this.” I was in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat. I had a pretty big role.
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Was that the thing that made you want to do this for a living?
Yes, but it wasn’t like, “Let’s do this.” After first I chose a different direction because I also worked with horses a lot. I tried them both and while I love horses so much I’m still a musician and I just had to do this.
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What goes through your mind right before you walk out on stage?
Oh, that changes every day. Usually, I have my routines to get into the right mindset to go out on stage. I get my makeup on, my clothing on, hearing that intro starting up, and hearing the crowd. I feel that adrenaline going and I just want to go out there and do it.
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How do you come down from that level of stimulation?
That also really depends on how the show was. Right now we’re playing 30 minutes and 30 minutes is almost too short to really get into it. If we’re out for 90 minutes it might take my adrenaline quite a while to come down. Sometimes I’ll even find myself peeked until 5 minutes after the show and it comes crashing down. I just get exhausted. That’s that feeling of like, “Ok, I’ve given them everything.” I could not walk into a crowd and smile and be in everyone’s pictures after a show like that. Sometimes I come off stage and I stay energized and I’m like, “Let’s go out and meet people and have a beer.” You know, we’re not machines so it’s going to be different every day.
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If you could sing for any band, past or present, for just one night who would it be?
Oh wow. I would love to sing with Skunk Anansie!
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Wow. I would’ve never guessed that.
[laughs] Yeah, I really love Skunk Anansie. Their music is super groovy.
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Do you have a go to album that you always look to for inspiration?
Well, that also varies and depends on the kind of mood I’m in. I usually have a favorite song for a while and then I find another one so when I really need to hear something, it’ll be my favorite song for that moment. Like right now, it’s the song “Whispers and Lights” by Soilwork. Before that it was a song by Karnivool called “A New Day.”
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What is one metal album that you feel nobody should go without hearing?
I think every metal head should have everything from Pantera. For me, that was one of the first metal bands I started listening to. Even though they are not around anymore I still really think they are awesome.
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If Hollywood was to make a movie about your life, who would play you?
I sure as hell hope Hollywood wouldn’t do it [laughs]. OH man, I really like Sandra Bullock. I think she can really bring out all kinds of characters. She can be funny, and serious, and a strong woman. Yeah, maybe Sandra Bullock.
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Floor, what is your drink of choice?
I really like this single malt whiskey from the island of Islay. It’s a particular taste that comes from the island.
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I’m a big fan of Bushmills Irish Whiskey myself.
You should give the Islay stuff a go. It’s very smoky, heavy whiskey.
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What is some non-metal music that people would be surprised to hear that you are a fan of?
Leonard Cohen. I really love Seal and Annie Lennox. I like Sting a lot. I saw Florence and the Machine in concert and that was just fantastic. It was really, really great. I like a lot of different styles of music but metal just has everything for me. I can imagine myself doing this singer/songwriter thing or something with just a bunch of instruments playing much more with dynamics. Within metal I try but as soon as all the guitars and the violence comes in you lose a bit of the fine tuning there. That’s why I like things like Sting and some singer/songwriter stuff but eventually I end up missing that violence and the real peeks and dynamics of metal.
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Metal is so much more dynamic that what people give it credit for.
Yeah, if you think that up front metal music is just noise, you’ve already lost out basically. There is so much more happening.
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Floor, finish this sentence for me: If I wasn’t a musician, I would be _____________.
Dead? [laughs] Actually, if I was not able to do music I would probably do something with nature and animals. I love animals and nature. Growing up as a child that’s what I thought I was going to do and I’m still completely into it but hopefully it’ll be music forever.
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Last but not least, what’s in store for you for the rest of 2014?
After this North American tour we’ll do three more weeks in South America with ReVamp. When I get back home in the beginning of June I’ll move to Finland and in July/August/September we’ll be recording the new Nightwish album. No more touring for me after this summer so I can focus on Nightwish.
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Floor, thank you so much for taking the time out to hang today.
You’re very welcome, Don. Thanks so much for spreading the word about our music.
For more on Floor Jansen, please check her out on the web at http://floorjansen.com
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