No Nightwish for Tarja

News
By ( Metal Hammer ) published

Sacked singer doesn't listen to her former band

Tarja Turunen says she has no interest in listening to Nightwish since her sensational sacking in 2005.

The singer launched a solo career after being let go by the band via an open letter that was published online soon after she was given a copy.

And apart from snippets she’s heard on the radio, Tarja has heard none of the band’s material since then – and says she has no desire to seek it out.

She tells Metalpaths: “I haven’t been listening to their albums – I haven’t been interested in listening to their albums. I don’t know the music. I heard some songs on the radio, but that’s all I know.”

Tarja’s replacement Anette Olzon was herself replaced, by Floor Jansen in 2012. And in her solo career, Tarja has resisted the temptation to live off her Nightwish glory days.

She adds: “Of course, it’s a part of history – it’s a very important part of my musical history. It brought me where I am. I don’t have any problems with that. It really showed me a totally new direction musically in my life.

“It’s hypothetical to think where I would be if I wouldn’t have chosen to sing that first demo that was offered to me. But, on the other hand, I have a life of my own.

“Today, as an artist, I have my own music. I’m basically producing my own music, I have my own audience, which, a good part of that audience also could be fans of Nightwish.

“I love music and that is what I care for, and that is what I deliver for people.”

Tarja’s most recent album was 2013’s Colours In The Dark, which was followed by a live set called Left In The Dark in July of this year.

Stef Lach

Stef wrote close to 5,000 stories during his time as assistant online news editor and later as online news editor between 2014-2016. An accomplished reporter and journalist, Stef has written extensively for a number of UK newspapers and also played bass with UK rock favourites Logan. His favourite bands are Pixies and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Stef left the world of rock'n'roll news behind when he moved to his beloved Canada in 2016, but he started on his next 5000 stories in 2022.