Evanescence in "healthier" place with new members

07/13/2007 2:14 PM, Reuters
Tamara Conniff

Evanescence leader Amy Lee says that recent lineup changes have made things "more fun" and "a lot healthier" for the band -- which bodes well for its jaunt on the upcoming Family Values Tour with headliner Korn.

Lee, who in May replaced drummer Rocky Gray and guitarist John LeCompt with Will Hunt and Troy McLawhorn, both from the group Dark New Day, told reporters earlier this week that "when we're up there now we're having a lot of fun, and I think when you're on stage and you're in a rock band playing in front of 10,000 people, you should be having fun.

"Troy and Will are both very passionate and creative. It's given the show the ability to grow and evolve. We're changing things more often now and getting more creative with the set. It's really given the band the kick-start it needed."

Lee said she "can definitely see writing" with Hunt and McLawhorn in the future but isn't yet ready to commit to any specific direction for Evanescence's next album. "I just don't want to get in the way of what they want to do with Dark New Day," Lee said. "I actually admire and respect that band. I think their music is really great."

Evanescence is, in fact, focusing most of its energy on preparing for Family Values, which kicks off July 20 in Maryland Heights, Missouri. Lee said the group will have a new stage set for the tour, "a whole wall of mirrors, sort of like fun-house mirrors, and a whole bunch of lights playing off the mirrors. It should be really trippy and weird." The group is also trying to come up with a cover to include in its 65-minute set, "something very different for us and nothing like us. We're working on it."

There's no word yet on whether Lee and Korn will re-create the acoustic version of "Freak on a Leash" from the latter's "MTV Unpluggged." "Obviously that's totally up to them," she said. "I don't plan on it, but if they ask me, I'm totally willing."

Lee said that Evanescence plans to release a new single, "Good Enough," from its 2006 album "The Open Door" and shot a video for the song in Budapest, Hungary, during its recent overseas tour.

After Family Values wraps on September 20, Evanescence likely will embark on its own headlining tour.

Reuters/Billboard