METAL MAIDEN OF THE MONTH
Heather Shockley, vocalist for the band ROCK IGNITION
Name : Heather Shockley
Home : Viersen, Nordrhein-Westfalen Germany
Myspace page: www.myspace.com/heathershockley
Metal Pit : Greetings Heather,welcome to the Metal Pit.
Heather Shockley: Hi there, thanks for inviting me, it's a pleasure to talk to you guys!
Metal Pit : I guess the first thing on my mind is how did a professional ballerina born in Spain,move to Germany and end up fronting a Metal band with three guys?
Well, I've had to move several times because of my job
as a professional dancer.
To New York first, then to Italy and finally to Germany,
although I never thought I would end up settling here and forming a band,
everything happenned without being really planned.
In any case I had been singing for some years already and I always had a big passion for hard rock and metal, so being on stage as a frontwoman, one to one with the audience, had always been one of my big dreams.
Metal Pit : You seem to be completley at home on stage,have you performed on stage in some other capacity in the past?
I started dancing when I was 8 years old, so
practically you can say that I grew up being on stage. When I turned 19 I
signed my first professional dancing contract and I've been performing since
then. I can't imagine another place to be, that is my real home.
Metal Pit : Can you tell us a little more about your dance experience?
Well, I trained really hard for many years and as I said I
even moved to New York City to study at the famous Joffrey Ballet School.
Classical ballet is one of the toughest disciplines, it's
really hard on your body and on your mind, but if you take in a positive way it
can be a very great and exciting challenge.
I danced classical ballet in a theater in Italy for 7
years and since my arrival in Germany I decided to try new styles and combine
my dancing with my singing, something that I had been thinking about for quite
a while already.
I was lucky enough to get engagements to perform in great musicals like „We Will Rock You“, „Jesus Christ Superstar“or Kiss me Kate“ and I also had the chance to dance in some television shows and as background dancer for famous recording artists.
Metal Pit : Is ballet still something you have a passion for and with the rigors of life on the road in a band,do you still try and make time for dancing as well?
I have a big passion for dancing but not really for
classical ballet anymore.
I think that after all these years I discovered that my heart
was actually always more into jazz dance, musicals or more commercial dancing
in general.
I do really have a big passion for this type of dancing and I will try to dance as long as my body will allow me.
Metal Pit : Talk about two very different extremes,going fron the quiet and very serene world of ballet to the crazy and loud world of a live Metal show....quite a contrast,dont you think?
It is definitely is a big contrast, but I think that
both can coexist without problems.
And one feeds the other somehow, I actually feel the need of
both extremes to keep my balance and not focus all my life on one only thing.
It helps me not to obssess to much about things. (although to be honest..it doesn't always work as good as I'd like to cause I'm such a perfectionist..but it does help to put my energy is something else when I need it).
Metal Pit : How did you first get into Heavy Metal and what bands or singers were some of your early influences?
I actually had my pop faze like many other teenies, I
used to listen to Michael Jackson, Madonna and Co., but I soon started noticing
some harder bands like Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Europe, Motley Crüe...I loved their
look, their really cool and rocky choruses, their attitude on stage fascinated
me.
When I turned 22 I received as a present my first metal
cassette, that was actually the album „Fourth Dimension“ from the finish band
Stratovarius.
At the beginning I really didn't have an idea of how to
listen to this music, the voice sounded so high and unusual and the drums were
amazingly fast..but somehow I ended up consuming this tape and asking for more
metal music!
I love and I'm influenced by many Rock and Metal singers like
Russel Allen, Jeff Scott Soto, Eric Martin, Toby Jepson and of course the most
amazing performers, the great Freddy Mercury.
There's also great frontwomen that I admire a lot like Doro Pesch, Tina Turner, Lee Aaron or Alannah Myles.
Metal Pit : Can you tell us about the guys in Rock Ignition?
Jürgen, our bass player is the most experienced
musician from all of us. He founded his first band „Headstone Epitaph“ in the
80's, has toured the world with the metal band „Silent Force“ and recently just
joined the progressive symphonic band „Sons of Seasons“.
