In an exclusive interview with Metal Pilgrim, Sharon den Adel, the lead vocalist of Within Temptation, opened up about the band's recent experiences in Ukraine, shedding light on their collaboration with Ukrainian artist Alex Yarmak and the political climate surrounding their visit.
Sharon den Adel, who was in Kyiv for the shhooting of a music video alongside Yarmak, expressed her gratitude for the warm welcome they received in Ukraine. Discussing the decision to film in Kyiv, She explained that it felt right to produce the video in Ukraine given the thematic content of the song, which addresses the ongoing political tensions between Ukraine and Russia.
Throughout the interview, Sharon den Adel emphasized the band's unwavering support for Ukraine, acknowledging the complexities of navigating differing political sentiments across Europe. She revealed that while most countries support Ukraine, some European nations have shown backlash due to their perceived pro-Russian leanings.
"Well, I can't talk about the South American tour because I haven't been there but some countries in Europe that we played are not like they're a little bit pro-russian and we had some backlash there, but there's also most countries do support Ukraine and most people do cheer for it. We've also played in America I also waved the flag there while supporting Iron Maiden when we were touring there and if you ask the question "If your country would be invaded what would you do? Would you defend it?" and then everybody goes "Yeah, yeah!" But that's all Ukraine is doing. So how can you not support that? So that's just a simple basic question and hopefully it makes people think about that and that's the question I asked the audience every night when I go on with the flag"- Sharon den Adel at an exclusive interview with Metal Pilgrim
When asked about any fears regarding their visit to Kyiv, Sharon reassured that she wasn't scared, citing her previous experiences living in troubled countries as a child. However, she acknowledged that some family members had concerns, highlighting the importance of taking appropriate precautions.
Regarding the possibility of Within Temptation performing in Ukraine, she
expressed hope but acknowledged the logistical challenges, particularly concerning insurance and safety precautions.
Reflecting on the band's independence in recent years, Sharon discussed how it has allowed them to speak more freely about the causes they believe in, including their support for Ukraine. Despite facing criticism for being "political," Sharon den Adel asserted that it's essential for artists to use their platform to address social and political issues.
"You also have to choose your battles, you know this is happening in Europe and we are a European band and so we also got a lot of times a question "What about this country? What about this situation?" and there's also a lot of awful things happening in different parts of the world, but I really hope that and also in interviews I will talk about it when people ask me, but I won't do it on social media because you get in discussion and it becomes one big fight with pro and against certain subjects. So in interviews I do respond to that as well, but I also have to pick my battles. If I take on all the Injustice of the world it will fade away for the thing that at the moment I am inspired about most. And the last album that we did with Bleed Out, we have focused on certain parts of the world like Iran - there's one song Bleed Out, it's about that, but a lot of songs actually are about Ukraine, because we're on the same continent!"- Sharon den Adel at an exclusive interview with Metal Pilgrim
