We had the chance to speak with Jake E from Amaranthe about their return to American soil for a wall-to-wall metal tour with Butcher Babies, their release of their new album, Breaking Point, B-Sides, 2001-2015, and all of the exciting things we can expect from them in the near future.
Amaranthe released an album of B-side acoustic cuts because they get regular requests to play them live on stage, so demand for that sound was high. The acoustic songs are always taken in by the fans with open arms, so releasing the album now, while they are in their last leg of the Massive Addictive tour, was a natural decision for the band. They understand that, for some fans, the acoustic songs may be a bit of a switch out of their comfort zone. However, they hope that those fans embrace those songs as they have embraced all of their releases thus far. From the sounds of it, that won’t be an issue; it’s an incredible album.
When it comes to writing those songs that their fans love and count on for that genuine Amaranthe sound, Jake E says that he, Olof, and Elize all work together to collaborate on writing. Their last full-length album, Massive Addictive, was written half on tour and half in the studio. They had five or six songs ready when they landed back in the studio off tour, and Morten tracked drums while Olof and Jake E wrote more songs. That process was one of the most interesting ways they have gotten an album together, but it produced “An Ordinary Abnormality” and “Danger Zone”, which are two amazingly powerful songs from Massive Addictive, so it is safe to say that the process works and, hopefully, will bring them more success for future albums.
The tour with Butcher Babies is not their first go-round here in the States. They decided that they’d love the chance to hit the stage with the Butcher Babies, and now they’re “touring their asses off” over here. While they don’t plan on calming things down with any acoustic b-sides live on this tour, Amaranthe is rolling out some new songs that have never been played before, which will prove to be exciting for their fans. Another new addition to the tour is Adam Hedman from Smash Into Pieces, who is taking over the vocals for Jake E while Jake E enjoy some much-needed paternity leave back home with his wife and daughter. Jake E assured me, “[Amaranthe] is a fantastic live band, so with or without me, I know the audience will witness a fantastic show! I don’t think they miss me at all!” I’d have to say that I agree with him about the fantastic show part and know that the fans are in for an amazing experience any time Amaranthe comes into their towns!
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It is no surprise that Amaranthe has some of the best fans in the world, and the band feeds off of the energy from the crowd to deliver best show ever to the audience. Jake E says that they’d have no idea what to do if a crowd didn’t show them love because they’ve never had to experience it before. I, for one, can’t imagine that they ever would! In their down time on tour, they try to get out and see things and stay connected to the fans in the cities they are playing.
Speaking of fans, Jake E ensures the fans at the end of each show, “Without you, we’d be nothing!” Amaranthe is a band that prides themselves on their connections and contact with each of the fans as much as possible. Jake E founded an official fan club for the band where members pay a small fee to get access to stuff no one else can get, including the chance to meet and greet the band when they come into town. A small fee is totally worth it for that kind of access! Check out their fan club at fanclub@amaranthe.se.
When taking a look back at the band through the last few years, it is apparent that their sound and energy has changed and evolved, for the better. Jake E says that this is because they are tighter now, both musically and as a live band. Because Amaranthe is a band that can choose to tour as much or as little as they’d like, they can bring their combined 100 years of experience in music together and give their all to every audience, every single show. They truly know what they’re doing together as a band, and their cohesion is apparent from the first note through the end of every song, either live or recorded. Jake E gives a lot of credit for their live sound to their crew, and the Foh guys they work with now. He says that those guys have helped Amaranthe transform their live sound in great ways compared to how they used to sound when they started.
Amaranthe – Digital World
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Amaranthe’s musicality crosses genres and draws fans of all walks of life to their powerful sound and addictive energy. The band thanks every fan from the deepest cells in their body for their support. “We love you for making our shows the best!” Their goal is to make sure that each fan comes away with the best experience they can from their shows, and I’d have to say that from what I’ve seen, they do not disappoint. Check out Breaking Points, B-Sides, 2011-2015 and be sure to catch them on tour with Butcher Babies when they come through the town nearest you!
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Interview by Devon Anderson, RockRevolt Journalist
Photography by Josh Rienecke, RockRevolt Photographer
