Vocalists Michael Kiske (ex-HELLOWEEN) and Amanda Somerville (HDK, AVANTASIA), and bassist Mat Sinner (PRIMAL FEAR, SINNER) are featured in a new interview with Kiske's fanclub about the new KISKE/SOMERVILLE project. An excerpt is available below.

Q: How did the songwriting and recording process work? Did everyone just write their track and then Amanda, Michael, and the other musicians do their parts in their own studios?

Mat Sinner: "I wrote 14 tracks together with Magnus Karlsson for this project and four songs in the more orchestral and epic direction with Jimmy Kresic. With both guys I have a great creative connection and they are incredible musicians. Then Amanda and Sander Gommans wrote three more songs with a little different vibe and these songs gave a little extra to the overall concept. Finally we've chosen 12 songs to record. Drums and bass were recorded in Stuttgart, guitars in Sweden, some lead guitars in the Netherlands and keyboards in Augsburg. Michael recorded his vocals as always in Hamburg and Amanda's vocals were recorded in Stuttgart, where we mixed and mastered the album too."

Q: Amanda, you're in the composition credits for a few songs, also made with Sander Gommans, how did the songwriting work?

Amanda Somerville: "When Mat contacted me to ask me to be a part in this project, I told him that I'm just as much a songwriter as I am a singer, so it would mean a lot to me if I could write some songs for the album, as well. He was very open to that idea, so I asked Sander if he'd like to co-write some things with me, since we'd had such a great time writing together for HDK. He was happy to do that, so we got down to work and came up with 'Arise', 'A Thousand Suns' and 'Set Afire' of which I'm all very proud!"

Q: What are your favorite songs of the ones you composed and what are your favorites from other composers?

Mat Sinner: "Please forgive me, but I don't divide the songs into mine and others, but my favorites are 'Silence' and 'The End Of The Road' because both songs have a ambitious arrangement and the work to get these little puzzle stones together to produce a great song, was a big challenge. But I like the fast songs like 'Nothing Left To Say', 'If I Had A Wish' and 'Arise' very much!

Amanda Somerville: "I have very personal connections with 'A Thousand Suns' and 'Set Afire', since I wrote those during an extremely difficult time in my life. They were very cathartic to write and sing, so I'd say those are my favorites on a highly emotional level. Of the songs I didn't write, I think that 'Second Chance' is probably my favorite. What can I say - I'm a sap! ;-)"

Michael Kiske: 'A Thousand Suns' (by Amanda and Sander). On this song Amanda talks about his life in a very sincere way and she speaks about his experience with his current husband - well ex-husband - soon. She sings with real passion. Should have been a videoclip too."

Go to this location for the complete interview.

Kiske/Somerville will release their debut album on September 24th in Europe and the October 12th in North America. Before the release of the album, the single 'Silence' will be out on August 20th.

The songs 'Silence' and 'If I Had A Wish' can exclusively be heard in full on the Frontiers Web Radio at this location.

An official trailer for the album can be viewed below.

Kiske/Somerville filmed two videos - the above mentioned 'Silence' and 'If I Had A Wish' - on March 28th and March 29th in Nuremberg, Germany. The clips were directed by Martin Mueller (HELLOWEEN, U.D.O., GOTTHARD) of RCN TV. Joining Kiske and Somerville for the shoot were bassist and main composer Mat Sinner, guitarist Sander Gommans, drummer Rami Ali and keyboardist Jimmy Kresic.

This is the final tracklisting with the composers in parenthesis:

'Nothing Left To Say' (Mat Sinner, Magnus Karlsson)

'Silence' (Mat Sinner, Magnus Karlsson)

'If I Had A Wish' (Mat Sinner, Magnus Karlsson)

'One Night Burning' (Mat Sinner, Magnus Karlsson)

'Arise' (Sander Gommans, Amanda Somerville)

'End Of The Road' (Mat Sinner, Jimmy Kresic)

'Don't Walk Away' (Mat Sinner, Magnus Karlsson)

'Devil In Her Heart' (Mat Sinner, Jimmy Kresic)

'Rain' (Mat Sinner, Magnus Karlsson)

'A Thousand Suns' (Sander Gommans, Amanda Somerville)

'Second Chance' (Mat Sinner, Magnus Karlsson)

'Set A Fire' - Bonus (Sander Gommans, Amanda Somerville)