On Friday (Aug. 14), Evanescence returned with a mission: to spotlight some of the authoritative women in modern rock music, and to encourage voting during a crucial year in American politics.
Band leader Amy Lee achieved both with “Use My Voice,” a new single that previews Evanescence’s long-awaited new album, The Bitter Truth. The band partnered with HeadCount, which has long staged voter registration drives at music events, for the release of the song, which features contributions from Lindsey Stirling, The Pretty Reckless’ Taylor Momsen, Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale and Lee’s own two sisters, among others.
“That song has been bubbling in the background for me for a couple of years,” Lee tells Billboard about the conception of “Use My Voice,” which marks Evanescence’s most politically charged statement to date. “I’ve never really … spoken politically, or made any real statement about what I believe and what’s going on, because I don’t like to divide the fans. I want the music to be our free place where we can all have something in common. But sometimes things are just right and wrong, and you have feelings that can’t be held back. And if I’m gonna be true to myself and my music, like I always have been, then I have to say what’s heavy on my heart.”
As for The Bitter Truth, which will be Evanescence’s first full-length of entirely new material since 2011’s self-titled third album, Lee says that the coronavirus pandemic has naturally changed the band’s creative process for the still-in-the-works project.
“We actually went to great lengths to all get COVID-tested, to get buses to bring the guys together,” says Lee. “We all wore masks sometimes, and just locked down in a completely independent bubble, saw no one during the whole time we were together, and were able to get some recording going on the next stuff! We’re moving forward, and … I am embracing the challenges and the limitations that we have this year, and using them for inspiration.”
Watch Lee’s full conversation, which also includes details of Evanescence’s partnership with HeadCount, above, and listen to “Use My Voice” below: