Evanescence facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Evanescence
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Evanescence in 2023
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1994–present |
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Evanescence is an American rock band. It was started in 1994 by singer and keyboardist Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody. They formed the band in Little Rock, Arkansas.
In the late 1990s, Evanescence released some early recordings. Their first studio album, Fallen, came out in 2003. It was a huge success with hit songs like "Bring Me to Life" and "My Immortal". Fallen sold millions of copies and helped Evanescence win two Grammy Awards. In 2004, they released their first live album and DVD, Anywhere but Home.
Band History
How Evanescence Started (1994–2000)
Amy Lee and Ben Moody met in 1994. Amy was 13 and Ben was 14. They met at a Christian youth camp in Little Rock, Arkansas. Amy played piano and Ben played guitar. They soon started making music together. They played acoustic shows at local coffee shops.
Amy Lee had a clear idea for Evanescence's music. She wanted to mix different styles. She loved Danny Elfman's film music. She also liked classical music, metal, and alternative music. She wanted to combine these sounds. After trying different names, they chose Evanescence. This word means "disappearance" or "fading away". They thought it sounded "beautiful" and "elusive".
Lee and Moody recorded two early EPs (short albums). These were Evanescence (1998) and Sound Asleep (1999). They sold these at their early shows. Their songs even got played on a local radio station. This helped them gain fans in Little Rock. In 2000, they released a demo CD called Origin. This CD had early versions of songs that would appear on their first album.
Fallen and Early Success (2001–2004)
A producer heard Evanescence's demos. He shared them with Diana Meltzer at Wind-up Records. Meltzer was impressed by Amy Lee's voice and the band's unique sound. Evanescence signed with Wind-up in 2001. The record label moved them to Los Angeles. They wanted the band to focus on writing their first album.
The label was unsure about a band with a female lead singer. They asked Lee and Moody to keep writing songs. After almost two years, Dave Fortman became the producer. The label then wanted a male singer on their first single. Amy Lee was not happy about this, but she agreed. She wrote the male vocal part for "Bring Me to Life".
"Bring Me to Life" and "My Immortal" were first on the soundtrack for the 2003 film Daredevil. Evanescence's first album, Fallen, was released on March 4, 2003. Amy Lee was the main songwriter for the album. Many of her songs were inspired by difficult experiences.
The band's music was first promoted to Christian audiences. However, Lee and Moody clarified that they were not a Christian band. The label then stopped promoting them in Christian stores.
"Bring Me to Life" was released as the first single. Radio stations were at first hesitant to play a rock song with a female singer. But fans started asking for it. The song became a global hit. It reached number five on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also topped the UK singles chart. Amy Lee said the song's success helped them tour all over the world.
Evanescence went on their first tour in April 2003. They also played at festivals. In October 2003, Ben Moody left the band during a European tour. This was due to creative differences and tensions. Amy Lee said it was a relief because the situation had become difficult. She said that she and Moody had different ideas for the music. She wanted to explore more artistic sounds. He focused on making the music more commercial.
Terry Balsamo, a guitarist from the band Cold, joined Evanescence to replace Moody. He became the new lead guitarist. "My Immortal" was released as the third single in December 2003. It also became a top hit.
In February 2004, Evanescence won two Grammy Awards. They won for "Best Hard Rock Performance" for "Bring Me to Life" and "Best New Artist". Fallen was a huge success. It stayed on the Billboard 200 chart for a long time. It sold over 17 million copies worldwide.
In November 2004, Evanescence released their first live album and DVD, Anywhere but Home. It included a concert in Paris and behind-the-scenes footage. The album sold over a million copies. Amy Lee faced many challenges during this time. She had to learn to stand up for herself as a female artist in the music industry.
The Open Door and New Members (2004–2007)
Amy Lee and Terry Balsamo started writing music for Evanescence's second album in March 2004. The album was called The Open Door (2006). The writing process was slower because Amy wanted to be very creative. Also, Balsamo had a stroke, and there were issues with their manager. Amy Lee felt very free during this time. She could create the music she wanted without being judged.
The Open Door was about Amy Lee dealing with her past experiences. She wanted to work through her challenges. She also used her experiences with fame as inspiration.
In July 2006, bassist Will Boyd left the band. He wanted to be with his family. Tim McCord joined the band as the new bassist.
The album's first single, "Call Me When You're Sober", was released in August 2006. The Open Door was released in October 2006. It sold 447,000 copies in its first week in the US. It became their first album to reach number one on the Billboard 200 chart.
The band started touring for The Open Door in October 2006. They played shows in Canada, the US, and Europe. In May 2007, guitarist John LeCompt and drummer Rocky Gray left the band. Will Hunt became the new drummer, and Troy McLawhorn joined as guitarist. Lee and Balsamo felt these new members brought good energy to the band. After the tour, Amy Lee took a break from music. By October 2011, The Open Door had sold six million copies worldwide.
Evanescence Album and Break (2009–2014)
After her break, Amy Lee started writing music again in 2009. The band began working on a new album. They played a "secret show" in New York City in November 2009. Tickets sold out very quickly.
In January 2010, Evanescence released the song "Together Again". This song was originally cut from The Open Door. They released it to help with recovery efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
The band started recording their third album in February 2010. David Campbell helped with string arrangements. Nick Raskulinecz became the producer. The album was planned for release in 2010. However, there were delays with their record label.
In April 2011, the band went back to the studio. On June 12, 2011, Amy Lee announced that Troy McLawhorn was officially back in the band. The new album was set to be released on October 4, 2011. The first single was "What You Want".
The new album was titled Evanescence. Amy Lee said the band chose this name because they loved being Evanescence. Also, all the band members worked together to write the songs for the first time. The album was about the band itself. It also explored themes like freedom and falling in love.
Evanescence debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 chart. It sold 127,000 copies in the US. The Evanescence Tour began in August 2011. They played shows in North America, Europe, Japan, Australia, and other countries. The band also performed at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in December 2011.
After a long tour, the band decided to take a break. In October 2013, their record label sold its music catalog. In March 2014, Amy Lee announced that Evanescence was now an independent band. They were no longer tied to a record label.
Return and Synthesis (2015–2018)
In April 2015, Evanescence announced they would perform at Ozzfest in Japan. In August 2015, guitarist Terry Balsamo left the band. Jen Majura joined as the new guitarist.
Amy Lee said she was working on solo projects. But the band would continue to tour. They played their first live shows since their break in November 2015.
In February 2016, the band worked on a vinyl box set. It included all their studio albums and some rare songs. The box set was released in February 2017. A compilation album called Lost Whispers was also released. It had old B-sides and a new song.
In 2016, the band toured the US. They played a new song called "Take Cover". In February 2017, it was confirmed that the band was working on a new project. Amy Lee said it would be "something unique" and "complex".
The new album was called Synthesis. It featured orchestral and electronic versions of their old songs. It also had two new songs: "Hi-Lo" and "Imperfection". A new version of "Bring Me To Life" was released as a single in August 2017. Evanescence toured with a full orchestra to support the album. They played shows across the US, Australia, and Europe.
The Bitter Truth and Recent Tours (2019–Present)
In May 2019, Amy Lee confirmed that Evanescence planned to release a new studio album in 2020. She described it as "dark and heavy" with some "weird and sparse" moments.
Evanescence and the band Within Temptation announced a joint European tour called Worlds Collide. The tour was delayed several times due to global events. It finally started in November 2022.
In September 2019, Xbox released a trailer for the video game Gears 5. It featured Evanescence's cover of Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain". The full song was released in November 2019. It reached number one on the Billboard Rock Digital Song Sales chart.
In January 2020, the band went into the studio to work on new songs. They worked with producer Nick Raskulinecz. On April 17, 2020, the band announced their new album title: The Bitter Truth. The first single, "Wasted on You", was released on April 24. The music video showed the band members at home.
Other singles from the album included "The Game Is Over" and "Use My Voice". "Use My Voice" featured other female singers. It was used to encourage people to vote.
The Bitter Truth was released on March 26, 2021. It had 12 songs. The album reached the top five on several Billboard charts. Revolver magazine called Evanescence one of the top live bands of 2021. They said The Bitter Truth was "a rebirth" for the band.
In February 2022, the music video for "Bring Me to Life" reached over 1 billion views on YouTube. In May 2022, guitarist Jen Majura left the band. Tim McCord, who was the bassist, switched to guitar. Emma Anzai joined as the new bassist.
Evanescence co-headlined a US summer tour with Korn in August and September 2022. They also played at several festivals. The Worlds Collide European tour with Within Temptation finally happened in November and December 2022. By August 2022, Evanescence had sold over 31.9 million albums. This makes them one of the best-selling hard rock and metal artists ever.
In 2023, Evanescence joined Muse on their North American tour. They also played at festivals in the US and Europe. They performed at Download Festival in England. Metal Hammer magazine listed their performance as one of the greatest Download festival sets. They also toured Japan, Australia, and Latin America. In November, Evanescence received the Rock Sound Hall of Fame award.
Future Music (2024–Present)
In September 2024, the band shared that they would be recording new music in November 2024. This new music is for their sixth studio album. On March 27, 2025, they released the song "Afterlife". This song was for the Netflix anime Devil May Cry. On May 9, Amy Lee sang a duet with Halsey called "Hand That Feeds". This song promoted the 2025 film Ballerina. The band also released "Fight Like a Girl" with singer K. Flay for the film's end credits.
Band's Music Style
Evanescence mixes many different music styles. These include rock, classical, alternative, heavy metal, industrial, and electronic. Music experts often call Evanescence a rock or metal band. Many also notice gothic elements in their sound.
The band is usually described as alternative metal, gothic rock, gothic metal, and hard rock. Over the years, their music has also been called industrial rock, symphonic metal, nu metal, and symphonic rock. Evanescence has also used elements from progressive rock, R&B, soul, and trip hop.
Metal Injection called them "gothic-tinged alternative metal mainstays". AllMusic said their music layers "orchestral and electronic touches atop brooding goth rock". Loudwire explained that Evanescence was sometimes called nu-metal because their first album came out when that style was popular. Also, they were one of the few bands with a female singer headlining big rock festivals.
The Washington Post said in 2006 that Evanescence's music always sounds "dark, stormy, anguished". Kerrang! described their sound as a "melodic crush of haunting, baroque harmonies and heavy guitars".
Evanescence has always mixed alt-metal and symphonic rock. Their album Synthesis focused on "orchestral grandeur" with electronic sounds. The Wall Street Journal noted this change. AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine said Evanescence has changed from radio-friendly songs to a "classically inspired symphonic alternative outfit".
Amy Lee has been the main songwriter for Evanescence since the beginning. At first, she and the lead guitarist wrote the music. But for their third album, Evanescence, the whole band worked together. Since then, Evanescence has been a band effort. Amy Lee and the other members combine their musical ideas.
What Inspired the Band
Amy Lee was inspired by many things as a child. These included classical music, film scores by Danny Elfman and Hans Zimmer, alternative music, grunge, hard rock, industrial music, and electronic artists like Bjork and Portishead. She realized that parts of classical music, like from Bach, sounded similar to heavy metal.
Lee loves the Lacrimosa part of Mozart's Requiem. She even used it in the song "Lacrymosa" on The Open Door album.
Evanescence wanted to combine different musical tastes. Amy Lee aimed to bring together "cinematic and classical symphonic" sounds with "metal, hard rock and alternative music". She said Evanescence was born from these "two extremes combining". The band also uses electronic sounds inspired by artists like Bjork and Depeche Mode.
Evanescence has mentioned many bands and artists as influences. These include Soundgarden, Björk, Mozart, Danny Elfman, Korn, Tori Amos, Nirvana, Pantera, Portishead, Nine Inch Nails, Smashing Pumpkins, Garbage, Depeche Mode, and A Perfect Circle.
Band's Impact
Many publications have talked about Evanescence's impact on rock music. Their symphonic gothic rock style was new to mainstream music. Their success on rock radio, which was mostly male-dominated, was rare. Consequence said Evanescence helped open up mainstream rock radio to female voices.
Rolling Stone said Evanescence "brought theatrics and a much-needed femininity to the hard-rock boys' club". AllMusic stated that Amy Lee "broke down the doors of the alternative metal boys club". The Daily Telegraph noted that Evanescence proved that pianos and female vocals belonged in rock music.
Kerrang! called Evanescence "one of heavy music's most important, influential and relevant bands". They said the band's sound has a "timelessness". The Los Angeles Times stated that Amy Lee "has helped light the path for many dauntless young women in music".
Band Members
Current Members
- Amy Lee – lead vocals, piano, keyboards, harp (1994–present)
- Tim McCord – guitar (2022–present); bass (2006–2022)
- Will Hunt – drums (2007–present)
- Troy McLawhorn – guitar (2007–present)
- Emma Anzai – bass, backing vocals (2022–present)
Former Members
- Ben Moody – guitar, drums (1994–2003)
- David Hodges – keyboards, backing vocals (2000–2002)
- Will Boyd – bass (2005–2006; touring musician 2003–2005)
- Rocky Gray – drums (2005–2007; touring musician 2003–2005)
- John LeCompt – guitar (2005–2007; touring musician 2003–2005)
- Terry Balsamo – guitar (2003–2015)
- Jen Majura – guitar, backing vocals, theremin (2017–2022; touring musician 2015–2017)
Timeline
Albums Released
- Fallen (2003)
- The Open Door (2006)
- Evanescence (2011)
- Synthesis (2017)
- The Bitter Truth (2021)
Awards and Recognitions
Evanescence has received many awards. They have won two Grammy Awards from seven nominations. They also have three Loudwire Music Awards. Other awards include a Kerrang! Award and a Revolver Golden Gods Award. They also won a Rock Sound award. The band has been nominated for a Brit Award, three American Music Awards, and five MTV Video Music Awards.
See also
In Spanish: Evanescence para niños
