AMY LEE Talks About EMMA ANZAI Joining EVANESCENCE: 'I Called Her First'

Evanescence frontwoman Amy Lee has opened up about the band’s evolving lineup and her longtime connection with bassist Emma Anzai, offering rare insight into the decision-making behind the group’s most recent personnel shift.

In a recent interview with Rock 108 (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET), Amy explained how Anzai, previously known for her work in Sick Puppies, became a natural choice when Evanescence needed a new bassist.

“We were finally in a position where it was, like, we needed somebody. And I called her first,” Amy said. “She’s extremely talented, extremely professional. She is in it for playing the bass. Incredible stage performer. Everything about her, I just love Emma.”

The lineup change followed the transition of longtime Evanescence bassist Tim McCord to guitar, his original instrument. According to Amy, McCord welcomed the shift, describing it as something he’d been wanting for a while. “This is what I want,” she recalled him saying. “I’ve been wanting to switch it up. Guitar is my original instrument. This is perfect.”

Amy and Anzai’s history goes back nearly two decades. The two first met during a 2007 tour when Sick Puppies opened for Evanescence. That early connection laid the groundwork for a professional relationship built on mutual respect and a shared experience navigating the male-dominated world of heavy music.

“Women in heavy music are a pretty tight-knit group, ’cause there aren’t that many of us still,” Amy said. “Back then, it was just this rare bird to see in the wild and be, like, ‘Hey, come here. You’re one of me. Can we talk for a second?’”

Anzai has echoed those sentiments. Speaking to Bass Magazine in 2023, she recalled how Amy stood out during those early years.

“She’s still the same now with support bands, the crews, and everyone she comes in contact with,” Anzai noted. “At the time I was a little naïve, but she was helpful in solidifying what I had already felt.”

Anzai’s arrival has brought a new dynamic to the group, one Amy describes as both creatively and personally fulfilling.

“We’ve all just felt blessed by her presence,” she said. “I have a true sister in the band. It’s been great. We’re a good team. And Emma kicks ass.”

Jen Majura, the band’s previous guitarist, exited Evanescence in 2022. Her departure was described by the band as the end of a “very special chapter,” though Majura later likened the news to a “divorce” during an interview on Ola Englund’s show Coffee With Ola. She said she received the call while cleaning her apartment and was still processing the shock weeks later.

The current lineup, Amy Lee (vocals, keyboards), Tim McCord (guitar), Will Hunt (drums), Troy McLawhorn (guitar), and Emma Anzai (bass, backing vocals), has continued touring globally and recently collaborated with K.Flay on the track “Fight Like A Girl”, part of the Ballerina film soundtrack.

The band is also featured on Metallica’s M72 World Tour Get Metallica Tickets Here and will appear at this year’s Louder Than Life festival. Get Evanescence Tickets Here.

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