With an intimate relationship with Barcelona, Louise conversed with Metal Imperium, to learn a bit more about the new album, her musical influences and upcoming projects.
Her emotional feelings can be heard on her enchanting and noir voice, that resonates with many of us who are facing lifetime issues, where love is one of the most powerful emotions.
M.I. - It’s been a while since we had the opportunity to speak with you. How’re you doing?
I'm doing really good. I'm really happy that my record is released. It's been a while, so I feel really good to finally have released it.
M.I. - Who is the persona Louise Lemón?
She is me, in the sense too, like there's a big vulnerability and authenticity to what I do, and at the same time I feel there is a big power to me or to her. I work in that kind of spectrum of being very, very sincere and at the same time the more sincere I am, the more powerful you get, and that’s me. The music I do is a space to where you can feel perhaps the negative or hard emotions, but in this space you become stronger. That’s kind of where I am with what I do.
M.I. - You are often compared to Chelsea Wolfe and Emma Ruth. How about Lana del Rey with the 60’s and 70’s psych-rock vibe?
My influences are more like 60’s and 70's rock music, folk music. I understand the comparisons with Chelsea for something like that, but for me it's very far apart.
I think with this record and my previous record have a lot more of a groove to it. I work with vintage amp, real instruments, a lot, that's my base, such as organs who are my favorite sound. I think, for me, what I listen to a lot for doing this record is Fleetwood Mac. That's more of my ground for what I do, and I’m a big fan.
M.I. - Why the darker side of love?
I've been thinking about that myself too, and I think in one way like as I told you, I like to be a very sensitive person like you. You get a lot of sensations. Things become very strong, and I'm also a person who likes passion. I want to listen to music in full volume. I want life to fee, and sometimes a heartbreak feels more than actual love. Love is more peaceful, and the heartbreak is very intense. I don't know why I'm in one way drawn to it.
M.I. - Looking backward, would the 10 years Louise believe she would achieve success as the Death Gospel Queen as it is nowadays?
The 10-year-old me was playing guitar and writing songs. I was doing the same thing then and now. Since I was a very, very young child, I’ve been writing music. It's been my constant through life.
M.I. - Your label is Icons Creating Evil Heart, known working with a few Heavy Metal bands. Are you also a fan of this genre?
Not so much. I like music that is passion. I like volume, but I'm more drawn to have some kind of Blues background in some way. So, I like things that draw from that more, but I have a very broad musical interest, but I need them to be really authentic and passionate with a soul in it. I wouldn't say it's my first pick.
M.I. - You toured with Solstafir, and even played in Metal festivals. Do you find having a small niche of metalhead fans?
I think it's super beautiful. I listen to Grunge and a lot of stuff that I draw inspiration from, and I think that in my music you can hear even if it's just a very soft song. I think you can still hear those influences that is real music in some kind of way, but you can still have a place where you can find solitude, where you can reflect, where you can have this emotional part.
I think I've won them over, in some way, by making actual real music, and giving them a space where they can rest. For me, it’s really beautiful to hear stories, people saying that I cry to you or like to give that space for me, that's the more beautiful thing.
M.I. - Your latest album Lifetime of Tears (2024) came out last February. What would you like to share about it?
It’s really an important piece for me, both personally and musically. It’s a very personal record and I decided to produce it myself.
I also did produce my first album in a big studio, so it was like a step forward to really take very much in control of all the making of my songs and how it sounds. It was nice to step in those shoes, and it was also very nice to let my band. We've been playing a lot, a lot live, and I incorporated their personalities a lot too.
It’s a very personal record for me, but I think I also got the vulnerable personalities of the musician in this album, and it's more you hear a little bit, more of a live sound in this happen. I think I often work with from the darkness into the light, and I think this album it starts from a very heavy point of view, and ends with some really looking for peace, or giving the listener some kind of peace with the last song.
M.I. - The song “Shattered Heart” is by far my favorite. What’s the production behind this one?It’s about my shattered heart. It's about the ending of a relationship. It's being crushed, and I think the first lines of this album, or this track is the first that I wrote in all the albums.
I really kicked off like what this album would be about, and I think this song also is very much this I'm talking about, something very difficult, and that I went through. Nevertheless, at the same time I feel this song is very, very strong. It has this double sense for this is a super strong song, and yet I talk about something very difficult.
M.I. - “Tears as Fuel” was shot in Barcelona. Both you and Johan Lundsten are from Sweden. Why shooting this video in Catalonia?
Barcelona has been my second home. I've been living a lot there, so I've been going back and forth a lot. It was also a lot of what the album is about, that happened in these streets, a diary format that I use kind of in writing. I wanted the same thing with the video. If I had to shutter heart in these streets, to make a video that is above that, but it also gets you in another and more beautiful universe.
M.I. - In which way does this album differ from Devil (2020)?
I think this album is a bit more mature. I feel it has a maturity both in the lyrics as well as in the production. I also feel that I had a clear vision of what I want to do, and to make it happen.
The songs are kind of focused. I got the production the way I wanted it. I feel it's a very worked album, but still with this live feeling.
M.I. - The songs have an introspective feeling, especially because they’re based on your personal experiences. How easy or hard is to convey your personal feelings into music?
I think that's the only way to do it. I believe any art is what you paint it, and that's the way to do it.
As I’ve said, even if I write I try to find the more personal thing. If I talk more general, I don't connect them, the listener won’t connect. I try to find these really, really deep personal things, specific things that happen or feelings. That’s how you connect to another person. If you speak with someone, then you connect, and I think the same if you make any kind of art.
For me it also happens they become super honest, but I get to create the narrative. I get to make something sound beautiful, powerful or make it poetic this dark shit that happens, and I get to make it poetic.
I feel very confident with when I create, I can be how personal I want, because they're my words. They're my perspective, and I get to create the reality thing.
M.I. - Have you ever considered doing an acoustic album?
Actually, I'm going to release a couple of songs in a different setting without drums, and without bass. That has a really, I wouldn't say acoustic, but at a very different feeling, that I'm just about to release in the near future. So yes, I always experiment with new sounds.
M.I. - Any upcoming plans to promote on tour this amazing new album?
Not all at the moment.
M.I. - Thank you for your time! Indeed, was a pleasure speaking with you. Would you like to share any message with our readers?
I'm just really grateful for anyone listening. The world is really hard, difficult and the days at the moment aren’t easy, as always, but even more at the moment.
I try to stand in my point of view and be honest and be as sincere as I can. So that's what I want to convey.
Listen to Louise Lemón, on Spotify
For Portuguese version, click here
Questions by André Neves
