Huntress heading for the studios for 3th full album

Metal band Huntress is not up for a rest! They keep on going like they have been the last few years. Recording, touring, writing and over again. They just finished their tour in Europe and headed straight back to the States to record their third full album. FrontView Magazine was able to talk to their brilliant singer Jill Janus.

FVM: Jill, you have been searching for a long time to find the right musicians for Huntress. About 5 years ago you’ve met your guys. How did that change your life?

Jill Janus: After searching for musicians for nearly a decade, the main point of me taking my time was that I really wanted it to be right. And I wasn’t gonna compromise, I had a very strong vision so it took me years to find four other band mates that shared the same vision.

FVM: So now Huntress is what you wanted it to be?

Jill : Absolutely and what’s exciting is the evolution of Huntress. We are writing and recording one album a year. So that for us is kind of neck break but at the same time it’s really exciting because we all do share this vision and it wouldn’t be possible to work at that type of speed unless your teammates were with you.

FVM: You already have an EP, two full albums and one coming up. Is there a reason why things are going so fast?

Jill : We are very dedicated and we’re very focused. We’ve got a great team of people around us that believe in us too. And that believe is pushing us further. But it’s an interesting process the way that we’re working, you know, it’s been very focused that these first three albums are tiding with my pagan believes of the Maiden, the Mother and the Crone. And I truly believe that the Goddess is also helping push us along a little quicker.

FVM: I heard you saying that Lemmy (Kilmister) from Motörhead wrote a song for you, for your second album. Is there going to be one of those on the third album?

Jill: We don’t know. That was a big surprise when I was able to ask Lemmy to help co-write a song. Again these things just happen, it was kind of magical, so we’ll see.

FVM: This gig at Graspop Metal Meeting is your last before you head back into the studios?

Jill: Yes, this is it. We’ve been on tour now with Battle Cross doing a co-headline tour of Europe and playing festivals for the month of June. So now we head back to the States.

FVM: Have you been writing your songs already?

Jill: Yes!

FVM: Do you only have to record them now? Or still go on writing?

Jill: We always take off between tours, we usually take off about 3 months to only focus on music and we write. It’s very disciplined, we write every single day. So the album is written. Now we go home and work a little more on pre-production than we are right in the studio.

FVM: Are you going to make videos too?

Jill: Off course, the video’s are a part of our legacy and we never compromise on those. The last video ‘Zenith’ was directed by Phill Mucci and we’re hoping to get him again for the third album/video. We’ll see, it depends on his timing, he’s very busy now.

FVM: You have an incredible voice.

Jill: Thank you (smiling).

FVM: A lot of singer have a voice coach these days, do you have one aswel?

Jill: Yes, she is Melissa Cross. Melissa Cross has a dvd, called ‘The Zen of Screaming’ and most successful metal vocalist they use Melissa Cross, whether they follow her lessons on the DVD or they have an in person relationship with her. I do see her for vocal lessons, my first one was in 2012 and it really changed my life. She was able to help me strip away some of my classical inflections and really birth a strong metal voice.

FVM: You have a big range, can go high and low and your screams are incredible.

Jill: (laughing) Thank you! It takes training. It’s a very interesting lifestyle, you really got to be very good to yourself and take good care of yourself. There’s a lot that goes into it and that’s what I would recommend for anyone is getting your training.

FVM: Doesn’t it hurt after a while?

Jill: It doesn’t hurt! I think the rule is, once it starts to hurt you know you’re not singing properly and it never hurts. I never lose my voice.

FVM: Do you have a vacation before you go to recording the album?

Jill: We’ll be back in States in the next day or two and then it’s just hit the ground running and get this album recorded. Vacation is not in my vocabulary anymore. As soon as we got signed in Napalm Records it’s literally been non-stop. I don’t have time for anything else then Huntress. It’s pretty cool, we are living our dreams.

FVM: Afterwards, in October/November, you’ll go back on tour?

Jill: Yeah, we’ll go on tour in North America, with Arch Enemy and Kreator.

FVM: Will you be back here in Europe?

Jill: We’re hoping to release the record over here early next year, so we’ll be doing a tour here early next year.

FVM: Thank you for this interview and we’ll look forward to early next year!

Jill: Yes, early next year on Napalm Records! Thank you so much!

This new album will be the third one in three years, after Spell Eater and Starbound Beast. Real heavy metal with a touch of trash, death and black metal with a singer whose voice will make you shiver!