During their recent visit to Belgium we had the opportunity to talk to Lena from Infected Rain about their new album ‘Endorphin’

GRIMM: You have the new album ‘Endorphin’ out. What is it all about? What can the fans expect?

I think it’s open for interpretation but it’s a very emotional album. I think it’s a very mature album as well. We experimented a lot with the sound and I was writing about topics that I never touched before. This album is very emotional, a little bit dark if you want, but at the same time when you finish listening to it it’s very relieving. I think it’s just endorphin!

GRIMM: We noticed it is of a different level than the other albums. Does this have anything to do with the fact that you’re with a label now?

I know a lot of people may think that, but it’s not really like that because at the time that we signed with the label the songs were almost all recorded already, so it’s more our job. The label doesn’t change the sound of the band. The label doesn’t try to make you somebody else, at least this label doesn’t. All they do is try to bring you to another level. They try to give you exposure, try to make it possible for people to buy your CD in a local music store you know, that’s what it is; exposure: a lot of interviews, a lot of pictures/photo shoots, a lot of interest towards the band. But the sound and the way we are, that’s us. Obviously there are people on board that can suggest you something, but we did it all like before, all by ourselves. Even the cover. We took pictures of the little rat, and the heart and the design, everything was done from scratch by us.

GRIMM: ‘Earth Mantra’ is a song addressed to our planet. It’s well known that you are well aware about environmental issues. Is this like an alarm bell that you’re ringing?

Absolutely! I think that everybody should scream about it! Our planet is dying and it’s all our fault. We are dying and it’s our own fault. So I felt the need to sing about it, to scream about it because it’s a pity that humanity is so stupid and so blind to all the problems. And there are just certain countries that try to do something about it but the percentage is so small when you think about the planet as a whole. So yes, I try my best to be better and I try to share what I do, my tricks, how I am trying to be better, with people that are interested. And I felt the need to write a song about it.

GRIMM: Making the video clip, weren’t you scared of the animals? Were they real?

All the animals were real. I was very gentle with them. The owner of them was there, telling me how to hold those animals so no harm was done. I’m not scared of any bugs or anything. It’s actually a problem because I’m not afraid and I want to pet them and I want to touch them (laughing). So no, I’m not afraid.

GRIMM: You’re with Napalm Records now for almost a year, how does that turn out? You actually see your sales increase?

Well, I can’t tell you a lot about that because our album came out not too long ago (not even a month ago). So I can’t tell you a lot about that, but I can tell you that it is a big pleasure to have professional people on board that believe in you and that want you to grow. So it’s good so far.

GRIMM: You’re touring now with Lacuna Coil and Eluveitie, you started November 2^nd in Italy, that is a little more than a week now, how is it going so far?

It’s awesome! Everybody, every musician is very amazing, very friendly. We knew several of them before, we played on the same festivals. With Lacuna Coil we even toured before. We became very close. It’s family like. I wish all the bands were like that to be honest.

GRIMM: You’re in a good environment…

Oh yes, I feel very happy to be where I am.  

GRIMM: We saw you getting your new tattoo on your Youtube channel ‘bananas’… It’s amazing!

Thank you!

GRIMM: Normally a tattoo this size is done in more than one day…

Yes. A tattoo this big is usually done in more than one session, but the tattoo artist was guest spotting. She’s a good friend of mine, from the Netherlands. I’m gonna see her at our show, she’s coming with her husband, which is nice. And yeah, I just had to suck it in and keep going.

GRIMM: So was it because she didn’t have time, or because you were touring and didn’t have time?

Both…

GRIMM: Usually a tattoo this size is done over more than one session, is it because of the pain?

No, it’s because the tattoo artist is a person, it’s not a machine. So he or she gets tired too. So, that, and also when one session is done, the tattoo can heal, and then the artist can go over it and put in some little details that he/she didn’t see.

Multiple session is better because when the skin gets overwhelmed with pain, because of what is going on, it doesn’t suck in the ink properly. So it all depends of the technique that the tattoo artist is using. Some artists work on the same area for a long time, she worked on one area, then another, then another, which was nice. It gave me a little break, now it’s painful here, then there, then there. When a tattoo artist applies one color on the entire tattoo, and then the other, it’s painful all over. It’s just different techniques, but the way she works was easier for me to sit. Before that, the longest I sat was 9 hours, and with her I did more than 11!

GRIMM: We also noticed your teeth. Are they natural?

My teeth were fixed for the ‘Earth Mantra’, for the creature (they were made bigger), and I liked it so much that I went to my dentist and said: “I want them the same but a little bit shorter”, so since then I have them like that. They’re just a little bit bigger than my natural ones.

GRIMM: Thank you for taking the time to talk to us!