BEAUTY & LIFESTYLE PROFILE

Emmanuelle Zoldan (vocalist Sirenia)

Emmanuelle Zoldan is a French opera singer who not only displayed her vocal talent in opera houses but over the years she also worked as a session musician, for well-known symphonic metal bands such as Sirenia, Trail of Tears and Turisas. It was the Norwegian Sirenia that offered Emmanuelle a permanent job as vocalist in the frontline in 2016 and she was happy to accept. Since then Emmanuelle recorded the studio albums `Dim Days Of Dolor’ [2016] and `Arcane Astral Aeons’ [2018] and on 12 February 2021 Sirenia’s new album `Riddles, Ruins & Revelations’ will be released. It is a fact that there is more to the symphonic metal genre than only the music. The visuals and presentation is a big part of this genre, not only the bands but also the fans and Sirenia is no exception. HeadBangers LifeStyle’s Lilo contacted Emmanuelle to talk about beauty, fashion, sports, and lifestyle and of course her life as singer of Sirenia.

Photo credit: Richelle Ter Heege

BEAUTY & FASHION
What is your definition of a good appearance and how important is it to you, both private and as an artist?
,,Having a good appearance is all about codes, fashions and references, which are evolving all the time. It is a very singular notion. Appearance is important, as it’s the first image we are sending back to the others. It sends messages immediately about who we are, our preferences and our references as well. The “good” appearance is the one you feel good with, the one you feel yourself with, faithful to your own personality. I’m not a real “fashion victim” to be honest. I never tried to follow fashions at all costs, but I always chose clothes, haircuts, make-up that are fitting my personality… I need crushes to buy.
Today we are living in a world in which image and appearance became omnipresent in daily life and even more in the artistic world. Sometimes I feel like it is a kind of beauty dictatorship: you have to paste to an esthetic of perfection to be “bankable” and in the end everybody looks like the same, like an army of clones… Social media platforms are sometimes the sad reflect of that. The good appearance is looking like yourself.’’

How much of a make-up junkie are you and what is the “prove” of that?
,,I have always loved make-up, more than clothes. When I was younger I have dreamt about working for the cinema as a special effect make-up artist, for horror movies or science fiction. I really love the way you can become another person with make-up. That’s what I love about being on stage, in metal or opera. I’m so addicted to make-up that I feel naked when I wear no make-up at all. Even if I don’t wear make-up that much in everyday life, I always have at least a CC cream and blush to look good.’’

What are your favourite make-up brands and products and which ones you can’t live without?
,,I love using make-up brands like Urban Decay and Clinique for an everyday look and Paris Berlin and MAC for my stage make-up. I love natural products from the French brands Garancia and Sanoflore and also Clarins. I can’t live without Sanoflore’s “aqua rosa” serum, it’s my daily routine for hydration.’’


Photo credit: Hervé Brouardelle

Do you have a specific skincare routine and is it different when you are on the road?
,,Yes I do because I have an extremely fragile skin type, so I really take good care of it. To remove make-up I use Bioderma eau micellaire creatine for sensitive skin, I wash my face only with natural mineral water and after that I give my skin hydration with Sanoflore “aqua rosa” serum and Sanoflore “aqua fresca”. I scrub my face once a week and use masks. My favourite is Clarins “masque anti soif”. I also do face massages everyday. I try to keep the same routine when I’m touring, as much as possible.’’

How did your make-up and skincare routine behaviour change over the years and are you influenced by YouTube “beauty gurus and influencers”?
,,Over the years, my skincare and make-up routines didn’t change a lot; I tried different brands before finding what was fitting to me the most. I don’t really follow YouTube influencers, but I always search info about a product on the web before buying it, checking objective notices by real people that are not paid by a brand for promotion. Sometimes I check some make-up tutorials on the web as well to try new things but I don’t follow someone in particular.’’

What do we mainly find in your wardrobe and what are you a real sucker for?
,,I’m probably sounding like a dinosaur saying that, but I hate shopping. Stores full of people, never ending waiting lines at the fitting room, I don’t have the patience for that, nor the time to be honest. I never find what I like in the stores anyway so I prefer buying on the web, there is a much bigger choice. In my wardrobe you can find a lot of black things: jeans, shirts, leather pants and dresses, velvet jackets… And almost only in the colour black. I can say that I’m a real sucker for boots. I love boots.’’

Who has always been your style icon or role model and why?
,,Actually I never really followed someone in particular in terms of clothing or make-up. Most of the time I try to wear clothes that fit to my morphology and personality.’’


