Currently on tour with Axxis, we catch up with Magica's lead singer Ana Mladinovichi after their UK show in London to find out how the tour's going with Axxis and how things are in the Magica camp following the recent release of their breathtaking third album 'Hereafter'.  Also joining us for the interview we have Magica's lead guitarist Bodan Costea.

MM - Hi Ana and Bodan, firstly thanks for taking time out to take part in this interview with us today.
Ana - It's lovely to meet you.

MM - How did you feel the show went tonight here in London?
Ana - I felt it went pretty good because the audience, I thought they would not know Axxis very well but it was a pretty good show.  It was a good one.

MM - How do you feel the tour as a whole has gone so far?
Ana - I am very happy with this tour and I'm very glad I accepted to do this collaboration with these guys.  They are all nice guys and we have a good time and laugh a lot.  It is a good experience for me and good promotion for Magica as well. 

MM - How were you first approached to replace Lakonia on this tour?
Ana - I think it was AFM our record label who sent me an email and asked me if I'd like to replace her on this European tour, I accepted and I think I am doing a good job.  I try and even though these are not my songs and are not written for my voice, I try very hard and I think everything is fine.   

MM - Did you have to make many adjustments to the songs to accommodate your difference in vocals from Lakonia's or were you ok with them as they were?
Ana - I am ok with them.  We had two or three rehearsals and then everything was fine.

Bodan - I would like to add that she only had two weeks in advance to rehearse it at home.  Axxis sent her about 20 songs and she just learned the 20 songs in these two weeks. 

Ana - Yes that is me, I always like to be prepared.

MM - What's the response been to the bands 'Hereafter' album so far?
Ana - I think we've had some good reviews and a few almost medium reviews. 

Bodan - No, all the reviews are good, but they criticise the fact that we are not very original.  They say that they think it resembles Nightwish, Eden's Bridge, or After Forever.  I think this is a little stupid because when I think how much money was invested in the Nightwish production, you simply cannot compare that with what we had to prepare this album with.  There's a very big difference with the production on the two albums.  We also have pretty different styles but some people cannot see past the fact that two bands who have a female fronted acts can be different.  They just see that it is a female fronted act and they compare it.  Everything is the same for them, but not all of them of course!

The reviews were good though and they all said the songs are good and the instrumental parts are good, and they all said Ana has a wonderful voice.  The critic was that it is not so original ... 

Ana - How can a band be original these days?  It is very hard to be original. 

Bodan - We didn't even try to be very original, I just wrote what I liked at that moment in time.  I wrote whatever made me feel good.  I am not trying to be original or to copy, I just write about what makes me feel good.

MM - Well turning the coin on the other side, if people are comparing you to Nightwish and they've had so much more money invested in the production of their album, then if people think you are on par with that,  then that speaks volumes very positively about what you have achieved with this album.
Bodan - Yes it is a good thing and we are honoured that some people compare us to Nightwish, but I think it is all a little too much.  We just like to be ourselves and do whatever makes us feel and do not try to be Nightwish.  We are from a different part of the world and we just like classic rock and hard metal music.

Ana - Yes, we'd just like to have our own identity and not someone else's.

MM - I personally would not say that your vocals sound like those in Nightwish.  I can see the similarities perhaps in the music in some parts but I think your vocals are much warmer and are not so operatic and cold.  They have more warmer classical sounds in them which is nice to hear, because there are a lot of operatic type female singers out there at the moment.  It makes a nice change to hear a powerful warm classic rock voice.
Ana - I always try to find a way to be myself because I want to escape from the Nightwish and Within Temptation thing.  I am a little sick of all that.  I want to be me and now I've found a way to sing like me.

MM - The band have already had quite a lot of success in France, South America and of course your homeland Romania.  Why do you think it's taken so long for the band to conquer the rest of Europe?
Ana - Because we came from Romania! (laughs). 

Bodan - Well I don't think it's actually been that long because we only started playing in 2003.  Our first album was recorded in 2002 but at that time it was just a side project of another band we were playing in at that time.  We started playing with Magica as a full band in it's own right in 2003, so now it's just the beginning of 2008 which is not so very long for a band coming from Eastern Europe to get a deal with a big German label.  I think it's good for us and I'm not in a hurry to do anything, I'm just happy we've managed to get where we are today for now.  There's not many bands from our area lucky enough to make it to where we are today.  It's all good. 

MM - Yes I must admit it is hard to think of any other bands that come from the same locality you come from.  I think to try and name them would be quite difficult for most rock fans so now you have put your area on the map for a lot of people.  
Bodan - I don't think we have a very big scene, just an underground and I mean deep underground scene.  I think the only bands that are now known on the metal scene from our area are Magica and a more brutal metal band who play death metal.  They are a very extreme metal band and they have a contract with a bigger Italian label who specialises in that kind of music.  That is probably the only two bands who are known from our area.  But, we are definitely the only melodic metal band to come out of there! (laughs).  

MM - Do you think the rise in popularity of Gothic and Symphonic Metal has given the female vocalists a voice in an otherwise male fronted genre? 
Bodan - I think it is perhaps the emancipation of woman and their power to be more each day.  In the past females were a little more put behind in this genre, but now they are encouraged more and more to do this kind of thing.  We are living in modern times. 

Ana - It is still not easy being a girl in the metal scene you know, it is not easy at all.  It is still very much a mans world, the world of metal.

Bodan - I think it all depends on what kind of girl you are and it depends on what way you choose to do things.  There is always an easier way and a harder way.  If you are a very free and independent woman and if you just make everybody happy then it is easier for you. 

Ana - Ah yes that is just your point of view, a man's point of view!  I like my way which is not always your way, a man's way! (laughs).  No believe me it is still not easy, but if you like what you do then ...

MM - Yes I think there are a lot of pressures on female singers both in the world of rock and metal.  
Ana - Yes and even the competition between the bands with female vocalists is there all the time.  We were touring with another female fronted band a few years ago and I noticed some things between the girls ... and it's not easy for us anyway, even with girls it is not easy! 

Bodan - I think it is always best to just be yourself and not care about others.  

MM - What are the plans for Magica in 2008?  
Ana - We wait for a European tour.  AFM said they would build us a tour and sort something out for us.  We wait with interest to see who we are going to tour with.  I would love to tour with Kamelot you know. 

Bodan - That is just wishful thinking because she likes Khan! (laughs). 
 

MM - Thank you both so much for taking the time out to chat with us this evening.  Is there anything you would like to say to our readers to close off this interview?
Bodan - I'd like to thank you for this opportunity to present ourselves to your readers and we just want to say if anybody wants to find out more about the band can visit our website - www.magicaband.com and of course our MySpace page - www.myspace.com/magicaband .  

Ana - Thank you, I've really enjoyed talking to you.

MM - We'd like to thank Ana and Bodan for being such wonderful company to chat to this evening.  We wish them and the band every success with their new album 'Hereafter' and hope to see them visit our shores again soon.

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