If you walk the streets of London, England, late at night and listen very carefully, you might hear her powerful music, soaring through the midnight ether, with supersonic notes resonating like fireworks in the sky. And if you are lucky you will hear the sound of her shredding and heavy riffs, emerging from her prototype 7 string Falchion….
UK-based artist extraordinaire The Commander In Chief is on a quest to become the first female 7-string guitarist, singer, songwriter in heavy metal history. She is beyond determined, in full control of her path and has her sights set on the prize. Watch out world, The Commander In Chief is kicking asses and taking names along the way on her rise to the top!
I recently caught up her and we talked about music, Ramon Ortiz, polar bears, and working with Pantera engineer-producer Sterling Winfield.
Ken Kopija: First off, I am a huge fan and supporter of you and your music, which has graced the digital pages of METALBUZZ off and on now for the last year and a half.
The Commander In Chief: I am extremely grateful for the support, Ken! Thanks a lot and I am really happy to have this chat with you!
Thank you for taking the time to talk to me. How are you doing today?
I am very happy to be in the UK! Just got my new website up and running this week and a new logo. I am very grateful for having that great web designer on my team! Exciting things happening this week! I just started to work with a PR company here in the UK. They are helping me promote my forthcoming single “Paranoid,” in preparation of the release of my original material.
Congratulations on your six song ep, ‘Battle For The Mind’. It was released last year to rave reviews, including one from me here at METALBUZZ.
Thanks a lot for that great review! I was happy about all the amazing reviews! But my manager and I decided to NOT release the EP as it was. I just had a limited pre release EP package, for some of my most die-hard fans, which sold out. But we were never happy with the mix and the overall sound on guitar and drums, so we decided to wait and look for the right producer/engineer who could give my music the heaviness and sound I wanted!
I’ve played it so much that I think I wore out the digital copy.
That makes me really happy! That is exactly what I want!!!
Was there an overall theme or concept to ‘Battle For The Mind’?
Well, no not really. I had a lot of songs ready to record and I wanted to pick more songs that showed the heavier side of my music. However, the people, my manager and I recorded with at that time insisted on something else. I guess you can say that the songs are a snapshot of my creativity and mind at that time. In the end my manager decided to record the two songs that are now being mixed by Sterling Winfield. They will be the first two singles.
A couple of the songs from the ep, I think ‘Great Expectations’ and ‘Battle For The Mind’, are in the process of being remixed for release later this year. Is that so?
Hahahaha! Two of the songs have been re mixed and partly re-recorded in Milan’s number one studio in Italy. I had a blast re-recording all the guitars with a heavy as hell sound. It was NOT those two songs, however. The first track is “Paranoid. You will be pleased to hear my own interpretation on a song I love. It’s out on August 20th and we have it ready for DJs to play – you should play it now!
Are those songs going to be part of your first full length?
Yes!
And I heard there will be a video released for one of the songs?
Yeah! The second single will be released with the music video! It was a lot of fun shooting it. I would love to do that every day!
Can you tell me a little about your experience working on the video?
It was great fun to have that many people involved. It was not intimidating or scary in any way. It was my first video shoot and it went smoothly. It was really cool, of course, to have two people attending to my hair and make up for an entire day! I wish I had that every day (laughs).
And if all of this that wasn’t exciting enough, you got legendary Pantera/Damageplan/Hellyeah engineer-producer Sterling Winfield overseeing the remixing. How freaking cool is that?
It is fucking cool as hell!!!! He did the remixing and gave instructions (from Texas) to the engineers in Italy when I recorded the guitars. It is GREAT to have him on board and I want to record my first full album with him this winter, if possible!
Will the remixed versions be heavier and more aggressive?
OH YEAH!
What made you decide to include a cover Black Sabbath’s ‘Paranoid’ on ‘Battle For The Mind’?
It was suggested to me that I made a cover of that song. I am HUGE Ozzy fan (and Randy Rhoads is my favorite guitarist). I was reluctant at first since it was Black Sabbath, you know, and I felt that it was necessary to do my own interpretation. I don’t think you can ever do a cover as good as the original band, since they wrote the song in the first place, so I needed to do this MY way. I am very happy with the result since it sounds like The Commander In Chief. Sterling Winfield certainly put his touch to it and ‘Paranoid’ will be my first single!
