Evanescence Singer Amy Lee Says Music Collaboration Has ‘Been so Good for Her’ Creativity (Exclusive)

Evanescence released their new album, The Bitter Truth, on Friday, and lead singer Amy Lee recently sat down with Pop Culture to talk about the project. During the conversation, Lee opened up about working on songs with artists outside the band, saying, “Collaborating with different people has just been so good for me as a creator.” She added she feels like she is “in a new place” as an artist, which has led her to “accepting ideas and having an open mind.”

Providing an example of musical collaboration that he worked really well for her, Lee shared about her friend Deena Jakoub from Nashville-based rock band Veridia, helping with “Use My Voice,” a bold and empowering single from The Bitter Truth. “I was stuck. I could not write that chorus, melody. I couldn’t make the chorus stand up to the verses in my mind,” Lee recalled. “And I just let her listen to it. And she just started singing, and I started singing, and all of a sudden we had this killer chorus.”

Lee says that the final product was made “much more special” to her because “it came from letting my guard down and opening my heart. If nothing else, that is what we should do.” Notably, Jakoub also sang backing vocals on the track, as did other amazing rock ‘n’ roll women such as The Pretty Reckless singer Taylor Momsen, Sharon den Adel from Within Temptation, and Halestorm vocalist Lzzy Hale. Lee also clarified that Evanescense, as a band, are all still “writing together” as well. “We all wrote the album together, which is a beautiful thing,” she said.

Pointing out another collaboration that made it to The Bitter Truth, Lee shared how part of the album’s intro was inspired by Scott Kirkland from iconic electronic band The Crystal Method. “We met through a friend on tour, and he was just sending me ideas,” Lee said. She went on to add, “I really enjoy people in the band and also just a couple of close friends that I have that are artists sending each other little ideas, little programming ideas, little bits and pieces of look at this cool thing I did on a keyboard kind of stuff.” The Bitter Truth is out now and available to stream or purchase here.