Photo credit: Richelle Ter Heege

SPORTS & LIFESTYLE
Are you the sports girl or the lazy bum Netflix type and which series/movies prevent you from getting to the gym?
,,Every time I try to relax and watch TV, after some minutes I need to move… so I rarely watch TV and Netflix. I feel bored really fast, and I get the feeling I lose my time. I prefer gym so far, even though I’m not a huge gym addict.’’

Did your sport routine change since the COVID-19 pandemic and what are your tips for easy but effective exercises?
,,Yes of course… With the COVID-19 pandemic, the fitness club I used to go to is closed. I train at home using a training bike, dumbbells, I do fitness exercises and I walk a lot, sometimes 10 km per day when the weather is good.’’

To what songs/music are you listening to while exercising?
,,When I am training I like to listen to songs from the 80s. I have a playlist which features songs like ,,Jump’’ (Van Halen), ,,Eye Of The Tiger’’ by Survivor, ,,Final Countdown’’ (Europe) and so many other classics of that era. I love these energetic vibes so much when I am training. I have to admit that I tested our last album `Riddles, Ruins & Revelation’ for training and it’s just perfect for it! You should try! [Smiling]’’

What else do you do to keep fit and healthy, also mentally?
,,I try to eat healthy food, as much as possible. I also take some complements and I try to find a moment for meditation everyday.’’

What do we mainly find in your refrigerator?
,,Salmon, cheese, black radish, vegetables, Häagen-Dasz ice cream, everything needed to cook sushi’s and as a French lady of course wine.’’


Photo credit: Richelle Ter Heege

What do you do to contribute to a cleaner and healthier planet?
,,Selective sorting, recycling,  taking a garbage bag and collect garbage people left in the nature when I go to walk. And first of all I try to contribute in the future in educating my kids to respect the planet.’’

How do you use your personal Instagram account and is it a full 100% realistic reflection of you?
,,I use my Instagram profile to keep in contact with the fans and to let them know my artistic collaborations, projects etc. Sometimes I like to share some more personal moments of my life with them, like what I do when I’m not working, jokes, funny pictures, stuff like that. But now more than ever, with the COVID-19 situation, the lock down and the lack of concerts, social media platforms are precious to show that you’re still here and active.’’

How do you like to spend your free time and how does your perfect day off looks like?
,,I Love to have long walks in the forest, painting and drawing, spending time with my kids making funny videos with them. My perfect day off would be: waking up with the sun, having a nice brunch, have a long walk in the nature, going back home and spent the rest of the day composing, recording and painting. Oh, yes, and ending the day having a nice dinner in a restaurant on the beach. [Smiling]’’

SIRENIA & BAND LIFE
What sparked you to sing in a metal band in the first place?
,,Freedom. When I met Morten [Veland], I was focusing on opera for some years and at that moment I was in need of something else, musically, humanely that could give me more freedom, more creativity, like when I was in a band when I was younger. I was in need to be back on a rock stage and I met metal right at this moment. I was tired to always be alone as a soloist; The band cohesion was something I was in need of.’’

What are your most important values as an artist from France singing in a Norwegian metal band?
,,As French people, Nils [Courbaron] and me are the band’s reference in terms of wine quality, of course!!!.’’

How do you train and keep your vocal chords fit and in shape?
,,Working almost every day, vocalizing, doing some exercises for the chords, like blowing in a bottle of water with a straw for example, being aware of what I eat to avoid gastric reflux that can damage the chords, drinking some witch potions with herbs and honey.’’



What kind of a band mate are you?
,,The kind of caring and loving big sister [smiling].’’

What makes Sirenia different from other bands in the female fronted metal genre?
,,Sirenia’s music has a very typical and original sound that you can recognize at first listening. It’s evolving all the time, exploring new sounds and atmospheres. Sirenia is never where you expect it to be. That’s a great quality I guess to be still surprising on releases after so many years.’’

Who is Emmanuelle Zoldan on stage and what gives you that adrenaline rush?
,,On stage I forget my shyness, I feel on a high level of freedom and happiness. The crowd gives me the adrenaline rush. I love to feel they are having a good time with us, that we help them to forget their problems for a moment. Sharing this with my band mates is priceless; Feeling that we are all together making something cool push me up.’’

Why should people check out the new album `Riddles, Ruins & Revelations’?
,,Because it’s a really good album, it is extremely varied, powerful and with a more modern sound that they will enjoy for sure! [Smiling]’’

What do you want to give the fans through your music and lyrics via the new release?
,,Energy to fight the future that is so uncertain these times.’’

What are your expectations and good intensions for 2021?
,,Being back on the road as soon as possible, seeing this virus disappearing, developing all my personal projects as much as possible and being happy every day [smiling].’’ 
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Credit header photo: Hervé Brouardelle


KEEP UPDATED:
Emma Zoldan Facebook here
Sirenia Facebook here
Sirenia Website here