Do you know if Ozzy has heard your version of his song?
Probably not – yet…
Other than ‘Battle For The Mind’, does your voice or guitar work appear on any other recordings?
I wish…I would love to write or co-write with other good songwriters.
In my review of ‘Battle For The Mind’, I refer to you as “no less than a triple threat to the metal world.” When you first started out, did you plan on excelling at so many different aspects in regards to music?
No, I just woke up one morning and knew how to do it all!
Seriously though, I’d be more than a little nervous to go up against you on any musical level.
Thanks!!!
I’m beginning to see now why you call yourself The Commander In Chief. But, in your words, can you explain how that title came to be?
I am an artist, flying solo, defending my honor, but with my path in my full control.
You are Norwegian born, but have spent most of you life all over the globe. Can you tell me a little about that?
It’s all in my bio, which you can find on my website; there’s whales, Viking ships and Polar bears, well, there WERE some Polar bears…
Wait, you are from Norway, and you don’t worship the devil and burn down churches?
Wait…
I think you stayed in Chicago for a while too?
Yes! I LOVE that city. Spent quite some time there, as a teenager.
And the people that manage you seem to be based out of several different countries, for example, Italy, the UK and the US.
It is one person, Elisabeth, you never know where you might find her.
Where do you call home when not working?
Wherever my guitar is.
How old were you when you first realized your gift of voice?
I think it was around 300 years ago but I am not quite sure. Not easy to remember you know, time flies.
What is your vocal range?
D3 to B6. I love my supersonic register from E6 to B6!
Have you received any other vocal training and/or are you currently taking vocal training?
There was a gekko once who told me all about the Bel Canto Technique…
I’ve had the pleasure of corresponding with your manager of three plus years, Elisabeth Hagen, on more than one occasion. Although it has only been via email, she seems like an extremely awesome person. How did the two of you meet?
We met when I was lost at sea….read my bio…(laughing)
Another special person in your life is guitarist Ramon Ortiz (Ankla/Puya). Can you tell me a little about him and what he has done for you?
I first saw Ramon performing at Ozzfest in Chicago, 2007. I was blown off my feet by his band, Ankla. Last year, a good friend, producer German Villacorta, introduced me to him in L.A., since he had worked with him a lot. He became my guitar teacher and mentor. We work very closely together, via Skype, and he is the only guitar teacher I ever had that is perfect. He is both a classical guitarist/metal guitarist and well rounded in so many genres. He is regarded by many as the man behind the fusion of Metal and Latin music. Most important, he has been there, done that with his bands and he is a 7 string guitarist! He understands the importance of songwriting and sound. It is very few who are equally great on both rhythm and lead guitar, but Ramon sure is! You know they always say guitarists never share their secrets. Ramon is the only guitarist I ever ran into who is willing to do that and I love it!
And speaking of the guitar, you got a late start… I think I read that you were seventeen or eighteen when you started playing the guitar. Is that true?
I got a late start yes…
If I may ask, how old are you?
I was born the 1st day of the 2nd month of the 3rd year.
How did you get so good so fast!?
Not much else to do when you are lost at sea, on a Viking ship…
Who and/or what band(s), other than Ramon, do you cite as personal influences?
Too many and way too different to mention
Can you tell me a little about your new endorsement deals with Ibanez, Seymour Duncan and Ernie Ball?
I wish! I am totally stoked about it, of course! But that is gonna be a separate talk we have later. I am really proud to be on their great artist rosters. I could speak for ages about my new gear!!!
Have you ever toured in the United States?
NO, but I want to do it soon!
When can I expect to see The Commander In Chief play live Chicago?
I guess I will appear one day.
Once again Commander In Chief, thank you, thank you, thank you for taking time out of your busy day to chat with METALBUZZ. It has been an honor talking with you.
Thank you, thank you, thank you and thank you!!! And thanks for all the support to you Ken! You know I always appreciate it a lot!! Check out my new website at www.thecommanderinchief.net
