In This Moment has gone through some big changes.
In the metal world, if you're using a wireless mic... I was so scared to do that. I'm, like, 'They're gonna boo me in the beginning.'
I don't think we're metalcore. To me, metalcore is more like hardcore-influenced metal, with lots of breakdowns. I think we're a lot more diverse sounding than that.
I don't know what genre you would put us into, and I'm always telling people that. When I'm trying to explain In This Moment's sound to them, all I can say is that its diverse-sounding, with influences such as metalcore's breakdowns, metal in general and some melodic rock.
We had a demo recorded that we made available on our MySpace site, and that was quite successful for us too, but not on the same level as 'Beautiful Tragedy.'
We didn't want it to end up in discussions where we would talk about whether this song needed to be more metal, whether I needed to scream more in that song or whether I shouldn't sing quite as much in those songs because metalheads wouldn't like that.
The numbers in women in rock 'n' roll and metal are pretty much growing a lot, which is a great thing.
I think it really comes down to, it doesn't matter if it's a girl or man, it's about if you have something to say, it's about the music, you know?
World In Flames' is pretty powerful to me, it's about waking up in the middle of the night, the whole world has ignited into flames, and I'm there alone. And it's kind of like a fear of dying alone and the whole world is burning.
I think that all of the deep, intense things, a lot of different abuse, and all kinds of crazy stuff - I think it made me really strong and it made me learn how to appreciate every day, appreciate people in my life, so it's just another good example of sometimes bad things make us appreciate the beautiful every day.
I love doing covers.
My Maria on stage definitely is a real natural part of who I am, but obviously I can't walk around as that girl. You know what I mean? It's definitely an alter ego, but it is part of who I am, it is who I am, it is my life.
The Maria, what I look like in real life and how I am, I'm a super flower child. I wear all flower child '60s dresses.
I am such a fiery woman and I am a real passionate woman and I get so much stuff built up inside of me that I can release all that on stage, and I kind of counterbalance it with the normal Maria that I am because with the real calming, natural kind of earthy spirit stuff and it kind of balances me out so I don't go too crazy.
I wear like lip gloss and my hair is always really natural, and I'm a really kind of natural free spirit in my everyday life who has crystals and I burn sage, and I think I find a lot of calming beauty in that stuff.
Some people go to the gym and some people have different ways that they express themselves, and I do all mine through my music.
I've got a lot of darkness in me.
Instead of yelling and screaming or losing myself all the time, I release everything in my music, and that's kind of how I expel my demons, as you would say.
I love change.
When I play piano by myself and sing, something really special happens. I connect to something that I love.