Fabi, our guitarrist is the youngest member of the band but
he's definitely full of passion an he's without doubt one of the most talented
17 year old guitar players I know.
Niko, our drummer is a machine, he comes from Greece and hits the drums like there would be no tomorrow!
Metal Pit : Is it me or do they all look like they are 12 years old, haha?
Ha.ha! Thanx for the compliment! Well, I can tell you we're not 12 but we do try our best to keep ourselves young with Rock n' Roll!
Metal Pit : As the singer for the band are you responsible for writing all the
lyrics?
Yes I am, and there's no
other chance for me anyway cause the rest of the band are typical musicians,
they don't really care much about lyrics..haha!
But I love to do it, of course and it does help me to bring out my emotions in a very effective way.
Metal Pit : Rock Ignition's music has been described as everything from Skidrow
to Vixen to Scorpions, how would you describe your music?
I'd describe it as very unique female fronted hard
rock.
We do have our influences like every band but we don't like
to label ourselves and we do try to write songs without trying to copy anybody,
and also without really following any pattern or rigid style-scheme.
Our songs are actually all very different from eachother and that's the style we want to keep alive for Rock Ignition, no barriers, whatever comes out spontaneouly will be recorded without thinking if it sounds more pop, more rock or more metal.
Metal Pit : The band only has one demo cd out called "I cant Resist"
but just from that one demo, this band has become very popular and in demand,how do you explain that?
As I said, I do really believe we have a very
particular style of doing rock that can be loved by a wide range of audience.
Plus, it's getting harder to find female singers that still want to sing hard
rock and not go on this very popular wave of the moment which is Gothic metal.
I think we have a very special and fresh way of writing rock music and this makes people be interested in what will come next.
Metal Pit : When can we expect a new cd form the band?
We have a lot of new material but we do need the
support of a record label to release a full lenghth Cd.
We've chosen 3 songs that we'll send around to labels in the
next months and see what offers will come.
If we don't get the chance to record a full lenghth in the next period, we will in any case release a new EP with our best new songs for all our fans to enjoy. This is planned for the end of this year beginning of the next.
Metal Pit : Are there any major tours in the works and any plans to come to the
states or Canada in the future?
At the moment we're still busy with recordings so apart
from some gigs around Germany and Holland, there's no major tour planned yet.
Of course we'd love to come over to play in the States and Canada so we definitely promise to try our best to make this happen. In case any promoter wants to give us a hand and fly us in, we're ready for anything!;-)
Metal Pit : If it was possible,who are some of the bands you would love to tour
with someday?
So many! We'd love to tour with Motley Crüe, Scorpions, Doro, Gotthard, Europe, Skid Row..really.. too many to name!
Metal Pit : What about for you personally,what other projects will you be
involved with in the near future?
Well, as you might know I sang for the american metal band Kamelot and I've also appeared as a guest singer in the debut album of the progressive metal band from Belgium „Epsylon“. My next appearance as a guest singer will be for the solo album of an italian metal guitarrist and singer. Apart from that I'll be mostly concentrating on the new Rock Ignition material and a possible short tour in Japan/Taiwan next year.
Metal Pit : What is "Rock against Children in Poverty" and how did
the band get involved with this cause?
This is a very important initiative against children
poverty, which in German is called „Die Sandmänner“(the Sandmen).
They ask artists to record video messages where they share their support for this initiative. We were more than honoured to be contacted by them and record our little message to make people aware of this very big but many times ignored problem.
Metal Pit : Is there a way fans can also help out?
You can check out their website and the different
activities they have: www.sandmaenner.de
People can also help out with donations or acting as a sponsor.
Metal Pit : As a musician in the public eye,do you think it is important to
project the right image to young people and try to be some type of role model for them?
I think everybody should be just the way they are,
that's how you'll feel good with yourself and will give the best example you
can.
