As one of the best new up and coming bands we've happened to catch live in action this year, we catch up lead singer Sally Holliday to find out more about these Symphonic Metallers and their stunning new album 'Reasons And Madness'.

MM -  Would you like to start by introducing the band to us and giving us a little bit of history on how the band started.
Sally - Hanging Doll are a five piece band consisting of: Drummer - Alex, guitarist/vocalist - Dan, Bassist/vocalist - Kev, Keyboard player - Aryan and Vocalist - Sally. The band initially formed with Alex and Dan whilst in college. There were various line-ups since but the five piece that we have today has been together for about 18 months.

MM - Has anyone in the band featured in any other bands prior to joining Hanging Doll?
Sally - Yes, we have all been in bands before but nothing on this scale.

MM - How would you best describe your music to any of our readers who are currently unfamiliar with your music?
Sally - A dark, gothic, orchestral blend with heavy guitar riffs and melodic harmonies.

MM - Did you all agree on your particular sound at the very beginning or were there any clashes over musical ideas? Sally - There have never been any clashes as such. Sometimes we may be uncertain or dislike an idea but the majority rules. We take a vote, which makes it an easy decider. Things are very amicable which is so important as if there were too many disagreements the band would not be as strong as it is and we would not be able to progress in the same way. In fact it would probably be the demise of the band. MM - Can you remember what magical musical

moment in your life made you want to become a performer in the first place? Sally - I do not think that there ever was one. I was very shy as a child and always had minimal parts in plays etc. I dreamed of being a singer but never once thought that I would have the confidence or that I would be good enough to be one.

MM - Along the road of life there are many people who influence us, who do you give credit as being your inspiration both musically and personally?
Sally - There are so many but I would say “Siouxsie and the banshees” is one for their melodies and Siouxsies powerful vocals. I love her take no shit attitude and sometimes wish I had more of that attribute. Rozz Williams was also a great inspiration. I loved his creative ideas and the controversy that he created with his fabulous lyrics. Bands who particularly experiment with sound such as “Dead can dance” also give me inspiration. Personally, one of the many inspirational figures is Shackleton and the determination and the compassion he had for his fellow men.

MM - With the release of your new album, how are the band feeling right now and what feedback have you had to date from the fans and media? Sally - We are feeling very motivated right now. We have had such a fantastic response from both fans and the media which is giving us real drive to do more and the encouragement to constantly improve our skills and the sound that we produce. MM - Have you had a chance to think about how you will approach your follow up album or is it too early to say? Sally - Not at all. We have already started it and we have instigated the process of recording demos. We plan to record the album at the beginning of next year.

MM - Can you tell our readers a little about some of the songs that feature on that album, which one(s) are your particular favourites and why?
Sally - “Blood ridden skies” is based on the despondency of war, “Iniquity” is expressing the urgency of getting out of a destructive relationship to a friend, “Forlorn” is about infidelity of a partner and the grief it leaves. My particular favourites are “Formidable mistake” for its upbeat melody and “Silence in Solitude” as I wrote it whilst waiting for my husband who was then living in Seattle. For the guys I guess it would be Echoes of sorrow. They really enjoy playing that one.

MM - How long did the album take to be created from its initial conception to its final release?
Sally - The album took about a year. We had various set backs and delays. Nothing adverse but just changes to our plans and money issues.

MM - The band are signed to Once Bitten Music, how did you get involved with them?
Sally - They are our management company and are closely linked to where we rehearse.

MM - Is the whole song writing process covered by one individual or do you generally all have inputs into the material? When writing a new song do you usually start with a lyric, a riff, what works creatively for you?
Sally - We all have an input. We generally write the parts for our individual sections. The main melody is normally created through a jamming session. If we all like a certain melody we will work on it and keeping adding our own interpretations to form the overall sound. The lyrics normally follow to fit the music.

MM - Who designs the logo/merchandise artwork for the band?
Sally - The majority is designed by Alex (drummer), who puts a lot of time and thought into what he does and does a wonderful job. I do photography so I have done some of the photographs such as for the album cover and my husband is fabulous at graphics and has done some graphic art for us and the manipulation to the photograph for the front cover of the album.

MM - Does the band have any live dates lined up? If so how can our readers find out more about these?
Sally - Yes, we only have a couple lined up for the rest of the year. We shall mainly be recording the new album at the beginning of next year but probably after around June time we shall be on the gigging scene again. All of our gig dates and radio interviews are scheduled on our Myspace page: www. myspace. com/hangingdoll our official website will be viewable shortly too: www. hangingdoll. com in which the dates will also be noted.

MM - Are there any particular places that you guys would want to tour or anyone you would like to tour with?
Sally - Alex would love to tour with “Aerosmith” and gig in St Lucia. Dan would love to tour with “The 69 eyes” or “Avenged Sevenfold” and to gig in New Orleans or Paris. Aryan would love to gig with Opeth as he feels the crowd they attract would be perfect and the location would have to be Scandinavia as he believes that the genre of music that we get put into is highly appreciated there. Kev would love to gig with Iron Maiden around Brazil. I would love to go to somewhere like Norway, Belgium or Germany as the music scene seems so much bigger there, especially for alternative/metal music and would love to gig with Siouxsie, The Frozen Autumn or Mephisto Walz.

MM - What are your goals for the future as regards to the band do you have a set schedule or are you just riding the wave at the moment?
Sally - We are simply riding the wave. We are loving every minute and every step is a bonus. We are happy to carry on gigging and recording as we are and if we get the chance to gig abroad, which has been talked about on a few occasions then we will be ecstatic. Anything else will be an added treat.

MM - If you could ask one of your heroes/someone who’s inspired you a question, who would it be and what would you ask them?
Sally - Personally I feel that hero is a word used too commonly as I only believe a hero to be someone who has really gone out of their way for someone else or put their lives at risk for another. I do not believe music or sports people for instance to be heroes. So I do not have a hero but inspiration wise hmmm, I cannot pin point a single person. There are so many that have inspired me family, friends, musicians and writers, poets, stories of people through media and people that I have known, even for a brief period. If I saw them I would ask them if they would like a nice cup of tea with me so that I could ask them a multitude of questions or for a catch up.

MM - We have seen a lot of changes in the music world, but looking forward what changes would you like to see over the years to come?
Sally - I think that it would be almost impossible for someone to find something completely different as I am sure that what ever can be done has been done. I would like to be proved wrong though. I guess more experimental bands breaking into the mainstream. Experimenting with various instruments and sounds.

MM - What would you most like to be remembered for?
Sally - Cor, that is a tough one. I think I shall just leave that for the people that I leave behind and hope that there are no un-pleasantries

MM - Finally are there any words you’d like to pass on to all our readers out there or anything that we might have missed that you’d like to mention?
Sally - If you have a dream chase it and never let anyone else’s negativities stand in the way.