Epica's Simons rocks motherhood

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By ( Metal Hammer ) published

Singer trying to strike a balance between work and home life after birth of son

Epica singer Simone Simons is trying to strike a balance between home and work life as a new mother on tour with the Dutch symphonic metal outfit.

Simons and husband, Kamelot keyboardist Oliver Paltai, welcomed son Vincent in October 2013 while Epica were in the studio recording their 6th album, 2014’s The Quantum Enigma.

Simons tells Horns Up Rocks!: “When we did the demo recordings at my house together with Sascha Paeth, Joost van den Broek and Mark Jansen, I was sitting there with a huge belly, and my legs up. So that was all not very sexy and not very metal. But it was nice to kind of work on the new project.

“And making a new CD is also a little bit like giving birth to a baby. But, of course, you don’t have to change it, nor breastfeed the CD. But definitely there are two great new things in my life. And the baby being, of course, the real lifechanger. But I think that The Quantum Enigma is going to be also a good change for Epica.”

As a new mother, Simons was quick to maintain a healthy distance between her personal and work schedules, preferring to keep her son away from a life on the road – particularly at such an early age.

She says: “He’s not with me. I want to keep him away from travelling and the stress. Maybe when he’s a little older, he can come and visit. Single shows, but tours, I don’t think. We’ve got family and friends who can help out when needed.”

Epica just completed part two of a European tour in support of The Quantum Enigma – which features the singles Unchain Utopia and Victims Of Contingency – and will begin a series of South American dates at the end of the month.