Nobody's perfect, you can try your best to be a good role model but in the end you're just a human being like anybody else, so people should understand when you fuck up and see you for what you really are (and if they don't they should just get a life).
Metal Pit : What advice would you give to young women who see you up on stage
and may want to follow in your footsteps?
I'd say, the two „P“'s: Passion and Patience.
You need lots of both to be an artist. People will try to put
you down or convince you to quit and make you believe that you're not good
enough, but you just gotta go on whatever happens.
If that's really what you wanna do, go for it.
Metal Pit :What is your opinion on women in Heavy Metal today?
I'd say the situation is definitely much better than 20
years ago, women are showing amazing skills and I gotta say that many times
they kick ass on stage a lot more than their colleagues men.
But I think there's still a long way to go, somehow there's
still the tendency of having to show people and the business that you're able
to compete with other male fronted bands.
I realize that in general women have a lot more pressure than men because they always have to keep proving theirselves again and again.
Metal Pit : When I hear you sing it is very evident to me that your voice is
professionally trained,can you tell us what
kind of training you have had in the past?
I started my vocal training in Italy, with a lyrical
singing teacher. I learned what the basics of singing are but I realized after
a while that I needed a change of technique for what my real passion was: Rock
music.
When I arrived to Germany I started taking pop/rock lessons
with two very known musical singers, one of them the american Broadway singer
Pamela Falcon. After that I studied with another teacher that helped me a lot
with what are called the „ belted voice“ and the „head voice“ which are really
used in rock and metal.
But I have to say the most I've learned has been in the
rehearsal room and on stage.
There's really no other school as good as the stage.
Metal Pit : What kinds of precautions do you have to take with your voice and
do you have voice excercises you need
to do on a consistent basis to keep the pipes in good working order?
I got quite sensible vocal cords (unfortunately, cause
I love to party!), so I always have to take care of being well covered and
having some homeopatic medicine with me in case I get a soar throat on the
road. I do lots of breathing exercises which help me incredibly to resist
through the whole show and do a long warm up in the morning and a short once
before every show.
If in any case I still have a soar throat when I go on stage, I try not to obssess about it and just try to get through the show in a decent way without forcing the vocal cords excesively. It works quite well when you learn how to put the sound in what's called „the mask“.
Metal Pit : Is your family supportive of what you do?
They definitely are, I'm a very lucky person for that.
I've known so many other talented artists that couldn't make it because of not
having the support of their families and that's a really hard thing to see.
I feel really blessed to have parents that helped me all the way till now and that are still so enthusiastic and proud of what I do.
Metal Pit : I dont imagine you have much spare time but other than
sleeping,what are some of the things you enjoy doing in your down time?
I enjoy a lot watching movies, in my free days I can
watch up to two or three movies in a row.
I also just like hangin out with friends and drinking lots of Pina Colada!
Metal Pit : Where do you see yourself personally ten years from now?
Mmm...tough question! All I can say is that I can't imagine myself doing anything else than being on stage so I definitely wanna bring Rock Ignition to a level where we'll be playing a lot live, and if possible on big stages!
Metal Pit : Where can fans buy Rock Ignition music and merchandise?
You can buy our EP and all types of RI merchandise directly on our official shop: www.rockignition.com/shop.html or also through our distributor Rock Inc. : www.rockinc.nl
Metal Pit : What does it mean to be selected as the Metal pit's Maiden of the
month?
It really means a lot to me, specially after seeing that the Maiden of November 2008 was Angela Gossow, a frontwoman I really admire, it's a big honour guys, thanx for asking me!
Metal Pit : Is there anything at all you would like to add to this interview?
Keep checking our websites for lots of news about our next album and various activities in the next year, we promise there won't be time to get bored! And we look forward to meeting you all out there on tour!
Metal Pit : Heather,on behalf of myself and the Metal Pit,we want to thank you
for chatting with us today.You are a multi-talented young woman and we wish you much success with the band and all of your other
endevours.
Thanx to you guys and thanx to all the readers of the
Metal Pit.
Horns up brothers and sisters.......
Nick Rohm.
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