In the latest issue of Metal Hammer, Evanescence’s Amy Lee shared that many were hoping for her failure while discussing his early days in the music industry.
The vocalist talked about how she struggled to gain recognition, explaining:
“I felt a lot like people wanted to see me fail, especially in the beginning. I think it’s partially that they want to see if you’re the real thing, and when you shoot up so fast and you have a lot of success really quickly, I think there’s a little bit of a human nature thing that wants to poke a hole in that. I felt on the defence; I felt misunderstood – I’ve got a bada**, b*tchy look on my face on the album cover, so obviously I must be some kind of b*tch.”
Early Success And Self-Doubt
In the interview, Lee also reflected on how the band’s surprising early success, like winning Best New Artist at the 2004 Grammys, made her feel unsure about the band’s position in the music industry. She noted:
“What do they call that thing? Imposter syndrome! I definitely felt like I’d snuck in the back door and somehow got to go to the Grammys. Like, ‘I’m not supposed to be here and people do not know who we are and this is a prank.’ I think part of that is just it all happening so fast and being so young.”
Confronting Gender Bias In Rock Music
Over the years, Amy has talked about the biases and sexism women in rock music often face. She opened up about her experiences in the industry in a 2020 chat with Forty-Five. Initially, their record label doubted her ability to connect with audiences as the band’s lead and suggested adding a male vocalist to their first single, ‘Bring Me To Life’ to appeal more to rock listeners. Lee initially resisted this idea, as she stated:
“The fact that it was a woman and a piano that started the track was just too much. I had to think we were being dropped for that because I said no.”
Evanescence eventually agreed to have a guest vocalist on one song. This was a tough decision for Lee. She felt like she had compromised her art by starting with a song that didn’t fully represent her vision, but she still welcomed the track later.
