EPICA’s SIMONE SIMONS Releases ‘R.E.D.’ Single From Upcoming Debut Solo Album

EPICA singer Simone Simons has released the music video for the song “R.E.D.” from her upcoming debut solo album. Due on August 23 via Nuclear Blast Records, “Vermillion” is a collaboration with Simone‘s longtime musical partner Arjen Lucassen (AYREON).

Simons and Lucassen comment: “‘R.E.D.’ deals with the rise of artificial intelligence, imagining a future where the creation begins to outpace the creator. It reflects on the A.I.’s growing self-awareness and its unfulfilled desire to experience emotions, something that its synthetic nature makes impossible to ever realize. The song also looks at the double-edged nature of technological advancements and the profound existential questions that are becoming ever more important to address.”

In a recent interview with El Cuartel Del Metal, Simons was asked how long she has been planning her debut solo project. Simone said: “Well, actively for, I guess, one and a half years, or one year even, with Arjen. We started, yeah, last year, I think springtime or so. But I talked to him about working together, I asked him if he wanted to work with me on my solo album already years ago, if he would be interested. And he was, but we were both just too busy. And last year, we also did the AYREON shows together; I was part of that. But already before those took place, we met up because he already started

writing songs, and he always kind of wrote two, three songs and then I would come over to him to record vocals. And then a couple of months later he would have more songs. So it was not that all songs were there all at once. But we did it in a couple of sessions. And, yeah, EPICA was not touring a lot. And writing a new record for EPICA was kind of a little bit like at the end of the last vocal

recordings for ‘Vermillion’. EPICA was also in the studio, or writing camps, writing albums. So, for me, I guess this was the freest I could get my calendar, but I still had things going on. And in the past we were just touring too much. So the wish was always there, but not the time, also for Arjen because he’s very busy as well. But now we were both motivated and had the time. The time was right now.”